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April 29, 2007
Helping me find my grandmother's old house in Saigon
Some of you know this already but I thought I'd post about it here and see if someone can help me out with my research. My grandmother who is part Vietnamese, was born in Saigon and lived here until she was 18. She went to high school in Dalat but the rest of the time, she lived in the Go Vap district of Saigon. I'd really like to find her old house, which I hear has now been turned into a day care center, but am having a hard time finding the new name of the street. Most streets had French names during the occupation but were then renamed in Vietnamese. Any clue where I could find the new name?
The street I'm looking for is Allée des Ecoles. I've done some research online and am asking my aunts and uncles. But if you come across a helpful website, let me know. We're leaving in a few days and I'd love to go there before we go. Thanks!
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 02:15 AM | Comments (0)
April 27, 2007
Another record broken
I almost forgot to mention. We broke another record, this time it was lunch. Two bowls of delicious Hu Tieu noodle soup, a specialty of Mytho, and two iced coffees with condensed milkk (so good) set us back 16,000 dong which is $1. Now, that's what I call a budget meal!
Posted by insideoutmag at 04:53 AM | Comments (0)
Back on the main land
Going from the quiet and very relaxed Beach Club hotel where our bungalow looked out to the beach, to the town of An Thoi was brutal. We hadn't gotten off the motorbikes and we already had two girls shoving postcards in our faces asking for 20,000 dong. I don't think Josh and I were ready for it and we got into the ferry as quickly as we could, just to get away from them. Unfortunately for us, they followed us in and kept trying until finally they gave up.
Phu Quoc is the most relaxed place I've seen in Vietnam. Sometimes while reading a book on the beach, I had to remind myself where I was because it felt like Thailand. Although it's getting busier according to hoteliers we talked to, it's still very mellow and under developed.
Getting around can be tough since you have to rent a motorbike and brave the dirt roads but it's worth it. Just be warned, getting on a motorbike means you'll be covered in red dirt in no time.
Yesterday, we went diving with Coco Dive Center. The visibility this time of year isn't the best, 5-8 meters I think, but diving is always a cool experience. Rodolphe, the manager, is a friendly French guy who worked as a baker in New Zealand for a few years and came to Vietnam and fell in love with diving so decided to become a dive master. The two dives were mellow, just 10 meters, and the coral although not as plentiful as in Nha Trang was very colorful.
Phu Quoc was also nice because Josh was able to relax a little more. He beat me at Bullshit more times then I care to count, and we were able to ride around on a motorbike several times to check out the island. We also visited some fish sauce factories, which was pretty interesting, with the help of Tony, a Vietnamese guide who speaks English with a New York accent because he was raised by a American colonel during the war.
After researching for two months, Josh almost done and I think today we're both feeling a little sad that this trip is quickly coming to an end. I say almost because tonight we're staying in Rach Gia, on the main land, and we have a few restaurants to check out still.
Tomorrow we're flying to Saigon and it's back to our comfy California guest house for a few days before we fly back to San Francisco.
It's getting hot in this Internet place, time to go.
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 04:30 AM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2007
Island Time
Just a quick note to say that we're in Phu Quoc, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. It's so nice I almost don't want to write too much about it! We just spent the afternoon riding around the island on a motorbike and we're now enjoying a mango and banana smoothie and free Internet at Buddy in the town of Duong Dong. We've been trying to find Internet places for two days but many of them didn't have a connection for a few days.
I was curious to see how the French elections went. Looks like there's no big surprise, Sarkozy and Royal. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few weeks. Ok it's Josh's turn to check emails. Talk later, Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 03:11 AM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2007
Hello!
We are now in the Mekong. On Friday, we left Saigon from the Cholon bus station and took a local bus to Mytho (the locals seem surprised to have foreigners on the bus with them so they stared and smiled the entire time) and arrived hot and sweaty in Mytho.
Although the Mekong Delta cities are not as scenic as some places in the North, the people here are some of the friendliest people we've met so far. We ventured out of Mytho on our own yesterday and took a free ferry to Ben Tre and Phoenix Island. On the way back, two people stopped and asked to help us. It turns out we were waiting at the wrong place for the bus back to the ferry and thanks to the two people, we made it back quickly.
On Phoenix Island, we walked by some women peeling cococuts (the local specialty is coconut candy which Josh and I are now addicted to) and they invited us to sit with them. One guy brought us a half coconut so we could drink the juice. Talking to these women was fun although our Vietnamese-English phrasebook makes for limited conversations. Women here all seem to think 28 is old and I should think about having a baby. I sometimes wonder if they've been instructed by my Mom to tell me this!
We also took a boat tour around the small canals of the Mekong, it was very peaceful (well apart from the loud engine of the boat, it was as peaceful as it gets in Vietnam let's say).
Ok time to go check out Cantho where we are for a night. More later!
Posted by insideoutmag at 02:47 AM | Comments (0)
April 19, 2007
More photos
Helene fishing for dinner in Hue
Hiking in the rain in Bach Ma National Park
Posted by insideoutmag at 11:38 PM | Comments (0)
Some photos
I'm taking advantage of a faster Internet connection to upload some photos. Here they are!
Josh mountain biking among rice paddies in Sapa
Sandy, Josh and Helene in Hanoi
Lamay and Mamay in Ta Phin, a Zao (ethnic tribe outside of Sapa)
Posted by insideoutmag at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)
A different sense of time
Sometimes I feel like one day here feels like three days back home. On Tuesday night we took the night train and arrived at 5am in Hanoi on Wednesday morning. We walked around for 2 or 3 hours waiting for the Vietnam Airlines office to open. Hanoi at 5-6am is awesome, it's quiet, there are hardly any motobikes and you can actually walk on the sidewalk instead of in the middle of the street into oncoming traffic (during the day motorbikes cover the sidewalks). We saw Hanoians practicing tai chi by the lake, people jogging and some had brought out weights and were pumping iron.
When we found out we couldn't get on the plane to Saigon until 7pm, we walked to the hotel we had stayed in before and got a room until 5pm so we could take a shower and a nap. After a sometimes turbulent flight during which Josh and I were nervous but wouldn't tell each other so as not to worry the other one even more, we're in Saigon. And this afternoon we're headed to the Mekong Delta by bus.
I have so much to write about but need to keep this short because we need to get out of the Internet cafe and catch a bus.
I hope all is well with everyone.
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 11:13 PM | Comments (0)
April 16, 2007
Mountain biking through Hmong village and rice paddies in Sapa
This afternoon, we gave mountain biking in the countryside a try and although I'm not very good at it, I had a lot of fun. Afterall it was my first time mountain biking so I shouldn't be too hard on myself (that's what Josh told me, probably just to make me feel better!).
The lady at the tour company had explained that most of the path was downhill which I thought was good but it turned out to be a pretty scary ride among motorbikes, mini buses and hikers overlooking the valley and my hands were hurting more than my legs because they were constantly on the brakes! I was afraid by the time we were done, the bike would need new brakes but our guide didn't say anything.
Once we were on the dirt road, we biked through H'mong villages, an ethnic minority that is native to this area, and rice paddies. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful it was. This is the Vietnam you see in postcards and movies, and I'm thrilled to have seen it.
What made the ride even better was the people we met along the way. The black H'mong wear black linen costumes and embroidered belts and purses that would put any hippie store in San Francisco to shame. Two women ran up to me at one point and started checking out my bycicle. They tested the tires and the seat, probably wondering why I would choose to use this instead of my much more stable two feet. I have to say, a lot of times, I had to get off the bike and walk in fear of falling again (one fall in the first part of the trip made me a lot more cautious the rest of the afternoon). They followed me to the nearest village, running after me when I cycled and walking by me when I was off the bike. I knew they would eventually try to sell me something, most people in these villages sell their handicrafts to tourists, but they were so nice I couldn't help but like them.
Once we got to the village (read two huts and a place to buy drinks), an entire group came and talked to us. An old lady tried on my helmets, pulled on elastic bands on my backpack and laughed when my fingers came out when I put on my mittens. It was a great afternoon and even if I'm sore, I'm ready to go back out tomorrow, but maybe this time I'll walk.
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 07:09 AM | Comments (0)
April 15, 2007
In Sapa
We're in Sapa, checking out the rice fields, the mountains (our hotel has a beautiful mountain view that looks out to Fansipan, Vietnam's highest mountain) and the ethnic minorities. There are so many patterns, silver rings and head dresses in their traditional costumes, it's amazing to just sit at a cafe and watch them walk by. And the people here are so friendly, it's a great change from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.
This afternoon, we're doing a mountain bike tour in the surrounding villages. The tour agency says it's mostly downhill, we'll see how i do!
Sorry for not posting pictures, the connections are often too slow and my photos too big. I'll post some when I get back.
Hope all is well!
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 10:18 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2007
Friends on the road
When we first came to Vietnam, we were pleasantly surprised to meet such interesting people as we traveled North from Saigon to Hanoi. Friendships seem to form quickly here and surpringly we've stayed in touch with people we met last time. Some it's easier to chat up people here because Vietnam can be tiring and stressful at times. Because of that there's a real solidarity among backpackers. Whatever it is, I'm enjoying the company of all the different people we're meeting.
In Hue, we met Sue, an Australian girl who came to volunteer at an orphanage in September. She's loving it so much that she's decided to open a salad and smoothie take-out shop in the backpacker area. If you're ever in Hue, be sure to say hi to Sue for us and have a mango shake and some potato salad. You'll find her at Missy Roo's (I can't remember the address but will update post later). Helping out Sue is Christa, from Denmark, who also came to Hue to volunteer and will be leaving at the end of the month. Josh actually met Christa in Nha Trang and had planned to meet up again while we were in Hue.
In Hanoi, we met Sandy, from Switzerland, who's backpacking around Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos for the next few months. I almost choked on my beer laughing as he was telling me about the disgusting lunch of dog meat boiled in water he had the other day. And Cecile, from France, who was my cooking buddy in the class I took yesterday at Old Hanoi.
Tonight we're meeting up with Marcus again, a German writer, who Josh had met in Saigon and I met briefly in Hue.
Posted by insideoutmag at 04:28 AM | Comments (0)
April 10, 2007
Record-breaking room rate
My first day alone walking around Hue, I got lost within minutes and luckily met other lost backpackers quickly. They too were looking for the Perfume River and although it was only a few blocks away, none of us could figure out how to get there. Blame it on the sun, the heat and the humidity (it did go up to 39 degrees that day after all...) but bad orientation was a big part of the problem, I admit.
As we started walking together checking the map at every block, we asked each other the usual backpacker questions--where are you from, how long are you traveling and how long have you been in Vietnam, etc. One of the first questions the German backpacker asked me was "How much are you paying for your room?"
It may have seemed like a strange question at home, but on the backpacker circuit it's as common a question as how's your stomach doing?
I told him $12 and he proudly told me that he was only paying $8.
That's when I remembered the game of the room rate. There's sort of a contest among backpackers to see who can get the best and cheapest room. Well, we may not have had the cheapest room in Hue, but I'm pretty sure we got the cheapest one on Cat Ba island.
$5 USD for one night that included a view of the bay, a balcony and a TV (although it was all Vietnamese channels so we didn't use it at all). So we're back in the game... as long as the room includes clean sheets, hot water and Satellite TV of course!
What's the room rate tonight you ask? $12 ... sometimes a quiet room is worth much more than winning the room rate game :)
Posted by insideoutmag at 04:56 AM | Comments (0)
Halong Bay-Cat Ba-Haiphong
We're back in Hanoi after a few days away. We took a bus to Halong City and then got a slow boat that took us around Halong Bay. It was beautiful and so relaxing to be away from the noise and pollution of Hanoi.
Our guide told us that there are 4 million people who live in Hanoi, and 2 million motorbikes so walking around the city can make one tired pretty quick! Tonight I'm especially feeling the pollution, Josh and I walked a lot and my throat is hurting from the fumes of the motorbikes. I took a few motorbikes around town and am amazed that there aren't more fatalities every day. Vietnamese drivers seem to not believe in ever stopping, they slow down and honk even when driving onto oncoming traffic, to let people know to get out of the way. It's really an experience in itself!
While on Cat Ba island, Josh and I took a motorbike ride to Hospital Cave. The cave was amazing. During the war, the Viet Cong built a fully-operational hospital in this cave because they knew it couldn't be bombed by the Americans. The hospital even had a swimming pool and a movie theater for officers! The guy that shows you around is really funny. He's a former officer for the Vietnamese army and makes each person that comes visit sing "Vietnam Ho Chi Minh" over and over again. I took photos and will upload soon.
For anyone heading to Halong Bay, Cat Ba is certainly worth the visit. Five years ago, Josh and I traveled in Vietnam for a month but it seems we missed out on many of the national parks. I only wish we had more time to see more... there's always next time!
Ok posting this now to make sure it works and will post more in a minute.
Posted by insideoutmag at 04:38 AM | Comments (0)
April 07, 2007
Saturday night in Hanoi
We've just come back from a great meal (fresh water fish with onions, carrots and other vegetables for me, and pizza for Josh) on a balcony overlooking Hang Bac street, a major street in Old Hanoi, in one of the backpacker areas.
Tomorrow we're heading to Halong Bay and Cat Ba island. We're taking a mini bus there and will be taking a 4-hour boat tour in the bay. Then we'll spend some time on Cat Ba and Haiphong before coming back to Hanoi by train.
I'll report back soon!
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 07:16 AM | Comments (0)
April 06, 2007
In Hanoi
(I just wrote a long entry only to lose it all because the connection is bad right now so hopefully this time it will work!)
Just a quick note to say that we're in Hanoi where the weather has been like San Francisco's these past few days which is a big change from the hot and humid 39 degrees celsius days we had in Hue.
Last time I wrote we were headed to a restaurant outside of Hue where if you can catch a fish, you get a free meal. Josh caught a fish, kinda (one of the staff caught it and then handed bamboo stick to Josh to take it out of the water) but we didn't get a free meal. We were the only tourists there and were actually charged double the price. We still had a great evening, shared beers with the owner and his wife and tried to have a conversation in a mix of French, Vietnamese and English. The grilled fish was amazing.
I'm going to try to post this now before I lose the connection again. More on Bach Ma national park soon.
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 02:09 AM | Comments (0)
April 02, 2007
Hello from Hue, Vietnam!
Hi all,
I've been meaning to post here for a few days but I have to admit after getting in to Saigon on Thursday night, I have been wanting to check out places more than sit in front of a computer! Most hotels now offer free Internet and today I'm writing from Binh Minh Sunrise II hotel in Hue, a town in central Vietnam.
I left San Francisco on Wednesday morning (March 28th). Thanks to a good friend of mine (merci Adriana et Scott!), I was flying stand-by to Hong-Kong and then to Saigon. But as it goes with stand-by, I wasn't sure until the very last minute if I would get on the plane. A few minutes before they closed the doors, they finally called my name and I ran up to the counter with a big smile on my face. Thirteen hours later, I arrived in Hong Kong and was pleasantly surprised when they upgraded me to Business Class for the flight to Saigon. With only one other person in Business, I got personalized service. (The flight attendant called me Miss Goupil every time she would bring me something!) Transitioning from Hong Kong where you can buy the latest gadgets, tablet PCs and Chanel bags to Saigon where Duty Free shops sell toothpaste and mouth wash was a trip in itself.
After one night by myself in Saigon, I flew to Danang and took a taxi to Hoi An to meet Josh. We're now in Hue and leaving for Bach Ma national park tomorrow. Today, we took a cyclo ride around the old town of Hue where American tanks and bunkers can still be seen. Out of some 300 colonial houses, only about 80 remain. Our driver, Tinh, was great and showed us around the old city. He explained that his father died at the DMZ line during the war and that he chose to work with tourists because he wants to tell people how much he hates war. After his father died, he studied Buddhism for 7 years in a pagoda outside of the city. Once the cyclo tour was over, he got two motor bikes and took us to a few pagodas and temples outside of Hue including the one he studied in. You probably all remember the picture of the monk who set himself on fire in Saigon, well it turns out that he studied in Tinh's pagoda when he was young.
Tonight we're checking out a restaurant where customers get a free meal (of fish dishes) if they can catch a fish. I'll let you know how Josh and I do!
Tomorrow we're headed to Bach Ma national park so I probably won't be able to check e-mails for a few days. I tried posting some pictures today but wasn't successful. Hopefully by the time we're in Hanoi, I'll have it figured out and will post some!
Helene
Posted by insideoutmag at 04:09 AM | Comments (0)