Saturday, June 19, 2010
Halong Bay, Vietnam
The MacWilliams and Suggs ventured down to Vietnam for a long weekend. June 2010
MacWilliams in HK!
Chris' friend from middle school and his wife came for a visit in June 2010. Thanks for coming Kris and Sara! Sorry my posting took so long.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Incredible India!
Chris and I were blessed to take yet another trip. I joined Chris at the tail end of his business trip in India. This was a trip we had been wanted to take for over a year, so we were very excited. We only had 4 days to site see, so we chose Delhi and Agra. We were just one city short from completing the golden triangle, but we were going to take what we could get. I’m going to try to cut back the length of this blog to save you all some time. The video below is a summary of our trip. If you want more details you can read the text below and also view our photos.
Details of our trip & Photo slideshow
Delhi: Is a thriving chaotic city as you can imagine. We really enjoyed our time there. Even in this big city you can see the distinct levels of rich and poor. We didn’t feel as comfortable as we did in other countries. Chris and I stood out like a sore thumb. Both of us are very light skinned (no tans for us!) and Chris is so tall and my hair is also light. We had over a dozen locals ask to have their photos with us throughout the trip. It was kind of flattering and fun at first, but the attention got old after a while. Oh to be famous!
Some of our favorite sites in Delhi were the Lodi Gardens, Humayun’s Tomb, and Qutub Minar.
I give more details in the photos below. We also had some very yummy, but expensive food in Delhi. I was afraid of the low, low standards of cleanliness around the city so we mostly ate in our nice hotels. This means we spent around $200 USD per day on food. In India?! You’ve got to be kidding, right? We did go to some nice restaurants, but the mark-up on the ingredients as got to be ridiculous. We weren’t happy, but willing to pay the obscene prices hoping that we were reducing our chance of getting ill. Well, that was a waste because within 3 weeks of returning to Hong Kong Chris and I were both on antibiotics and anti-parasite medication.
Agra - the home of the Taj Mahal is. It’s about 120 miles outside of Delhi. It took us almost 6 hours to get there because of all the crazy traffic. We left the hotel at 6:30 AM to try to beat the traffic, but still had a long trip. There are so many trucks, tractors, and other crazy obstacles. We drove through many small towns on our journey to Agra. If we were stopped in traffic or at a stoplight beggars of all ages would approach our car obviously knowing there were “rich” western tourist inside. Chris and I decided we’d opt for tinted windows next time! Our driver tried to help keep them away, but this was a difficult task. The strangest thing we saw were adult men with “pet” monkeys (monkeys on leashes) that would make the monkeys climb on the windows of the car to incise you to give them money. The poor monkeys did not look happy and we didn’t support this “profession”. Another very strange thing was at this same spot. There were two men dressed up as women standing next to the road. I thought the lady-boys were in Thailand? Maybe not? These guys needed some beauty tips! We were also offered water for sale by a few children. Chris saw them fill up clear and small plastic bags from a bucket and run the to the waiting vehicles for purchase. I couldn’t believe they tried to get us to buy their water. Don’t they know our biggest fear is Delhi Belly?!
The highlight of Agra was of course the Taj Mahal. The other main tourist attraction we saw was Agra Fort. It was very pretty as well. I did make the mistake of wearing shorts and a t-shirt to this fort. I asked the front desk at the hotel if I could wear shorts since it was a fort and not a mosque and because it was over 100 degrees outside. We showed up to the for t and literally everyone was staring at my legs. I immediately became very self-conscious. They weren’t even my shortest pair! We got about 8 photo request during the hour or so we spent there. Even the women were staring at my legs in shock. I don’t get it though. There is a type of sari that shows the woman’s back and/or abdomen. I think that is more sexual than legs! Anyway, I don’t recommend wearing shorts at all in India, even if your hotel says it’s OK.
We met our guide and driver at 5:30 am so we could see the sunrise on the Taj Mahal. Our guide was amazing and helped us be the first people on the grounds that morning. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I can hardly describe it. Tears literally almost started streaming down my face. The beauty and serenity are shocking and overwhelming. I felt embarrassed by my own reaction and hid behind my sunglasses for the next few moments. Chris and I got some fantastic photos as you’ll see in my slide show. Unfortunately, we hadn’t showered yet that day and we are both looking a little groggy! I’ll have to Photoshop in some better pictures of us. I got to sit on the bench in front of the Taj where many First Ladies have also sat. I don’t think I looked as good as Jackie-O. I don’t know how she got in with a sleeveless shirt!
They say India is an incredible place. Well, we agree with this statement. Unfortunately along with incredible sights, food, and friendly people there is also incredible poverty. Don’t get me wrong, it is a spectacular country to visit, but as most of you know they have the caste system, so you are basically born into your job and social class. I guess some cities in India are trying to get away from this way of life and promote people to strive beyond their social class. With the caste system we saw extreme poverty and extreme wealth all mixed together. The poverty was shockingly bad and the worst I had seen yet in Asia. There are people literally living in the medians of roads and on patches of grass on the side of the road with just tarps and blankets for homes. We were approached constantly by hawkers and beggars. It was very sad to see some of the children that were very young asking for money to buy food. I guess you can tour the slums now, after the popularity of the movie SlumDog Millionaire. We didn’t do this and I’m glad we didn’t. It was quite heartbreaking to see the children that suffer due to extreme poverty. Anyway, that’s enough of that. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to India, and would go back!
Some of our favorite sites in Delhi were the Lodi Gardens, Humayun’s Tomb, and Qutub Minar.
I give more details in the photos below. We also had some very yummy, but expensive food in Delhi. I was afraid of the low, low standards of cleanliness around the city so we mostly ate in our nice hotels. This means we spent around $200 USD per day on food. In India?! You’ve got to be kidding, right? We did go to some nice restaurants, but the mark-up on the ingredients as got to be ridiculous. We weren’t happy, but willing to pay the obscene prices hoping that we were reducing our chance of getting ill. Well, that was a waste because within 3 weeks of returning to Hong Kong Chris and I were both on antibiotics and anti-parasite medication.
Agra - the home of the Taj Mahal is. It’s about 120 miles outside of Delhi. It took us almost 6 hours to get there because of all the crazy traffic. We left the hotel at 6:30 AM to try to beat the traffic, but still had a long trip. There are so many trucks, tractors, and other crazy obstacles. We drove through many small towns on our journey to Agra. If we were stopped in traffic or at a stoplight beggars of all ages would approach our car obviously knowing there were “rich” western tourist inside. Chris and I decided we’d opt for tinted windows next time! Our driver tried to help keep them away, but this was a difficult task. The strangest thing we saw were adult men with “pet” monkeys (monkeys on leashes) that would make the monkeys climb on the windows of the car to incise you to give them money. The poor monkeys did not look happy and we didn’t support this “profession”. Another very strange thing was at this same spot. There were two men dressed up as women standing next to the road. I thought the lady-boys were in Thailand? Maybe not? These guys needed some beauty tips! We were also offered water for sale by a few children. Chris saw them fill up clear and small plastic bags from a bucket and run the to the waiting vehicles for purchase. I couldn’t believe they tried to get us to buy their water. Don’t they know our biggest fear is Delhi Belly?!
The highlight of Agra was of course the Taj Mahal. The other main tourist attraction we saw was Agra Fort. It was very pretty as well. I did make the mistake of wearing shorts and a t-shirt to this fort. I asked the front desk at the hotel if I could wear shorts since it was a fort and not a mosque and because it was over 100 degrees outside. We showed up to the for t and literally everyone was staring at my legs. I immediately became very self-conscious. They weren’t even my shortest pair! We got about 8 photo request during the hour or so we spent there. Even the women were staring at my legs in shock. I don’t get it though. There is a type of sari that shows the woman’s back and/or abdomen. I think that is more sexual than legs! Anyway, I don’t recommend wearing shorts at all in India, even if your hotel says it’s OK.
We met our guide and driver at 5:30 am so we could see the sunrise on the Taj Mahal. Our guide was amazing and helped us be the first people on the grounds that morning. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I can hardly describe it. Tears literally almost started streaming down my face. The beauty and serenity are shocking and overwhelming. I felt embarrassed by my own reaction and hid behind my sunglasses for the next few moments. Chris and I got some fantastic photos as you’ll see in my slide show. Unfortunately, we hadn’t showered yet that day and we are both looking a little groggy! I’ll have to Photoshop in some better pictures of us. I got to sit on the bench in front of the Taj where many First Ladies have also sat. I don’t think I looked as good as Jackie-O. I don’t know how she got in with a sleeveless shirt!
They say India is an incredible place. Well, we agree with this statement. Unfortunately along with incredible sights, food, and friendly people there is also incredible poverty. Don’t get me wrong, it is a spectacular country to visit, but as most of you know they have the caste system, so you are basically born into your job and social class. I guess some cities in India are trying to get away from this way of life and promote people to strive beyond their social class. With the caste system we saw extreme poverty and extreme wealth all mixed together. The poverty was shockingly bad and the worst I had seen yet in Asia. There are people literally living in the medians of roads and on patches of grass on the side of the road with just tarps and blankets for homes. We were approached constantly by hawkers and beggars. It was very sad to see some of the children that were very young asking for money to buy food. I guess you can tour the slums now, after the popularity of the movie SlumDog Millionaire. We didn’t do this and I’m glad we didn’t. It was quite heartbreaking to see the children that suffer due to extreme poverty. Anyway, that’s enough of that. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our trip to India, and would go back!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Bali, Indonesia
We arrived in Bali in the wee hours our first day. We got a killer deal on airline tickets. The savings were well worth our late arrival and red-eye home.
I was relieved when we arrived at the airport and found it was very easy to get our visas. About 10 minutes and $50usd later we were cleared to stay in the country for up to 15 days. I was relieved a second time when I saw a guy holding a sigh with my name on it. With some of the language barriers, I’m not always 100% confident our arrangements will follow through. We had a short car ride to our hotel, Tony’s Villa. We absolutely loved Tony’s where we enjoyed our own private bungalow villa for $67usd per night including a nice breakfast. A bargain! It was our home away from home for the next 4 nights. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. It felt like you were in the jungle but we were really tucked away in from the city. It was a great location as well: 5 minute walk to the beach, convenient store close by for bottled water and such, and it also had a burrito place across the street. I know what you’re thinking…Burrito’s in Bali? Two words – Mojo Burrito! We dined at Mojo’s about 3 times during our stay in Seminyak. I’m not ashamed of it either. They had good food and even better margaritas. We made the “mistake” of getting a pitcher to share our first dining experience there….tipsy travelers! It turns out you really only need 1 glass to do the trick. It took us back to some fabulous Sugg family vacations in Cabo San Lucas, MX!
In our first day in Seminyak we slept in a bit and had a delicious traditional Balinese breakfast to start the day. Breakfast included really strong local and fresh coffee (yum), and some fried yummy rice with a fried egg on top. This was also served with fresh fruit (papaya, pineapple, watermelon, and banana) and fresh fruit juice. We also learned the best trick ever. Squeeze fresh lime juice on the fresh fruit, the papaya and lime were especially delicious.
We then made our way down to the beach. The water was a bit rough that morning, but there were still safe areas to swim. We walked up and down the beach just to scope it out. We eventually settled on some lounge chairs right on the beach for rent by a few locals. It was about 10usd for 2 chairs and an umbrella for 2 hours. Of course Chris got us a bargain price as usual! It was heavenly to relax and listen to the sound of the waves hit the beach. There were some hawkers on this beach, so every 20 minutes or so a local would walk by trying to sell us a hat, sunglasses, sarongs, or jewelry. If you smile and shake your head no they go away without hassle. Chris and I played in the waves and cooled off in the Indian Ocean. We took the umbrella down after our first dip (big mistake!). Even with sunscreen on, we both got burnt to a crisp just being exposed to the sun for a short amount of time. I guess that’s what happens 8 degrees below the equator! Good thing I packed aloe vera gel for us. So we spent the rest of the trip lathered in spf 50 and tried to find shade when possible.
We moseyed back to our hotel later that afternoon. This is when we discovered Mojo’s Burritos and fell in love. That evening we took a taxi down South to Jimbaran Beach to enjoy the sunset and some fresh seafood on the beach. We had a grilled lobster and more prawns than we could eat, rice, water spinach, and a few Bintang beers for $40.
Since we had such a relaxing first day we decided to go for some adventure the next day. We found some flyers at our hotel and decided to do a 3 hour downhill cycling trip down from a nearby Volcano, Mount Batur. I was super nervous about the downhill part because I’m crazy and prefer the challenge of an uphill. I don’t like going fast downhill on a bike, skis, snowboard, etc. It ended up being a wonderful trip. We got picked up bright and early and headed out on a 2 hour drive north to the volcano. We stopped about half way at a “coffee plantation”, which really turned out to be a place you drink and buy coffee…It was still beautiful regardless. Then we arrived near the volcano where we would start our ride. We had a great view of the volcano and enjoyed a late local breakfast. I had banana pancakes which were like a pancake with whole chunks of fresh banana and some sugar (delicious) and Chris had banana bread which was similar but more like bread. We both tried some hot ginger tea. It was great, but I’m pretty sure was loaded with sugar. It did have chunks of fresh ginger in it, so it must be good for you, right?! Then we started out on our 3 hour (about 30K) bike ride. I had to walk down a few hills that were too steep for me, but I’m glad I pushed myself to go. The scenery for the next 3 hours was absolutely breathtaking. We rode through many small villages with each village having numerous small but very cool Hindu temples. We saw beautifully green rice fields and also rice terraces.
The deep green against the bright blue sky was gorgeous. For one of our breaks we stopped at a local farmers field to check out the irrigation and how they care for the rice. Unlike most climates Bali is special because they are able to grow rice year round. They harvest their crops every six months versus once per year. Our trip was at the tail end of the rainy season and many of the fields were ready for harvest. The Balinese irrigate and store water which allows them to grow all year. The Balinese believe in many gods. They pray to the water god for enough water for everyone in the village to have enough water for their fields. They also believe in a volcano god. If the volcano erupts they believe they did something to aggravate him. Don’t worry the volcano hasn’t erupted since 1992, so we felt pretty safe.
We ended the tour at our guide’s home for a traditional lunch that was prepared by his wife. His family lived on a large property that was shared with his family and extended family. They all seemed to be healthy and happy, but there living standards are much different than ours. I went to use their bathroom and caught a glimpse of their bedroom and it appeared to be a large room with 3 mattresses on the ground with no sheets. Ketut’s family and his brother and sister’s family all shared this “house”. I’m guessing they all (appox 6 adults and 5 kids) slept in this room together. Everyone in the family contributes. Ketut’s family was all busy at work while we were there. Several other family members were making “handy crafts” while others were working around the property.
Our lunch was served traditionally. We took our shoes off and sat on the floor and ate at low table outside. We had just finished riding bikes for 3+ hours outside and I was dying for some air con, but it was pleasant after we rested a bit. The plates were like a woven paper plate holder, but instead of a paper plate they use a thick piece of paper. It worked fine and uses less paper. We had white rice, chicken satay with peanut sauce, a bean patty thing (sounds gross, but it was good), cooked vegetables, a spicy chutney type thing, pork, and fresh fruit for dessert. The kids in the village were super cute and I got some great pictures of them. I would take their picture and then show it to them on the camera screen and they would go nuts with smiles and laughter.
We got back to our hotel in time for showers and then we hit the beach to catch another great sunset. We stopped at a hotel called The Samaya with beach access and had a drink and a snack there. They had wagyu beef sliders with foie gras mayo and black truffle cheese. They were to die for! After this indulgence and the sun setting we went for a more local meal nearby to have more inexpensive Balinese cuisine. We liked the local food, but didn’t love it. They had a stir fry ramen type noodle dish with vegetables, steamed fish, morning glory/water spinach, rice, and some a pork dish. It hit the spot, but we didn’t like it as much as the food in Thailand or some places in China.
We had another relaxing day on our 3rd day. We slept in, had a big breakfast, napped, went for burritos again, and then we went for super cheap massages. We each had hour foot massages, I got a mani pedi, Chris got an hour body massage for $50usd. The place was super cute and clean. The staff were very skilled and friendly. We ended the afternoon with a long walk on the beach. It started raining about 10 minutes into our walk, but we didn’t let that stop us. We walked in the rain for about an hour before returning to the hotel. For our last night in Seminyak we tried to get reservations at Sarong, but they were fully booked. We walked down to The Living Room hoping to get a last minute booking. They were able to squeeze us in and we had a really nice dinner. It has western food mostly with some Asian-fusion. We decided this would be our 2nd wedding anniversary dinner and celebration. Since this trip was just one month shy of our anniversary.
I was relieved when we arrived at the airport and found it was very easy to get our visas. About 10 minutes and $50usd later we were cleared to stay in the country for up to 15 days. I was relieved a second time when I saw a guy holding a sigh with my name on it. With some of the language barriers, I’m not always 100% confident our arrangements will follow through. We had a short car ride to our hotel, Tony’s Villa. We absolutely loved Tony’s where we enjoyed our own private bungalow villa for $67usd per night including a nice breakfast. A bargain! It was our home away from home for the next 4 nights. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. It felt like you were in the jungle but we were really tucked away in from the city. It was a great location as well: 5 minute walk to the beach, convenient store close by for bottled water and such, and it also had a burrito place across the street. I know what you’re thinking…Burrito’s in Bali? Two words – Mojo Burrito! We dined at Mojo’s about 3 times during our stay in Seminyak. I’m not ashamed of it either. They had good food and even better margaritas. We made the “mistake” of getting a pitcher to share our first dining experience there….tipsy travelers! It turns out you really only need 1 glass to do the trick. It took us back to some fabulous Sugg family vacations in Cabo San Lucas, MX!
In our first day in Seminyak we slept in a bit and had a delicious traditional Balinese breakfast to start the day. Breakfast included really strong local and fresh coffee (yum), and some fried yummy rice with a fried egg on top. This was also served with fresh fruit (papaya, pineapple, watermelon, and banana) and fresh fruit juice. We also learned the best trick ever. Squeeze fresh lime juice on the fresh fruit, the papaya and lime were especially delicious.
We then made our way down to the beach. The water was a bit rough that morning, but there were still safe areas to swim. We walked up and down the beach just to scope it out. We eventually settled on some lounge chairs right on the beach for rent by a few locals. It was about 10usd for 2 chairs and an umbrella for 2 hours. Of course Chris got us a bargain price as usual! It was heavenly to relax and listen to the sound of the waves hit the beach. There were some hawkers on this beach, so every 20 minutes or so a local would walk by trying to sell us a hat, sunglasses, sarongs, or jewelry. If you smile and shake your head no they go away without hassle. Chris and I played in the waves and cooled off in the Indian Ocean. We took the umbrella down after our first dip (big mistake!). Even with sunscreen on, we both got burnt to a crisp just being exposed to the sun for a short amount of time. I guess that’s what happens 8 degrees below the equator! Good thing I packed aloe vera gel for us. So we spent the rest of the trip lathered in spf 50 and tried to find shade when possible.
We moseyed back to our hotel later that afternoon. This is when we discovered Mojo’s Burritos and fell in love. That evening we took a taxi down South to Jimbaran Beach to enjoy the sunset and some fresh seafood on the beach. We had a grilled lobster and more prawns than we could eat, rice, water spinach, and a few Bintang beers for $40.
Since we had such a relaxing first day we decided to go for some adventure the next day. We found some flyers at our hotel and decided to do a 3 hour downhill cycling trip down from a nearby Volcano, Mount Batur. I was super nervous about the downhill part because I’m crazy and prefer the challenge of an uphill. I don’t like going fast downhill on a bike, skis, snowboard, etc. It ended up being a wonderful trip. We got picked up bright and early and headed out on a 2 hour drive north to the volcano. We stopped about half way at a “coffee plantation”, which really turned out to be a place you drink and buy coffee…It was still beautiful regardless. Then we arrived near the volcano where we would start our ride. We had a great view of the volcano and enjoyed a late local breakfast. I had banana pancakes which were like a pancake with whole chunks of fresh banana and some sugar (delicious) and Chris had banana bread which was similar but more like bread. We both tried some hot ginger tea. It was great, but I’m pretty sure was loaded with sugar. It did have chunks of fresh ginger in it, so it must be good for you, right?! Then we started out on our 3 hour (about 30K) bike ride. I had to walk down a few hills that were too steep for me, but I’m glad I pushed myself to go. The scenery for the next 3 hours was absolutely breathtaking. We rode through many small villages with each village having numerous small but very cool Hindu temples. We saw beautifully green rice fields and also rice terraces.
The deep green against the bright blue sky was gorgeous. For one of our breaks we stopped at a local farmers field to check out the irrigation and how they care for the rice. Unlike most climates Bali is special because they are able to grow rice year round. They harvest their crops every six months versus once per year. Our trip was at the tail end of the rainy season and many of the fields were ready for harvest. The Balinese irrigate and store water which allows them to grow all year. The Balinese believe in many gods. They pray to the water god for enough water for everyone in the village to have enough water for their fields. They also believe in a volcano god. If the volcano erupts they believe they did something to aggravate him. Don’t worry the volcano hasn’t erupted since 1992, so we felt pretty safe.
We ended the tour at our guide’s home for a traditional lunch that was prepared by his wife. His family lived on a large property that was shared with his family and extended family. They all seemed to be healthy and happy, but there living standards are much different than ours. I went to use their bathroom and caught a glimpse of their bedroom and it appeared to be a large room with 3 mattresses on the ground with no sheets. Ketut’s family and his brother and sister’s family all shared this “house”. I’m guessing they all (appox 6 adults and 5 kids) slept in this room together. Everyone in the family contributes. Ketut’s family was all busy at work while we were there. Several other family members were making “handy crafts” while others were working around the property.
Our lunch was served traditionally. We took our shoes off and sat on the floor and ate at low table outside. We had just finished riding bikes for 3+ hours outside and I was dying for some air con, but it was pleasant after we rested a bit. The plates were like a woven paper plate holder, but instead of a paper plate they use a thick piece of paper. It worked fine and uses less paper. We had white rice, chicken satay with peanut sauce, a bean patty thing (sounds gross, but it was good), cooked vegetables, a spicy chutney type thing, pork, and fresh fruit for dessert. The kids in the village were super cute and I got some great pictures of them. I would take their picture and then show it to them on the camera screen and they would go nuts with smiles and laughter.
We got back to our hotel in time for showers and then we hit the beach to catch another great sunset. We stopped at a hotel called The Samaya with beach access and had a drink and a snack there. They had wagyu beef sliders with foie gras mayo and black truffle cheese. They were to die for! After this indulgence and the sun setting we went for a more local meal nearby to have more inexpensive Balinese cuisine. We liked the local food, but didn’t love it. They had a stir fry ramen type noodle dish with vegetables, steamed fish, morning glory/water spinach, rice, and some a pork dish. It hit the spot, but we didn’t like it as much as the food in Thailand or some places in China.
We had another relaxing day on our 3rd day. We slept in, had a big breakfast, napped, went for burritos again, and then we went for super cheap massages. We each had hour foot massages, I got a mani pedi, Chris got an hour body massage for $50usd. The place was super cute and clean. The staff were very skilled and friendly. We ended the afternoon with a long walk on the beach. It started raining about 10 minutes into our walk, but we didn’t let that stop us. We walked in the rain for about an hour before returning to the hotel. For our last night in Seminyak we tried to get reservations at Sarong, but they were fully booked. We walked down to The Living Room hoping to get a last minute booking. They were able to squeeze us in and we had a really nice dinner. It has western food mostly with some Asian-fusion. We decided this would be our 2nd wedding anniversary dinner and celebration. Since this trip was just one month shy of our anniversary.
Ubud & Around
On day 4 we headed up to Ubud. On the way to we stopped at the most photographed temple in Bali, Pura Tanah Lot. It’s a large temple literally in the ocean. The tide was too high to go out to the temple, but we got lots of great photos! We then headed to our hotel just outside of Ubud. The hotel we originally wanted to stay out was booked and that hotel referred us to the Bumi Ubud Resort. At first glance we were really happy with this choice, but once we looked closed the place was a total bust. We just spent minimal time there and were very glad we only had to stay 1 night there.
Our first night in Ubud we went to watch the traditional Balinese dance the Kecak and Fire Dance (please see video below). It was very cool to see. I think the building we were in was a temple but we were still able to buy beer. I thought it was a bit strange at first, but about half the audience was enjoying cold Bintangs, so we followed suit. We got some good photos and video of this ancient Balinese dance. After the dance we went for dinner at The Dirty Duck restaurant that was recommended by a friend. The restaurant was undergoing a renovation and we think the head chef must have been away, because it wasn’t anything to write home about. So we ate light and called it a night.
Then we returned back to our not-so-nice hotel where I managed to have a terrible night’s rest. I was worried about bugs crawling on me and then woke up at 3am to a scratching noise that seemed to come from our headboard! Eek! I woke Chris up and made us sleep with the light on for the next hour or so just in case a friend tried to come out and visit us. On our way to the room that night we noticed there was like only one other room being occupied at the hotel. Not a good sign! We had prepaid for the hotel online and were just staying one night so we decided to deal with it. When we woke up that morning we skipped the complimentary breakfast mostly out of fear and headed to the Monkey Forest and Craft Market. We grabbed iced coffees at Circle K since it was already about 80 degrees out and set out to see the Monkey Forest. There were 2 local ladies selling bananas at the start of the forest that you can buy to feed the monkeys. Chris thought it would be a good idea to get some. He made the mistake of giving them to me. Within 30 seconds of buying the bananas a large monkey ran up to up to me, jumped on me and stole all the bananas! I screamed of course and let the bananas go. He grabbed one and started eating, so I tried to get the others back and he lunged at me and tried to scratch my leg. Chris got this on video as well - please see below. It was totally embarrassing and the other patrons were laughing at us.
We had a nice walk about the forest to see some temples, a small stream, and of course, monkeys! There was a proper coffee shop at the end of the forest so we popped in for a real cup of Joe. On the way back in Chris decided he would give the bananas a try! Thinking he was cooler than me of course! Again, within seconds of walking in with the bananas an even larger monkey jumped on Chris. Chris quickly ripped off one banana and threw it on the ground hoping the monkey would chase after it. Well, this was a smart monkey. Why chase after one when you can have five from this nice tourist?! The ladies that sold us the bananas started yelling at Chris to just give the monkey the bananas. I’m sure this was for safety purposes, so I also started yelling at Chris to give up the damn bananas. I didn’t want to try out Balinese doctors or the hospital because my husband was attacked by a monkey. Finally, Chris gave in and the monkey strutted away with his fat breakfast. The ladies then warn us to watch out for our coffees because the monkeys also like plastic. Oh great! My friend had her camera stolen by a monkey in this same spot a few months prior. I was scared for the rest of our time in the Monkey Forest. A little guy monkey did come after my coffee, but no one gets between me and my morning coffee!
The rest of the day we spent browsing the many shops along Monkey Forest Road. We stopped for a breakfast of banana pancakes and fresh fruit at one of the cafes along the road. We made our way down to the Craft Market where we made many purchases and ended up having to make a trip back to the hotel to drop off our loot before lunch time. We bought 3 traditional masks of characters from the Kecak story we has seen the night before, 2 other wood carvings, 5 dresses for me (ranging from $5-$20), some Bali coffee, and some other cool things. We then had a great lunch at the famous Ibu Oka restaurant. It was made famous by Anthony Bourdain for saying it's the best roasted pig he's ever had. We agree that it’s wicked good! It was a little hole in the wall place for sure where you also had to sit on the floor and it was packed with tourists and locals. We would totally go back.
To finish off our last day in Bali we went for more cheap massages, walked around to more shops, and just hung around town. Our last dinner was at a restaurant with some great barbeque. We cheated and had western-style food, but it hit the spot. There was a lot of dining options in Ubud. We just walked around to look and menus and randomly picked this place. We were very happy with our choice and last meal in Bali. We left the magical little island a couple hours later. The red-eye to Taiwan, then Hong Kong actually wasn’t bad. We slept most of the flight back and then we both had that day off to pull ourselves back together!
Our review of Bali, one of our favorite places thus far. The people were very friendly, we felt safe, the scenery was breathtaking, there was so much to see and do, the food was great and diverse, it was pretty affordable, etc. Overall, two thumbs up!
Our first night in Ubud we went to watch the traditional Balinese dance the Kecak and Fire Dance (please see video below). It was very cool to see. I think the building we were in was a temple but we were still able to buy beer. I thought it was a bit strange at first, but about half the audience was enjoying cold Bintangs, so we followed suit. We got some good photos and video of this ancient Balinese dance. After the dance we went for dinner at The Dirty Duck restaurant that was recommended by a friend. The restaurant was undergoing a renovation and we think the head chef must have been away, because it wasn’t anything to write home about. So we ate light and called it a night.
Then we returned back to our not-so-nice hotel where I managed to have a terrible night’s rest. I was worried about bugs crawling on me and then woke up at 3am to a scratching noise that seemed to come from our headboard! Eek! I woke Chris up and made us sleep with the light on for the next hour or so just in case a friend tried to come out and visit us. On our way to the room that night we noticed there was like only one other room being occupied at the hotel. Not a good sign! We had prepaid for the hotel online and were just staying one night so we decided to deal with it. When we woke up that morning we skipped the complimentary breakfast mostly out of fear and headed to the Monkey Forest and Craft Market. We grabbed iced coffees at Circle K since it was already about 80 degrees out and set out to see the Monkey Forest. There were 2 local ladies selling bananas at the start of the forest that you can buy to feed the monkeys. Chris thought it would be a good idea to get some. He made the mistake of giving them to me. Within 30 seconds of buying the bananas a large monkey ran up to up to me, jumped on me and stole all the bananas! I screamed of course and let the bananas go. He grabbed one and started eating, so I tried to get the others back and he lunged at me and tried to scratch my leg. Chris got this on video as well - please see below. It was totally embarrassing and the other patrons were laughing at us.
We had a nice walk about the forest to see some temples, a small stream, and of course, monkeys! There was a proper coffee shop at the end of the forest so we popped in for a real cup of Joe. On the way back in Chris decided he would give the bananas a try! Thinking he was cooler than me of course! Again, within seconds of walking in with the bananas an even larger monkey jumped on Chris. Chris quickly ripped off one banana and threw it on the ground hoping the monkey would chase after it. Well, this was a smart monkey. Why chase after one when you can have five from this nice tourist?! The ladies that sold us the bananas started yelling at Chris to just give the monkey the bananas. I’m sure this was for safety purposes, so I also started yelling at Chris to give up the damn bananas. I didn’t want to try out Balinese doctors or the hospital because my husband was attacked by a monkey. Finally, Chris gave in and the monkey strutted away with his fat breakfast. The ladies then warn us to watch out for our coffees because the monkeys also like plastic. Oh great! My friend had her camera stolen by a monkey in this same spot a few months prior. I was scared for the rest of our time in the Monkey Forest. A little guy monkey did come after my coffee, but no one gets between me and my morning coffee!
The rest of the day we spent browsing the many shops along Monkey Forest Road. We stopped for a breakfast of banana pancakes and fresh fruit at one of the cafes along the road. We made our way down to the Craft Market where we made many purchases and ended up having to make a trip back to the hotel to drop off our loot before lunch time. We bought 3 traditional masks of characters from the Kecak story we has seen the night before, 2 other wood carvings, 5 dresses for me (ranging from $5-$20), some Bali coffee, and some other cool things. We then had a great lunch at the famous Ibu Oka restaurant. It was made famous by Anthony Bourdain for saying it's the best roasted pig he's ever had. We agree that it’s wicked good! It was a little hole in the wall place for sure where you also had to sit on the floor and it was packed with tourists and locals. We would totally go back.
To finish off our last day in Bali we went for more cheap massages, walked around to more shops, and just hung around town. Our last dinner was at a restaurant with some great barbeque. We cheated and had western-style food, but it hit the spot. There was a lot of dining options in Ubud. We just walked around to look and menus and randomly picked this place. We were very happy with our choice and last meal in Bali. We left the magical little island a couple hours later. The red-eye to Taiwan, then Hong Kong actually wasn’t bad. We slept most of the flight back and then we both had that day off to pull ourselves back together!
Our review of Bali, one of our favorite places thus far. The people were very friendly, we felt safe, the scenery was breathtaking, there was so much to see and do, the food was great and diverse, it was pretty affordable, etc. Overall, two thumbs up!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam Trip
We were so glad to have the opportunity to visit Saigon. We spent 2 days out in the Mekong Delta which is about 70 kilometers outside HCMC. Then we spent another 2 days exploring the Cu Chi tunnels and Ho Chi Minh city itself. I included lots of details again. I hope you enjoy it!
Night 1: we arrived late in HCMC and went straight to our hotel to get to bed for the night. I booked us a boutique “mini” hotel. It was only $50 per night including breakfast, taxes, etc. We really didn’t know what to expect, but luckily it was clean, the staff were friendly, and we had a nice room. The bed was a bit hard and our pillows were too big, but we would come to appreciate it after experiencing our home stay at a local farmer’s house on our second night.
Day 1: We got picked up by our private guide and driver bright and early on our first day in HCMC. After about 2.5 hours in the car we reached Cai Be.
Video of us starting our journey in Cai Be
After a short bike ride through a very bustling town we reached the pier with our private boat. We continued on to cruise over the mighty Mekong River for about 20 minutes. The river was about 1.5km wide in some areas. We arrived at Dong Phu Island and started cycling for about 3 hours. The island was lush, green, full of orchards, and other plant life. Although we were on a “secluded” type island for this part of the trip, we found the villages to be anything but quiet. We shared a very bumpy dirt trail with other bicycles and tons of motorbikes. Apparently everyone was preparing for family and friends to arrive for the Lunar New Year holiday. I almost crashed about 10 times in the first 15 minutes. Then I just finally relaxed and let the motorbikes pass by me. There were a few narrow bridges and corners that I got nervous on, but it all added to the excitement. Our guide was very fast and kept a nice pace for us to follow. The 20+ km went by pretty fast. The terrain was very bumpy as I mentioned before, so you can imagine how our bums felt after the ride. I also better mention that it was about 95 degrees out. We stopped for a few pictures and had a rest at a local “convenience” shop. The very nice shop owner was out of cold water and cold Pepsi, but had some random green tea drink. She didn’t speak a word of English but our big smiles and gesturing did the trick. A cold drink has never tasted so good! Cold drinks are a commodity out there. They have electricity and fridges, but they are very conservative. They have to get big blocks of ice delivered for coolers and drinks. We saw the iceman the next day. He has a little trailer that he pulled from a motorbike of course! After a nice, long, and tiring ride we finally returned to our private boat. We boarded the bikes and ourselves and were on our way to Ben Tre for our farmer’s home stay. We had a nice lunch served on the boat. Ramen noodle-type stir fry with tofu and veggies, white rice, green kale vegetable type thing, teriyaki grilled fish chunks, and fresh pineapple for dessert. We sat back and relaxed after lunch and cruised down the Mekong River for about 2.5 hours. It was nice to have a rest from the bike and from the heat. It was nice and cool out on the river.
Video of cruise down the Mekong River
We arrived in Ben Tre to stay with a local farmer. Not really knowing what to expect we were guessing it would be a very simple type hotel room. After a short bike ride to the farmer’s house I was so happy to see it was a nice looking large house. I got my hopes up a little too soon. Our guide showed us where we would be sleeping that night. Our room was not in the house, but next to the house. It was a large grass hut with very high ceilings. They were two other rooms in the hut separated by about 6 foot walls. Our beds were two twin-size cots raised off the ground and covered by a bug net. Chris and I were laughing immediately and already talking about how we would never forget this night! We walked around the island before sunset (6pm). There wasn’t much going on near the farmer’s house. We enjoyed a few pre-dinner beers after sunset with the company of some other foreigners. There were about 8 other French folks also staying the night. It eased our minds a bit to have other tourists there. It couldn’t be that crazy right? We had an amazing dinner prepared and served by the family. The main course was rice paper rolls filled with grilled fish, rice noodles, lettuce, & pineapple with a sweet dipping sauce. We also had deep fried spring rolls filled with chicken (I think), a soup with chicken, and fresh pineapple. After dinner we were served tea and grilled slightly sweetened rice paper crunchy things. Overall, it was a great meal. I needed some liquid courage to ensure I could sleep in my bug net covered cot. We found a new Vietnamese beer that we enjoy. If you can try 333, we would recommend it.
After dinner we decided to take showers and go to bed since it was pitch black dark and we were heading out to cycle at 7am the next morning. There were communal showers and bathrooms. I didn’t realize until I was waiting for the water to warm up that I realized that it wasn’t ever going to get warm. I should have felt lucky to have running water! Luckily it was still about 80+ degrees out, so it didn’t feel too bad. Nothing was going to keep us from showering after our sweaty day!
Chris and I decided to snuggle on 1 cot together to help each other through this experience. We stayed up laughing and talking for a bit until things started to get quiet outside. My survivor skill husband was smart enough to pack a flashlight with us (yay!). This was great since my baby bladder can’t make it through the night. He also got up and went with me twice.
Day 2
We were sound asleep and suddenly woken up by the sounds of roosters crowing, but it was still dark outside. We check the time and it was only 3am! The roosters crowed off and on the rest of the night until we had to get up at 6 that morning.
Before we set off on our 35+km day we had a great breakfast provided by our farmer friends. We each got a small crusty loaf of French bread, a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, homemade jam, and Vietnamese coffee. We were off on our bikes by 7:30.
It was only in the 80s at that hour which was a very nice change. This day was a much more comfortable ride. We took a lot more pictures and had a more relaxing pace. Most of the path was paved and thank goodness for that. We both had very sore butts from the previous day.
Cycling Video from our second day:
We stopped at a local home to relax by the canal and stretch out in hammocks and had a snack. We then peddled on to our lunch location where we had a similar meal to the dinner the night before. The food really was delicious and tasted very fresh. We then loaded up the bikes on one canoe and got in another and started down back toward the Mekong River. We had to take the small boats at this point because the water was too low. After about 15 minutes we were able to transfer to a bigger boat before arriving back to civilization.
We got back to the small city of Ben Tre where we went to visit a crazy market that puts all markets in HK to shame. It was bustling to say the least. Not only was there lots of foot traffic, but motorbikes were also allowed in a section of the market. There were all kinds of grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, etc on the first floor. Then the second floor had clothes, drugstore type items, house wares, etc. Talk about 1 stop shopping!
We ended the journey for the day with a 1.5 hour ride back to HCMC. Our driver greeted us with cold, wet wash clothes and cold water. I almost hugged him. We were back to the hotel by 4:30 and I had never been so ready to shower and stay in a room that was in a building. After getting cleaned up and sorting out plans for the evening we decided to head out to explore the backpackers area which was only 1 block over from our hotel. I was amazed by the utter chaos of this area. Imagine streets lined with shops, bars, and restaurants and completely packed with locals, tourists, and motorbikes! It was extremely overwhelming to take it all in. We walked up and down the streets and alleys just scoping things out. We settled on a crazy street corner to have a beer watch the chaos. It was a little too crazy for our moods, so we went on to search for some delicious food. It was very hot and I was starting to get hungry. This means grumpy Maggie (as most of you know). We finally decided on a very local Pho restaurant that looked and smelled great (Pho Bo Bo Kho).
They even had menus with pictures so we were able to order and knew what it was. It was probably the best Pho I’ve ever had and it was only $6 for 2 bowls of Pho and 2 beers. For those of you that don’t know, Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup served with rice noodles and choice of meat. The broth is usually cooked all day or longer and had just a delicious blend of herbs and spices. You can add been sprouts, Thai basil, and peppers to taste as well. We love it! We had it several more times this trip. Yum! After dinner we were exhausted, so went back to our nice clean hotel room to shower again (it was hot enough to make you sweat) and go to sleep. Good night!
Night 1: we arrived late in HCMC and went straight to our hotel to get to bed for the night. I booked us a boutique “mini” hotel. It was only $50 per night including breakfast, taxes, etc. We really didn’t know what to expect, but luckily it was clean, the staff were friendly, and we had a nice room. The bed was a bit hard and our pillows were too big, but we would come to appreciate it after experiencing our home stay at a local farmer’s house on our second night.
Day 1: We got picked up by our private guide and driver bright and early on our first day in HCMC. After about 2.5 hours in the car we reached Cai Be.
Video of us starting our journey in Cai Be
After a short bike ride through a very bustling town we reached the pier with our private boat. We continued on to cruise over the mighty Mekong River for about 20 minutes. The river was about 1.5km wide in some areas. We arrived at Dong Phu Island and started cycling for about 3 hours. The island was lush, green, full of orchards, and other plant life. Although we were on a “secluded” type island for this part of the trip, we found the villages to be anything but quiet. We shared a very bumpy dirt trail with other bicycles and tons of motorbikes. Apparently everyone was preparing for family and friends to arrive for the Lunar New Year holiday. I almost crashed about 10 times in the first 15 minutes. Then I just finally relaxed and let the motorbikes pass by me. There were a few narrow bridges and corners that I got nervous on, but it all added to the excitement. Our guide was very fast and kept a nice pace for us to follow. The 20+ km went by pretty fast. The terrain was very bumpy as I mentioned before, so you can imagine how our bums felt after the ride. I also better mention that it was about 95 degrees out. We stopped for a few pictures and had a rest at a local “convenience” shop. The very nice shop owner was out of cold water and cold Pepsi, but had some random green tea drink. She didn’t speak a word of English but our big smiles and gesturing did the trick. A cold drink has never tasted so good! Cold drinks are a commodity out there. They have electricity and fridges, but they are very conservative. They have to get big blocks of ice delivered for coolers and drinks. We saw the iceman the next day. He has a little trailer that he pulled from a motorbike of course! After a nice, long, and tiring ride we finally returned to our private boat. We boarded the bikes and ourselves and were on our way to Ben Tre for our farmer’s home stay. We had a nice lunch served on the boat. Ramen noodle-type stir fry with tofu and veggies, white rice, green kale vegetable type thing, teriyaki grilled fish chunks, and fresh pineapple for dessert. We sat back and relaxed after lunch and cruised down the Mekong River for about 2.5 hours. It was nice to have a rest from the bike and from the heat. It was nice and cool out on the river.
Video of cruise down the Mekong River
We arrived in Ben Tre to stay with a local farmer. Not really knowing what to expect we were guessing it would be a very simple type hotel room. After a short bike ride to the farmer’s house I was so happy to see it was a nice looking large house. I got my hopes up a little too soon. Our guide showed us where we would be sleeping that night. Our room was not in the house, but next to the house. It was a large grass hut with very high ceilings. They were two other rooms in the hut separated by about 6 foot walls. Our beds were two twin-size cots raised off the ground and covered by a bug net. Chris and I were laughing immediately and already talking about how we would never forget this night! We walked around the island before sunset (6pm). There wasn’t much going on near the farmer’s house. We enjoyed a few pre-dinner beers after sunset with the company of some other foreigners. There were about 8 other French folks also staying the night. It eased our minds a bit to have other tourists there. It couldn’t be that crazy right? We had an amazing dinner prepared and served by the family. The main course was rice paper rolls filled with grilled fish, rice noodles, lettuce, & pineapple with a sweet dipping sauce. We also had deep fried spring rolls filled with chicken (I think), a soup with chicken, and fresh pineapple. After dinner we were served tea and grilled slightly sweetened rice paper crunchy things. Overall, it was a great meal. I needed some liquid courage to ensure I could sleep in my bug net covered cot. We found a new Vietnamese beer that we enjoy. If you can try 333, we would recommend it.
After dinner we decided to take showers and go to bed since it was pitch black dark and we were heading out to cycle at 7am the next morning. There were communal showers and bathrooms. I didn’t realize until I was waiting for the water to warm up that I realized that it wasn’t ever going to get warm. I should have felt lucky to have running water! Luckily it was still about 80+ degrees out, so it didn’t feel too bad. Nothing was going to keep us from showering after our sweaty day!
Chris and I decided to snuggle on 1 cot together to help each other through this experience. We stayed up laughing and talking for a bit until things started to get quiet outside. My survivor skill husband was smart enough to pack a flashlight with us (yay!). This was great since my baby bladder can’t make it through the night. He also got up and went with me twice.
Day 2
We were sound asleep and suddenly woken up by the sounds of roosters crowing, but it was still dark outside. We check the time and it was only 3am! The roosters crowed off and on the rest of the night until we had to get up at 6 that morning.
Before we set off on our 35+km day we had a great breakfast provided by our farmer friends. We each got a small crusty loaf of French bread, a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese, homemade jam, and Vietnamese coffee. We were off on our bikes by 7:30.
It was only in the 80s at that hour which was a very nice change. This day was a much more comfortable ride. We took a lot more pictures and had a more relaxing pace. Most of the path was paved and thank goodness for that. We both had very sore butts from the previous day.
Cycling Video from our second day:
We stopped at a local home to relax by the canal and stretch out in hammocks and had a snack. We then peddled on to our lunch location where we had a similar meal to the dinner the night before. The food really was delicious and tasted very fresh. We then loaded up the bikes on one canoe and got in another and started down back toward the Mekong River. We had to take the small boats at this point because the water was too low. After about 15 minutes we were able to transfer to a bigger boat before arriving back to civilization.
We got back to the small city of Ben Tre where we went to visit a crazy market that puts all markets in HK to shame. It was bustling to say the least. Not only was there lots of foot traffic, but motorbikes were also allowed in a section of the market. There were all kinds of grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, etc on the first floor. Then the second floor had clothes, drugstore type items, house wares, etc. Talk about 1 stop shopping!
We ended the journey for the day with a 1.5 hour ride back to HCMC. Our driver greeted us with cold, wet wash clothes and cold water. I almost hugged him. We were back to the hotel by 4:30 and I had never been so ready to shower and stay in a room that was in a building. After getting cleaned up and sorting out plans for the evening we decided to head out to explore the backpackers area which was only 1 block over from our hotel. I was amazed by the utter chaos of this area. Imagine streets lined with shops, bars, and restaurants and completely packed with locals, tourists, and motorbikes! It was extremely overwhelming to take it all in. We walked up and down the streets and alleys just scoping things out. We settled on a crazy street corner to have a beer watch the chaos. It was a little too crazy for our moods, so we went on to search for some delicious food. It was very hot and I was starting to get hungry. This means grumpy Maggie (as most of you know). We finally decided on a very local Pho restaurant that looked and smelled great (Pho Bo Bo Kho).
They even had menus with pictures so we were able to order and knew what it was. It was probably the best Pho I’ve ever had and it was only $6 for 2 bowls of Pho and 2 beers. For those of you that don’t know, Pho is a traditional Vietnamese soup served with rice noodles and choice of meat. The broth is usually cooked all day or longer and had just a delicious blend of herbs and spices. You can add been sprouts, Thai basil, and peppers to taste as well. We love it! We had it several more times this trip. Yum! After dinner we were exhausted, so went back to our nice clean hotel room to shower again (it was hot enough to make you sweat) and go to sleep. Good night!
Ho Chi Minh - Back to the City
Day 3
We got up as late as possible and went downstairs to scarf some breakfast before meeting our guide at 7:15 that morning. The breakfast at our hotel rocked. We had delicious omelets, more of that yummy crusty French bread, fresh pineapple juice, and strong coffee. It was about an hour drive out to the Cu Chi tunnels where we would spend the first half of our day. We started off the day getting down and dirty. Check out the video of Chris below.
The tunnels were quite incredible to see. We learned about how they dug them over a span of about 20 years. The interconnected series of tunnels go on for over 100 kilometers! Going down in the tunnels was a bit scary. I almost panicked and didn’t make it in because they are so small and dark. Poor Chris had to literally crawl as we toured through. I'm short enough to crouch down and walk through. The Viet-Cong lived in the tunnels at night and would come up during the day to farm and get fresh air. They built chimney tunnels to hide the smoke from their cooking. We also got to see the traps and defense techniques they used against the American soldiers. I’ll tell you what; they were a resourceful group of people. Chris got to fulfill another dream of shooting more guns. We got to shoot an M-60, AK-47, and M-30. They were all mounted on a wall, but it was still fun. My ears are still ringing they were so loud! We finished off the tour by watching a propaganda video condemning the "evil" Americans! It was very one-sided. Those "capitalist pigs"!
We made it back in time to enjoy a half day of exploring HCMC which we really hadn’t seen that much of yet. We set out on a nice long walk to check it out. We stopped at Pho 24, a fast food Pho place we heard was good. We thought it was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. It was only about $5 for 2 bowls of Pho and cold drinks. Our next stop was the War Remnants Museum, formerly known as the “Museum of American War Crimes”. I bet you can guess the perspective of the museum was a bit anti-American. Regardless, it was interesting to know what other cultures think. We continued on to visit the Norte Dam Cathedral and the Opera house. It was late in the afternoon and we were scorching hot looking for some relief. I was so excited to see off in the distance, a Coffee Bean shop! We popped inside to get an iced frappacino type goodness drink and use their western bathroom. We set back to explore the area near the opera house which was more upscale than the backpacker’s area we had been the night before. There were tons of cute shops and more designer ones too (Gucci, Cartier, etc). The area was also decorated nicely for the Lunar New Year holiday. We headed back to the hotel for showers so we could come back to watch the sunset from a rooftop bar on top of the Caravelle Hotel called Saigon, Saigon. It was a beautiful bar with a great view of the sun setting and most importantly there was a breeze up there! We indulged in some overpriced cocktails and Chris enjoyed a Cuban cigar. It was nice to get away from the bustling city below. We stayed for a couple hours until our dinner reservations at Lemon Grass restaurant. It was recommended by our travel book and a friend, but we really weren’t impressed. The service was bad and ambience wasn’t great. The food was OK and reasonably priced, so that was good. I wouldn’t recommend going. We walked around after dinner to find that outside was even more exciting from when we left. The streets near the restaurant were blocked off and extravagantly decorated for the Lunar New Year holiday. The streets were packed with locals celebrating the holiday. After walking through this area we discovered the streets were even more packed with motorbikes. It was quite the sight to see – all the lights and decorations for the holiday and a million motorbikes packed with people. All the bikes usually have 2-4 people riding per bike. We got some great pictures and videos of this madness. They had every kind of street vendor you could imagine including some colored flavored rice, cotton candy (fresh), popcorn, dried squid, soft serve ice cream (of course I had to try it), etc. We worked out way through the people and made it back to our hotel to get away from it all. Check out the video of the madness.
Day 4: We were planning on sleeping in, but I guess after getting up early so many days in a row our bodies naturally woke us up around 6am. We rested a bit before heading down to breakfast and out for another day of touring. We had already seen a lot, so we were planning on having some relaxation time too. We walked around for a few hours looking at shops and visiting a few small markets. We stopped for lunch at a random place and had yet another bowl of Pho. Again it was about $5 for 2 bowls of Pho and cold drinks. We loved the prices. Also, Pho is pretty safe to eat because it’s their specialty and because it’s served nice and hot. Nothing is living in it!
After lunch we decided we were sick of the heat and wanted to relax after 4 days packed with excitement. Since we were staying at a boutique mini hotel we didn’t have a pool. I had read that you can pay to visit the 5 star hotel pools even if you aren’t a guest. We had randomly spotted a swimming suit shop earlier that day and headed back to pick up a few suits (we didn’t think to bring ours). $12 later we had 2 suits and were ready to hit the pool. It was 95 degrees out yet again and the passes to the pool at the Caravelle hotel were some of the best money we spent. We ordered pina coladas, went for a dip in the cold pool, and enjoyed the rest of our vacation day! A few hours later we wanted a pre-dinner snack so we stopped at a famous ice cream shop with gorgeous and delicious ice cream treats, called Fanny’s. We indulged in 2 yummy creations and walked back to the hotel to shower. Our last hours awake in HCMC we enjoyed a few beers at a sports bar in attempt to catch some of the Olympics (we weren’t successful). We did chat with some other foreigners and locals which was fun. We grabbed dinner and a “grill it yourself” type place and enjoyed prawns, beef, and fried rice. This was our most expensive meal at a whopping $30 including a few beers. We found a great people watching corner and sat and relaxed with a cold beer. My energy started to fade so we started working our way back. We popped back in the sports bar to grab one last beer since it was our last night in the city.
We had cheap airline tickets and were catching the 6am flight back to HK. That means our alarm went off at 3am. Not so much fun, but worth the cheap tickets! Overall, we had a great time in Vietnam and plan on going back to some of the Northern parts such as Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Sa Pa.
We got up as late as possible and went downstairs to scarf some breakfast before meeting our guide at 7:15 that morning. The breakfast at our hotel rocked. We had delicious omelets, more of that yummy crusty French bread, fresh pineapple juice, and strong coffee. It was about an hour drive out to the Cu Chi tunnels where we would spend the first half of our day. We started off the day getting down and dirty. Check out the video of Chris below.
The tunnels were quite incredible to see. We learned about how they dug them over a span of about 20 years. The interconnected series of tunnels go on for over 100 kilometers! Going down in the tunnels was a bit scary. I almost panicked and didn’t make it in because they are so small and dark. Poor Chris had to literally crawl as we toured through. I'm short enough to crouch down and walk through. The Viet-Cong lived in the tunnels at night and would come up during the day to farm and get fresh air. They built chimney tunnels to hide the smoke from their cooking. We also got to see the traps and defense techniques they used against the American soldiers. I’ll tell you what; they were a resourceful group of people. Chris got to fulfill another dream of shooting more guns. We got to shoot an M-60, AK-47, and M-30. They were all mounted on a wall, but it was still fun. My ears are still ringing they were so loud! We finished off the tour by watching a propaganda video condemning the "evil" Americans! It was very one-sided. Those "capitalist pigs"!
We made it back in time to enjoy a half day of exploring HCMC which we really hadn’t seen that much of yet. We set out on a nice long walk to check it out. We stopped at Pho 24, a fast food Pho place we heard was good. We thought it was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. It was only about $5 for 2 bowls of Pho and cold drinks. Our next stop was the War Remnants Museum, formerly known as the “Museum of American War Crimes”. I bet you can guess the perspective of the museum was a bit anti-American. Regardless, it was interesting to know what other cultures think. We continued on to visit the Norte Dam Cathedral and the Opera house. It was late in the afternoon and we were scorching hot looking for some relief. I was so excited to see off in the distance, a Coffee Bean shop! We popped inside to get an iced frappacino type goodness drink and use their western bathroom. We set back to explore the area near the opera house which was more upscale than the backpacker’s area we had been the night before. There were tons of cute shops and more designer ones too (Gucci, Cartier, etc). The area was also decorated nicely for the Lunar New Year holiday. We headed back to the hotel for showers so we could come back to watch the sunset from a rooftop bar on top of the Caravelle Hotel called Saigon, Saigon. It was a beautiful bar with a great view of the sun setting and most importantly there was a breeze up there! We indulged in some overpriced cocktails and Chris enjoyed a Cuban cigar. It was nice to get away from the bustling city below. We stayed for a couple hours until our dinner reservations at Lemon Grass restaurant. It was recommended by our travel book and a friend, but we really weren’t impressed. The service was bad and ambience wasn’t great. The food was OK and reasonably priced, so that was good. I wouldn’t recommend going. We walked around after dinner to find that outside was even more exciting from when we left. The streets near the restaurant were blocked off and extravagantly decorated for the Lunar New Year holiday. The streets were packed with locals celebrating the holiday. After walking through this area we discovered the streets were even more packed with motorbikes. It was quite the sight to see – all the lights and decorations for the holiday and a million motorbikes packed with people. All the bikes usually have 2-4 people riding per bike. We got some great pictures and videos of this madness. They had every kind of street vendor you could imagine including some colored flavored rice, cotton candy (fresh), popcorn, dried squid, soft serve ice cream (of course I had to try it), etc. We worked out way through the people and made it back to our hotel to get away from it all. Check out the video of the madness.
Day 4: We were planning on sleeping in, but I guess after getting up early so many days in a row our bodies naturally woke us up around 6am. We rested a bit before heading down to breakfast and out for another day of touring. We had already seen a lot, so we were planning on having some relaxation time too. We walked around for a few hours looking at shops and visiting a few small markets. We stopped for lunch at a random place and had yet another bowl of Pho. Again it was about $5 for 2 bowls of Pho and cold drinks. We loved the prices. Also, Pho is pretty safe to eat because it’s their specialty and because it’s served nice and hot. Nothing is living in it!
After lunch we decided we were sick of the heat and wanted to relax after 4 days packed with excitement. Since we were staying at a boutique mini hotel we didn’t have a pool. I had read that you can pay to visit the 5 star hotel pools even if you aren’t a guest. We had randomly spotted a swimming suit shop earlier that day and headed back to pick up a few suits (we didn’t think to bring ours). $12 later we had 2 suits and were ready to hit the pool. It was 95 degrees out yet again and the passes to the pool at the Caravelle hotel were some of the best money we spent. We ordered pina coladas, went for a dip in the cold pool, and enjoyed the rest of our vacation day! A few hours later we wanted a pre-dinner snack so we stopped at a famous ice cream shop with gorgeous and delicious ice cream treats, called Fanny’s. We indulged in 2 yummy creations and walked back to the hotel to shower. Our last hours awake in HCMC we enjoyed a few beers at a sports bar in attempt to catch some of the Olympics (we weren’t successful). We did chat with some other foreigners and locals which was fun. We grabbed dinner and a “grill it yourself” type place and enjoyed prawns, beef, and fried rice. This was our most expensive meal at a whopping $30 including a few beers. We found a great people watching corner and sat and relaxed with a cold beer. My energy started to fade so we started working our way back. We popped back in the sports bar to grab one last beer since it was our last night in the city.
We had cheap airline tickets and were catching the 6am flight back to HK. That means our alarm went off at 3am. Not so much fun, but worth the cheap tickets! Overall, we had a great time in Vietnam and plan on going back to some of the Northern parts such as Hanoi, Halong Bay, and Sa Pa.
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