So this letter has been sitting in my "draft" box for a while. I wasn't all that sure if I wanted to post it as it's more personal than most, but what the heck.... I suppose.
It's been officially two months since I've been home after what was the longest time I've ever been away.
I thought I would be able to get right into the grove of things, but in truth it's nothing of the sort. My life before I left for Thailand was well, the life of a college student and a mini-traveler (traveling to Europe the previous summer and going to Hong Kong after graduation), and now that I'm done with school and I am not traveling, what kind of grove is there? Well, I guess catching up on sleep, walking Kodie, running errands for the folks and grandpa, and vegging out in front of the TV or on the couch reading isn't bad (except I'm going stirr crazy from the montonous routine of it all). And while I should get a job, with the economy and my lack of experience because companies don't want to hire people with no experience, I'll wait a bit til I get more settled in grad school (confused...keep reading).
The weird thing is that life here all feels foreign to me despite being back (and I'm sure it's not culture shock any longer). I can't explain it exactly. Nothing much has changed in San Francisco (besides the SF Giants winning the World Series wooooot!!! and an invasion of hipsters all over), but it's like I've suffered a disconnect from my old life. Don't get me wrong, I've been going out occasionally to see friends and family, and everyone was happy to welcome me home, which was nice, but they all wanted to talk to me and ask questions about my life in Thailand and what I'll be doing next. And all I wanted to do was go home.
Unfortunately, when I did go home, I often wished I stayed out with friends. Or I wished I went out more instead of turning down offers to hang out so to escape such a humdrum life, and to live life amongst the people I really missed so much when I was away.
The first thing I see whenever I enter my room now are trinkets of my time abroad. You would think pictures, but those are usually the last for me to do. I guess when I print them, it's a bit more finalized that that journey has ended. I can't tell you how many nights I kept "blanking" and thought of my times abroad, thinking about this and that. And while seeing some of my trinkets made me oh so grateful for the opportuntity to have gone and travel, it reminds me of all I've left. Not that I would not have been leaving less behind here in SF, but a different loss. Let's just hope I can look at it as a promise of more to come. I really want to believe that.
Perhaps though the sensible thing would be to stop thinking of Thailand and all the "what ifs" if I stayed. I have so much on my plate that I need to really just push myself forward to think of my time as a graduate student come August.
You know those 5 stages of grief (and I use that word extremely loosely) - well I was in denial for the longest time despite being interviewed for graduate school 2 days after I returned.
I never thought I'd actually get into USF's program and that I'd returned to Thailand sooner rather than later. But once I got accepted, and I finally spoke to my parents about the possibility of graduate school, there was no holding back. Factor in my parents age, their insistence that they want me to go now rather than later because they'd help with some of my expenses, oh and of course my desire to want to be a counselor, I accepted. No more denying I'll be in SF for 2 years straight and not traveling.
I definitely skipped anger because there really is no point in being angry. I alone made these choices to apply (applying abroad without thinking at all I'd fall in love with the country = stupidity), and there's no where else to place the blame than on me. Plus what is there to be angry about. I got to live, travel, and explore several amazing countries, and I got into graduate school. It would really just be overtly petty if I was angry. Though I'm still sulking...does that mean I'm still in denial a bit? Possibly.
And then there is bargaining. Self made and hopefully will come true (fingers crossed). Finish school, possibly get a job via my practicum or internship for additional experience (all the more to seem "professional"), and in less than 5 years return.
Skipping depression and onto acceptance. Nothing less can be done. I mean I have less than a month so I might as well start accepting my life as it is now.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Home
Home.
What a funny word.
Something I never truly thought about much. I mean all I knew was San Francisco. It's where my family and friends are; it is where I was born and raised; where I have the most memories. But then again, when I left for college, Santa Cruz became my home. And then there was Thailand. U-Thong became my home. But when does that adjustment to that new place start to become home and not just a place I happened to move to. Was it when I was able to navigate the town? Was it when I could wave and smile to someone I knew on the street? What about when I was able to dodge people I didn't want to see down an alley I otherwise wouldn't have known? (Would I do that? haha)
I never would have thought that after returning from living in a world so far away from home that it would make me feel as though I wasn't home. Don't get me wrong. Reuniting with family, with new and old friends, talking about what's new and what's changed or hasn't changed at all - for some particular cases - was great. However that return has gotten me to want to reach out, travel more, and find my own home. That feeling of a world full of possibilities and the cheesy concept of the "world as your oyster" further pulls at me.
Life's funny that way.
But thinking back... that life I made for myself seems oh so very far away. There are absolutely almost zero motorscooters zooming and zipping by. I can hardly get food for less than a buck. I don't need to constantly carry toilet paper or hand sanitizer around...although it's actually quite handy despite how "mommy" I feel about it. I'm upset that there are hardly any "accessible" fresh produce markets around. There really is no such thing as food stalls either...what's up with that! And while I won't miss the squat toilets, the mosquitos, or being stared at constantly despite the fact I am Asian, I know I'll miss the weather (yes I did enjoy the heat though not so much the humidity), the friendly people all around, the relaxed attitude and simple life style, the fooood, my town, the easy transportation (i.e. the fancy van), and the beautiful countryside and beaches.
Reverse culture shock...yikes!
All I can say was that this journey is all I hoped it'd be and more. I don't think I'd change a thing.
LOVE much?
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam.
Southeast Asia is a wonderland of amazing flavors and varieties of cuisine. And I think my stomach fell in love more than once. Usually I would say that you should always be on the cautious side when trying new foodies because of TD or rather "traveler's diarrhea." But in Southeast Asia...where it really should apply, I say throw it out. (Note: Do pack Pepto or visit a local pharmacy for some medicine and make sure to bring a pack of tissue when traveling abroad if you get what I mean.)
You can't come to Southeast Asia without eating something you'd used to watch on the Food Network and say no way to, or some traveler's show like Bourdain's and not try it. Slice of cow's intensine...just a small piece. Fuzzy and spikey fruit...is that really fruit? Deep fried grasshopper...please no gushy stuff squirting out.
Although I'm Chinese (Yes I am Chinese and not Thai, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, or any other Asian I didn't name), and while there are some similarities and some strange things in our cuisine, it doesn't mean I'm all too familiar with what Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam has to offer. So going to Southeast Asia and tasting it straight from the "source" if you can say that was incomparable.
In Thailand, boy was I a happy camper. The curries, the pad ga prow moo (basil spicy pork over rice), the fresh fruit in practically every corner, the sweet rice crackers with caramel, and the crisp sweet and sour somtam...yum. :) It helped that I had some vendors in my town I grew to favor: som-tam (papaya salad) lady, our cha-dam (thai tea no milk for me) lady, our lunch crew, and our fruit lady. The market was easy to navigate enough as well so if all failed not inlcuding 7-eleven we'd grab some quick meals to go.
When going to Lao and Cambodia, I was really unsure of what to expect. Laos was more similar to Thai flavors than I expected, their coffee and tea quite flavorful and nice especially in the rain; and Cambodia...let's just say learning how to make tea with "lemon" (their lemon is our lime) is the best thing I had there.
As for Vietnam, like Thai, I enjoy their food. However, unlike Thai, it was wayy more intimidating for a foreigner to eat at a stall. Not only do you not know if the stall is a food stall or a drink stall - their outward appearance deceptive - and sometimes are in small alleys or backward street, you also have a hard time knowing what each stall serves. Okay, Thailand was difficult as well, but for some reason the language there was easier to pick up and understand so I could a tleast ask if it's pork, beef, shrimp, veggie, noodles, or rice. Some stalls had a sign that tells you Pho or another kind of dish, but more often than not, you really have to look at what they're cooking or what others are eating to figure it out. And ordering is the "fun" part in Vietnam. Lots of pointing and gesturing. You really get down to the basics there.
Not only that, the food stalls are not like those elsewhere I've been. You sit in mini-sized tables and kiddie plastic chairs. Definitely not made American sized haha. It was interesting to see Jenny or other foreigners attempt to fold themselves into the chair. I'm sure it was quite awkward for her, but she was a good sport. Rarely complained even when she got a lot of stares.
Although every country was a bit different in it's food, it's just quite refreshing to eat simple but delicious food from these stalls we went to. And when trying a dish, it's nice to have others smile or nod at you for trying something out of our "comfort." By the way, adding lime juice, some fish oil, sugar, and pepper flakes is pretty much a necessity, and if you haen't done it yet after 6 months, I'd stop, look at your random neighbor across or next to you, and imitate what they're doing. And while it can be intimidating to try new foods, especially things you've never seen before, you really need to suck it up and get over that fear of an upset tummy. Things don't always appear to be as it is. I mean I dried deep fried grasshoppers and some kind of worm. Crunchy with a hint of sweet surprisingly. :) Trying is really the key to being rewarded with the most yummy and cheapest ever, and your stomach is guaranteed to fall in love at least once.
Southeast Asia is a wonderland of amazing flavors and varieties of cuisine. And I think my stomach fell in love more than once. Usually I would say that you should always be on the cautious side when trying new foodies because of TD or rather "traveler's diarrhea." But in Southeast Asia...where it really should apply, I say throw it out. (Note: Do pack Pepto or visit a local pharmacy for some medicine and make sure to bring a pack of tissue when traveling abroad if you get what I mean.)
You can't come to Southeast Asia without eating something you'd used to watch on the Food Network and say no way to, or some traveler's show like Bourdain's and not try it. Slice of cow's intensine...just a small piece. Fuzzy and spikey fruit...is that really fruit? Deep fried grasshopper...please no gushy stuff squirting out.
Although I'm Chinese (Yes I am Chinese and not Thai, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, or any other Asian I didn't name), and while there are some similarities and some strange things in our cuisine, it doesn't mean I'm all too familiar with what Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, or Vietnam has to offer. So going to Southeast Asia and tasting it straight from the "source" if you can say that was incomparable.
In Thailand, boy was I a happy camper. The curries, the pad ga prow moo (basil spicy pork over rice), the fresh fruit in practically every corner, the sweet rice crackers with caramel, and the crisp sweet and sour somtam...yum. :) It helped that I had some vendors in my town I grew to favor: som-tam (papaya salad) lady, our cha-dam (thai tea no milk for me) lady, our lunch crew, and our fruit lady. The market was easy to navigate enough as well so if all failed not inlcuding 7-eleven we'd grab some quick meals to go.
When going to Lao and Cambodia, I was really unsure of what to expect. Laos was more similar to Thai flavors than I expected, their coffee and tea quite flavorful and nice especially in the rain; and Cambodia...let's just say learning how to make tea with "lemon" (their lemon is our lime) is the best thing I had there.
As for Vietnam, like Thai, I enjoy their food. However, unlike Thai, it was wayy more intimidating for a foreigner to eat at a stall. Not only do you not know if the stall is a food stall or a drink stall - their outward appearance deceptive - and sometimes are in small alleys or backward street, you also have a hard time knowing what each stall serves. Okay, Thailand was difficult as well, but for some reason the language there was easier to pick up and understand so I could a tleast ask if it's pork, beef, shrimp, veggie, noodles, or rice. Some stalls had a sign that tells you Pho or another kind of dish, but more often than not, you really have to look at what they're cooking or what others are eating to figure it out. And ordering is the "fun" part in Vietnam. Lots of pointing and gesturing. You really get down to the basics there.
Not only that, the food stalls are not like those elsewhere I've been. You sit in mini-sized tables and kiddie plastic chairs. Definitely not made American sized haha. It was interesting to see Jenny or other foreigners attempt to fold themselves into the chair. I'm sure it was quite awkward for her, but she was a good sport. Rarely complained even when she got a lot of stares.
Although every country was a bit different in it's food, it's just quite refreshing to eat simple but delicious food from these stalls we went to. And when trying a dish, it's nice to have others smile or nod at you for trying something out of our "comfort." By the way, adding lime juice, some fish oil, sugar, and pepper flakes is pretty much a necessity, and if you haen't done it yet after 6 months, I'd stop, look at your random neighbor across or next to you, and imitate what they're doing. And while it can be intimidating to try new foods, especially things you've never seen before, you really need to suck it up and get over that fear of an upset tummy. Things don't always appear to be as it is. I mean I dried deep fried grasshoppers and some kind of worm. Crunchy with a hint of sweet surprisingly. :) Trying is really the key to being rewarded with the most yummy and cheapest ever, and your stomach is guaranteed to fall in love at least once.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Ha Long Bay. Tam Coc.
The Ha Long trip wasn't what I expected. Two days on the boat was actually only about 4 hours. What do I mean? Let's recap.
It took us about half the day to the bay due to traffic. Once we arrived at the pier, all I saw was organized chaos. Remember that word? Haha. There were tons of people all huddling in groups near their guides, waiting for tickets or waiting to get on the correct boat. Thank goodness we didn't attempt to go at it alone. Sorry LP, it's best with a group. Anyway, we finally got on our boat, which was more nicer than I anticipated. We then were able to enjoy some fresh Vietnamese cooked seafood on our boat. But then it turned to shit…quick. We were informed of an approaching storm. Oh mother nature….WHYYYYYY!!!
By now you should be able to guess that our trip itinerary changed. Where we were once able to have slept on the boat, NOPE!. I was really looking forward to staying up late to see the stars, and waking up early to see the sunrise. As much as I was looking forward to it, I wasn't going to chance it. After the last stormy ride when I left Koh Tao, I know I should be on land. Despite it all, I tried to enjoy the little sailing our boat did around the bay. I mean the sun was out, and the view all around us was spectacular - huge limestone cliffs looming over the water appearing like mountains. Pretttty. When it got darker, we docked at Cat Ba Island. Ehh… no point trying to sound nice. The island was crap. I mean I tried to think positively, really I tried, but the island was all construction, and it smelled like shrimp paste. That's a clear indicator of --- let's quickly get the hell out please (especially after my last experience).
.
The next morning it was still cloudy and rainy, and there was even a slight chance we were told we might have been able to leave...seriously???ＮＯ Luckily, it cleared just long enough for us to leave and kayak for 30 minutes before heading back into the harbor. lol. I guess I can just chalk this up to another kind of experience, and since clearly the weather and all my weird experiences with mother nature has shown, it's all "Mai Pen Rai."
The other trip was to Tam Coc, and to the Hoa Lu temple. Simple amazing. While I could of done without viewing another temple that used to be the ancient capital of Vietnam, Ｉloved our time after. We rode bikes through the countryside. Soooo beautiful. While the weather was still cloudy, it was the perfect weather when biking for over an hour. I was afraid it would be too hot. haha - What a joke. Anyway, Tam Coc is known as the "Ha Long" on land, and truly it is. There were what appeared to be endless cliffs surrounded by land rather than water. After biking and having lunch, we took a tiny boat ride down a river near by. Our guide when not rowing with his hands….used….his feet! What a sight that was. It's kind of a nice way to end our time in Vietnam - taking in the countryside without obstruction of ridiculous signs and people trying to peddle you for cash or sell you crap. Oh wait….nope that happened even there. I guess there really is no escape from the hungry when there are those who can give a little (sorry I didn't cough up cash to yawl…poor traveler by this point).
Overall, I'm so glad we took this 2nd trip. It helped make up for our disappointing adventure to Ha Long Bay, and despite the vultures um…street vendors, it was exactly as I imagined small town life to be.
It took us about half the day to the bay due to traffic. Once we arrived at the pier, all I saw was organized chaos. Remember that word? Haha. There were tons of people all huddling in groups near their guides, waiting for tickets or waiting to get on the correct boat. Thank goodness we didn't attempt to go at it alone. Sorry LP, it's best with a group. Anyway, we finally got on our boat, which was more nicer than I anticipated. We then were able to enjoy some fresh Vietnamese cooked seafood on our boat. But then it turned to shit…quick. We were informed of an approaching storm. Oh mother nature….WHYYYYYY!!!
By now you should be able to guess that our trip itinerary changed. Where we were once able to have slept on the boat, NOPE!. I was really looking forward to staying up late to see the stars, and waking up early to see the sunrise. As much as I was looking forward to it, I wasn't going to chance it. After the last stormy ride when I left Koh Tao, I know I should be on land. Despite it all, I tried to enjoy the little sailing our boat did around the bay. I mean the sun was out, and the view all around us was spectacular - huge limestone cliffs looming over the water appearing like mountains. Pretttty. When it got darker, we docked at Cat Ba Island. Ehh… no point trying to sound nice. The island was crap. I mean I tried to think positively, really I tried, but the island was all construction, and it smelled like shrimp paste. That's a clear indicator of --- let's quickly get the hell out please (especially after my last experience).
.
The next morning it was still cloudy and rainy, and there was even a slight chance we were told we might have been able to leave...seriously???ＮＯ Luckily, it cleared just long enough for us to leave and kayak for 30 minutes before heading back into the harbor. lol. I guess I can just chalk this up to another kind of experience, and since clearly the weather and all my weird experiences with mother nature has shown, it's all "Mai Pen Rai."
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| Our Boat |
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| Day 1 |
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| Limestone Rocks surround the bay |
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| And this is Day 2 |
The other trip was to Tam Coc, and to the Hoa Lu temple. Simple amazing. While I could of done without viewing another temple that used to be the ancient capital of Vietnam, Ｉloved our time after. We rode bikes through the countryside. Soooo beautiful. While the weather was still cloudy, it was the perfect weather when biking for over an hour. I was afraid it would be too hot. haha - What a joke. Anyway, Tam Coc is known as the "Ha Long" on land, and truly it is. There were what appeared to be endless cliffs surrounded by land rather than water. After biking and having lunch, we took a tiny boat ride down a river near by. Our guide when not rowing with his hands….used….his feet! What a sight that was. It's kind of a nice way to end our time in Vietnam - taking in the countryside without obstruction of ridiculous signs and people trying to peddle you for cash or sell you crap. Oh wait….nope that happened even there. I guess there really is no escape from the hungry when there are those who can give a little (sorry I didn't cough up cash to yawl…poor traveler by this point).
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| Hua Lu Temple |
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| Jenny and our bike guide |
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| "Vultures" |
Overall, I'm so glad we took this 2nd trip. It helped make up for our disappointing adventure to Ha Long Bay, and despite the vultures um…street vendors, it was exactly as I imagined small town life to be.
Hanoi
So that lovely overnighter....yea....
Our sleeper to Hanoi was 2 hrs late. Then when we arrive in Hue to get that overnighter to Hanoi, we found out due to a booking error and a Vietnamese holiday, we didn't consider, there were no more seats on the "sleeper." So what do we do? We get on a "sitting" bus. And then guess what... we were the only foreigners on that bus of course. It was cute at first, but when we began to stop every other stop (this is what we found to avoid in Thailand, but didn't realize it was the same in Vietnam - DON'T take the local buses) and when they blasted Vietnamese karaoke music all through the night, let’s just say I didn’t get much sleep. Could it get any worse??? This is Asia, so duh... of course.
We got our bags from beneath the bus after arriving in Hanoi, and discovered that our bags were covered in a special Asian something....any guess?? SHRIMP PASTE. One of the most disgusting things that could of somehow mysteriously covered our bags. Sanuk is all I can say and hello Hanoi.
When in Hanoi, there were hardly any words to accurately describe the traffic. I thought Saigon was worse than Bangkok, but than I realized Hanoi is to the nth degree more extreme. In Saigon, at least there were real intersections where the cars, gazillion bikes, and people would sort of stop when the traffic lights turned red. Here, no such ANYTHING. Hardly are there any traffic lights, and when you see one, it most likely doesn't work. You walk alongside all forms of transportation. And when sitting in a cyclo, you're in FRONT. You get to partake in all the "thrill" of watching everyone come from all directions. As scary as it was the first time, it's kind of exciting.
And what's interesting is learning that a majority of the streets in Hanoi has a "speciality." Each street sells one particular thing. Want shoes? Head to so and so and pick a random vendor. Want fabric? Head here, and take your pick. What's even better? If you want fruit, vegetable, or even flowers, just wait by the street side for a Vietnamese woman in the famous "cone" hat, wave her down, and pick what you'd like. It's pretty brilliant and convenient if you think about it.
While Hanoi wasn't bad, I was real tired of constantly being enveloped by the honks of the motorscooters, and trying to dodge this and that to simply get to a destination. I'm so glad we were able to book some trips out of the city such as the 2 day/1 night Ha Long Bay, and then the Tam Coc cycling trip.
Our sleeper to Hanoi was 2 hrs late. Then when we arrive in Hue to get that overnighter to Hanoi, we found out due to a booking error and a Vietnamese holiday, we didn't consider, there were no more seats on the "sleeper." So what do we do? We get on a "sitting" bus. And then guess what... we were the only foreigners on that bus of course. It was cute at first, but when we began to stop every other stop (this is what we found to avoid in Thailand, but didn't realize it was the same in Vietnam - DON'T take the local buses) and when they blasted Vietnamese karaoke music all through the night, let’s just say I didn’t get much sleep. Could it get any worse??? This is Asia, so duh... of course.
We got our bags from beneath the bus after arriving in Hanoi, and discovered that our bags were covered in a special Asian something....any guess?? SHRIMP PASTE. One of the most disgusting things that could of somehow mysteriously covered our bags. Sanuk is all I can say and hello Hanoi.
When in Hanoi, there were hardly any words to accurately describe the traffic. I thought Saigon was worse than Bangkok, but than I realized Hanoi is to the nth degree more extreme. In Saigon, at least there were real intersections where the cars, gazillion bikes, and people would sort of stop when the traffic lights turned red. Here, no such ANYTHING. Hardly are there any traffic lights, and when you see one, it most likely doesn't work. You walk alongside all forms of transportation. And when sitting in a cyclo, you're in FRONT. You get to partake in all the "thrill" of watching everyone come from all directions. As scary as it was the first time, it's kind of exciting.
And what's interesting is learning that a majority of the streets in Hanoi has a "speciality." Each street sells one particular thing. Want shoes? Head to so and so and pick a random vendor. Want fabric? Head here, and take your pick. What's even better? If you want fruit, vegetable, or even flowers, just wait by the street side for a Vietnamese woman in the famous "cone" hat, wave her down, and pick what you'd like. It's pretty brilliant and convenient if you think about it.
While Hanoi wasn't bad, I was real tired of constantly being enveloped by the honks of the motorscooters, and trying to dodge this and that to simply get to a destination. I'm so glad we were able to book some trips out of the city such as the 2 day/1 night Ha Long Bay, and then the Tam Coc cycling trip.
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| Zippers galore. |
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| Fresh Veggies? |
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| Rollover Noodles. Banh Cuon. |
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| Waterpuppets |
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| Pho |
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| Banh Ran and Banh Goi |
Nha Trang. Hoi An.
Now that we left Southern Vietnam..up we go.
Nha Trang is pretty unremarkable. The beach isn't as great of course as I thought it wouldn't be, but it was intersting to note that there appeared to be way more locals relaxing than foreigners. A kind of nice change. As unremarkable as the town was, I'm grateful we stopped there. It was a good way to help break up the long journey up North - imagine traveling 24 hrs pretty much straight to our next desired location...yea I think not.
Hoi An is a pretty great cute little quiet town. Lots of stores, cafes, and restaurants all along the river. And yes I ate to my little heart's content. The Cao Lau noodles are amazing - it's good in the restaurants, but even better in those little street vendors with the small tables and chairs. Seeing Jenny sit there with her legs above the table..heheheh. Ohhh and I was able to try this dessert our vendor had, which truth be told if I saw it I wouldn't have eaten it because it kind of looks like gruel, but the taste - hard to describe, but the closest would be sweet corn tapioca. By the way, this city actually is one of the few cities that survived the American war, and with it's beautiful French architecture and color pallete, it is a UNESCO site. Seeing a kind of pattern? I'm trying to visit as many UNESCO sites as I can. :)
Well now that we finished city #3, it's time for another lovellly overnighter....but then that became a trip in itself.
Nha Trang is pretty unremarkable. The beach isn't as great of course as I thought it wouldn't be, but it was intersting to note that there appeared to be way more locals relaxing than foreigners. A kind of nice change. As unremarkable as the town was, I'm grateful we stopped there. It was a good way to help break up the long journey up North - imagine traveling 24 hrs pretty much straight to our next desired location...yea I think not.
Hoi An is a pretty great cute little quiet town. Lots of stores, cafes, and restaurants all along the river. And yes I ate to my little heart's content. The Cao Lau noodles are amazing - it's good in the restaurants, but even better in those little street vendors with the small tables and chairs. Seeing Jenny sit there with her legs above the table..heheheh. Ohhh and I was able to try this dessert our vendor had, which truth be told if I saw it I wouldn't have eaten it because it kind of looks like gruel, but the taste - hard to describe, but the closest would be sweet corn tapioca. By the way, this city actually is one of the few cities that survived the American war, and with it's beautiful French architecture and color pallete, it is a UNESCO site. Seeing a kind of pattern? I'm trying to visit as many UNESCO sites as I can. :)
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| Xeo Roll |
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| "Wonton" |
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| Cao Lau |
Well now that we finished city #3, it's time for another lovellly overnighter....but then that became a trip in itself.
Southern Vietnam's Only Stop = Saigon. HCMC.
So when I decided to come to Vietnam, I had very little knowledge of what to expect. All I knew was their food (ex. pho, bahn mi, spring rolls), Tet is their version of Chinese New Year, and what they call the "American" war is what we call the Vietnam War. Does that sound bad? Probably does, but I blame our lack of cultural introspection within our school system.
My first stop was Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City. That place is insane. Though I suppose after a 15 hour bus ride from Cambodia, and getting dropped off randomly in what appeared to be the heart of the city, I was overwhelmed. I never thought I'd say this, but the traffic was worse...way worse than Bangkok's. The amount of motorbikes exceeded my expectation. There is this constant stream of bikes, all weaving and honking down the crowded streets. While there are "street lights," they are merely guidelines than anything else. Crossing the street I've learned is a skill. It's cross the street and move slowly so that they can swerve around you. Safety is something you hand over to others which is quite scary to think about.
To help our transition after checking into our cute guesthouse, we went out to a market and took in the sights. And eating delicious fresh steaming hot bowls of Pho, some fresh spring rolls, and the best iced coffee ever (though I think I'm biased since I hardly drink it at all). Yum!
While in Saigon, we also decided to take a day trip to see the Cu Chi Tunnels. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was extremely interesting, and the things I learned about it vastly vary from what I've learned.
The tunnels is an underground network that spans about 250 km. It has 3 levels, the third being over 10m below the surface. All the tunnels were dug by hand, and the tunnel itself is made strictly of clay soil, which when hardens protected the Vietnamese from water, floods, bombing, and even American tanks rolling over them. There were over 16,000 Vietnemese who lived in the tunnels for almost 20 years to avoid being killed by the American soldiers, but only 3,000 survived.
On our tour, there was a small section of tunnels tourists were able to visit. I would have walked by the first entrance if I didn't notice a sign. Walking through that section of the tunnel amazed me. I couldn't believe how small the whole area was. And then when we were given the chance to crawl through the tunnel which lead to the "headquarters," I took up the opportunity. This part of the tunnel definitely for sure was more difficult. Where the other had more giving room for me to at least lift my head comfortably, this was didn't. There were little dead things all around, the smell was horrible, and there were no lights, but the light from my cell phone. I'm small, but it hurt my knees to shuffle for about 65 km. How they did it for so long amazes me.
With only 2 weeks in Vietnam, we had to move quickly and so we hit the road. And while we were ready to get out of this big city, and ready to try something smaller, we had no real desire to try a beach town (since none can truly compare to those in Thaland) that wasn't even high on our list of cities to visit. Well...off to the beach town of Nha Trang and onto our first overnighter On Off bus.
My first stop was Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City. That place is insane. Though I suppose after a 15 hour bus ride from Cambodia, and getting dropped off randomly in what appeared to be the heart of the city, I was overwhelmed. I never thought I'd say this, but the traffic was worse...way worse than Bangkok's. The amount of motorbikes exceeded my expectation. There is this constant stream of bikes, all weaving and honking down the crowded streets. While there are "street lights," they are merely guidelines than anything else. Crossing the street I've learned is a skill. It's cross the street and move slowly so that they can swerve around you. Safety is something you hand over to others which is quite scary to think about.
To help our transition after checking into our cute guesthouse, we went out to a market and took in the sights. And eating delicious fresh steaming hot bowls of Pho, some fresh spring rolls, and the best iced coffee ever (though I think I'm biased since I hardly drink it at all). Yum!
While in Saigon, we also decided to take a day trip to see the Cu Chi Tunnels. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was extremely interesting, and the things I learned about it vastly vary from what I've learned.
The tunnels is an underground network that spans about 250 km. It has 3 levels, the third being over 10m below the surface. All the tunnels were dug by hand, and the tunnel itself is made strictly of clay soil, which when hardens protected the Vietnamese from water, floods, bombing, and even American tanks rolling over them. There were over 16,000 Vietnemese who lived in the tunnels for almost 20 years to avoid being killed by the American soldiers, but only 3,000 survived.
On our tour, there was a small section of tunnels tourists were able to visit. I would have walked by the first entrance if I didn't notice a sign. Walking through that section of the tunnel amazed me. I couldn't believe how small the whole area was. And then when we were given the chance to crawl through the tunnel which lead to the "headquarters," I took up the opportunity. This part of the tunnel definitely for sure was more difficult. Where the other had more giving room for me to at least lift my head comfortably, this was didn't. There were little dead things all around, the smell was horrible, and there were no lights, but the light from my cell phone. I'm small, but it hurt my knees to shuffle for about 65 km. How they did it for so long amazes me.
With only 2 weeks in Vietnam, we had to move quickly and so we hit the road. And while we were ready to get out of this big city, and ready to try something smaller, we had no real desire to try a beach town (since none can truly compare to those in Thaland) that wasn't even high on our list of cities to visit. Well...off to the beach town of Nha Trang and onto our first overnighter On Off bus.
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| Opening in the Tunnel |
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| Air Hole |
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| Sleeper Bus |
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