Korea was nice but it was a tour so I didn't really bother to read up about its culture and the places to go and what-not. Anyway, this trip was really an eye-opener. Ok, that's the whole point of travelling but compared to Korea, a thriving urban country, this trip made me appreciate Singapore more. You should go see the number of people with multiple deformities lying around the streets of Ho Chi Minh City [and I believe many other parts of Vietnam]. Most of them are the victims of Agent Orange from the Vietnam War and it was really painful when I compare it to the spoilt and pampered teenagers [including me] of Singapore who are wasting their lives away.
Anyway, Ai Ping, Er Yi and I went together for this trip.
Not long after we touched down at Tan Soon Nhat International Airport, we headed to Ben Thanh Market cos both of them were hungry.
Ai Ping and her pork rice noodles
Actually, we wanted to try the desserts but didn't in the end. That's the only regret I had besides not getting to eat their durians [they were pulsating with yellow goodness ok!]
Just look at the prawns....really worth your money man...
They adopted a traditional way of seating,that is, sitting around the stall where they ordered from...
Pork Rice Noodles...
Vietnamese Spring rolls...it was really raw and the smell was quite rancid, probably due to the basil leaves. Felt like vomiting cos I was not used to it but after that, it tasted fine...
Pigs' brains anybody?
Pigs' intestines...
Pigs' everything!!!!
This was perhaps one of the highlights of the trip:the cyclo ride. According to Lonely Planet, they're gonna phase out this mode of transport in order for modernisation to take place..therefore, this ride was worth it.The uncle in white could speak French so well cos he witnessed the French colonising Vietnam. The other one spoke Cantonese...The ride took us to the War Remnants Museum...before that, the Vietnam War seemed like any other ordinary war, just another statistic added to the crimes that humanity is capable of but my perspective of it changed after going there...just imagine how Ai Ping would react man...
Famous photo by the Pulitzer-prize winning photographer of a naked Vietnamese girl running away from the flames. The photographer committed suicide after snapping this due to trauma.
Sometimes I wonder why we resort to war to solve the problem. I'm a pacifist at heart...
Admire these Viet Cong women who are brave enough to fight for their country...and still smiling while at it...
Don't realy have a soft spot for such military equipment but it's quite amazing how such things work when you examine its complexities up close...Went to CuChi tunnels (pronounced KOO-CHEE) the next day after signing up for the local tour at Sinh Cafe. It was quite boring initially, me having not studied history, but the thrill began when we became tunnel rats for the day.
At the entrance of the tunnel...
Don't be deceived by these pictures, it was actually pitch dark in the tunnel but due to Ai Ping's camera, it made the whole duck-walking journey seem like a bed of roses. Uncle Niam aka George was filming the whole journey at the back. We went with Er Yi's friends for this tour...
After what seemed like forever, crawling in the dank and dark tunnel [those suffering from claustrophobia not advised to enter], we emerged victorious into the blinding sunlight (heh heh!)
Viet Cong guerillas...
The opening was specially designed for the small-sized Vietnamese soldiers to enter...how small can they get man...
Some of the traps devised by the Vietnamese to counter the Americans...
Went to My Tho.Ben Tre the next day. We cruised along the Mekong for 40 minutes [quite boring after awhile and all we did was take many pictures of boats...] Tried cocnut candy, toured bee farms, I carried a snake (!!!), drank snake wine [VERY repulsive], listened to traditional music,took a pony ride and tasted honey with kumquat juice.
Just look at the size of the Mekong fish!
We also got the chance to explore the smaller creeks of the Mekong...quite nice too...
It was heavy and the scaly,slimy skin was pulsating with life....
Spent 3 days at Phan Thiet.Mui Ne Resort which was a 5-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh. I think we Singaporeans weren't used to the lazy, slow lifestyle that is typical of such resorts. hence, the days were long there but it was a good time of rest and relaxation. We could hear the waves of the South China Sea crashing against the shore every night while we slept...
Sunset from our resort room...
On the second day, we went on a tour around Mui Ne to the White and Red Sand Dunes. The picture above was taken on the way to the white sand dunes. Really beautiful...the water was literally blue!
This was NOT photoshopped or edited!!
We rode horses while we were there too. At first, it was quite scary cos there was not much support at all and you only had the reins to balance yourself. At one point of time, the owner slapped the horse's back and caused it to run..very scary! VERY!
Horny monkey which kept flashing its privates at us. [It was a male by the way...]
White Sand dunes! While we were there, there was a mini sand storm and bits of sand were attacking our limbs. They felt like tiny needles pricking you everywhere and it was quite uncomfortable. The girl with us asked Er Yi whether we wanted to slide down the dunes for a fee but we declined cos they were really steep.
These were the red sand dunes. Not as impressive as the white ones cos it looked as if they dropped us off at some random construction site and showed this to us.Throughout the tour, we made friends with 2 Korean ladies. One of them was a piano teacher working at Ho Chi Minh City. During the bus ride, there was an international language exchange of sorts: the Korean ladies, a Hong Kong couple and the 2 Vietnamese tour guides as well as us. Really enjoyed it!
Explored the area around the resort. Saw the fishermen and their bowl-shaped boats...
This calf was sucking its mother's udders so vigorously that the mother winced in pain occasionally...
For 2 days, we roamed the shores and helped fishermen and their children sort cockles. Played with the children as well...they really have a hard life man...
Looks like the musical "Miss Saigon's" cover...
The trip to the beach at night is simply worth going...besides catching the sun set, you can literally see the tide slowly coming closer to the shoreline [high tide].
Also visited Cho Binh Tay, Vietnam's answer to Chinatown while we were at Ho Chi Minh. It was quite boring for Ai Ping and I cos the adults (Er yi and her friends) took ages to shop and haggle over cashew nuts and coffee. By the time we were done, it was nightfall.
Coffee was super cheap there. They usually add a dollop of condensed milk together with their coffee to tame down its bitter taste...
There was hardly room to walk so we had to squeeze into nooks and crannies to wait for the aunties...
Super cute...boy with motorbike helmet. The ratio of motorbikes to cars in Vietnam is almost 10 to 1 or even more. Owning a car is a status symbol there...
Very adorable..we couldn't believe we actually saw a Vietnamese Ah Beng cradling his baby so fondly in broad daylight in front of everyone...
Makeshift hawker stalls for the hungry...
This looks as if it came straight from a postcard- Lonely Planet Style
As the adults went to Carmargue, an expensive French restaurant for dinner, both of us decided to explore the area for cheap and good food. On the way, we saw Duc's paradise:
We also passed by an Opera House near the Sheraton and Hilton Hotels...the night was really breezy and there were many couples around...come to think of it, it's quite ironic as Vietnamese couples, in general, are not afraid to show their affections openly despite them being a conservative Asian country...
Decided on this Italian restaurant after walking aimlessly for quite some time. They played a Jean-Baptiste Maunier and a Clemence song!
Ai Ping performing a surgery on the pizza...
The bill came up to very cheap and when we inquired about the food at the French restaurant, the adults said they weren't satisfied...
As we were not completely satiated yet, we went for ice cream at Kem Bach Dang, one of the well-known ice cream parlors recommended by Lonely Planet. The pandan,yam and strawberry ice cream was really nice...different from those we have in Singapore. The chocolate one wasn't that good though...very ordinary...brought the adults here for dessert. The owner recognised us and was very happy that we brought business for him.
I know this doesn't flow with the dialogue but we saw the fake Notre Dame Cathedral from the rooftop of Liberty 4 Hotel, the hotel where Er Yi's friends were lodging at. It was "fake" cos there is actually another one near the War Remnants Museum which we did not get to see...
On the last night at Ho Chi Minh, Er Yi decided that it was worth it to watch the Water Puppets even though the prices were exorbitant as it was a "once-in-a-lifetime experience." Did not regret watching it although there were mosquitoes everywhere. The musicians, seated at the side, also lent their voices for singing and mimicking real-life conversations of the peasants of the early ages...
Our breakfast for 3 days while lodging at All Asia Hotel 2 recommended by a friend of a friend of my Dad. We didn't really mind at all cos the baguette and the eggs were good.
We had this for dinner on the first night. Walked in circles just to locate this shop- "Pho 2000" - where Bill Clinton patronised before. Our efforts were rewarded! Accrding to Ai Ping and Er Yi, the chilli was really spicy and the Basil very shiok. I had mine plain so as not to spoil the taste of the clear broth.
I miss Pho Bo! (pronounced FUR-bo)
We had baguette at Pham Ngu Lao, HCMC's backpacker district..the sauce and dressing was very fresh. Throughout our stay in Vietnam, we kept drinking fruit juices and shakes cos they were less than S$1! Got so used to drinking such healthy stuff that when we had lunch at Changi Airport after touching down, I had to order Watermelon Juice!Don't mind going back to Vietnam again man....there is still Hoi An and Danang,etc...
