Vietnam ~ an update

Finally got hold of a computer with internet at a decent speed....

For those concerned about me...am very much alive and kicking although patronised a lot of the roadside stalls which others in the camp (with the exception of Mdm Soh, embodiment of the 'can-do' spirit) seem to be wary of.

Just had their equivalent of the 'bo-bo-cha-cha' with lots of coconut milk and just a suitable hint of ginger contrasting with the sweetness without upstaging it.

Am going to enjoy my baguette (a relic from the French conquest years ago that is still very much embraced by the Vietnamese) with lots of identified meat and fatty-looking tomato-coloured stuff....

hApPy BirThDaY to Myself from Hanoi Classic Hotel

Hi, I'm online again. Seems Vietnam is an internet-friendly place with this hotel offering free internet service. Just that this popular service is highly utilised - all the keys are eroded and I'm relying on my fingers' memory of where the 24 alphabets are (looking at the others doesn't help - you know why). Think I'm faring quite well here.

Thanks Kiat, for the birthday wish (You are the FIRST !)..... tagboard not working ...


Have lots to say even though only 3 hrs in Hanoi only.... but it's time to sleep to prepare for the 3-hr Halong Bay trip tomorrow.... or maybe I should reserve that for the ride ?

I'm Off

1 minute before the gates open for the Vietnam trip at Budget Terminal.... not too bad really with free internet access. Pity about the name though, even after a naming contest, this is the best they can manage?

But my dreams of departing in the plane in style is dashed by the rain beating upon the tarmac relentlessly, so it will be a wet entrance following a hurried dash across the unsheltered space.

I am sure this will be a great trip though.

Here's wishing me a smooth journey :)

Halong Bay, Vietnam

Must highlight to you the treasures of Vietnam though I'm not there yet. Thanks to "1000 Places To See Before You Die", I can indulge in a bit of fantasizing how beautiful the place is. Picturesque in 'unpeopled' beaches, it is a haven to while away time looking at a scene taken out of a Chinese painting ....

1000 places to see before you die

Taglined as 'A traveler's Life List' , this book lives up to its rather boastful self-anointed claim. A 'life list' must fulfil its mission of providing a comprehensive lineup of reviews on all corners of the earth and make sure all countries (192-193 according to the Great Geography Teacher).

'1000 places' captured all these systematically in easy-to-find sections Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, USA, Latin America and Australasia (which it diplomatically put down as Australia, New Zealand & The Pacific Islands - instead of subsuming the beautiful likes of Fiji, French Polynesia & PNG into the term I used)

Highlighting not just the places but more importantly the experiences, it's an excellent read on:

• the interesting sights to look out for
• the splendour of natural sights
• tasty food to savour
• the people you should say hi to & more insightfully,
• what the places mean to the people there - the soul of the place.
  
  Practicality being another important criteria, the book is a handy source of information on the type of experience, how to get there, contact details, cost and the most important of all - when to go to get the best bang for buck. 183 pages are devoted to the great US of A, which I suspect is some deliberate patriotic slant, but hopefully with the version solely for USA/Canada in print, the next edition will even be better in covering more far-flung parts of the earth.
  

I Got Jabbed...

Just got a typhoid jab, highly necessary to avoid diarrhoea...Maybe I should have got it before the Stanchart marathon, where I got runs for 2 days before the race. Didn't realise how dehydrated I was until the muscle system seemed to shut down after a grand distance of 2km and to make me walk for the rest of the 8km...

So this thing is going to protect me for 3 years. From taking food/drink/beverages/etc in countries where less handwashing is less frequent and water is likely to be contaminated with sewage... eeee... how do these things get into the food? From cooking in the toilet??

Spoiled my secret gleeful thinking that I can eat anything I want. Anyway the perceptive nurse banished such thoughts by telling me directly not to throw caution to the wind...

My Vietnam Itinerary

Am happy to post my itinerary here. Certainly something to look forward to since I have heard and read glorious reports about Vietnam -

• the abundance of nature places & of course, birds
• the beautiful beaches, according to the scholars
• the resort-like Dalat, according to "1000 places to see before you die"
• the business opportunities in Vietnam, especially ni education, from Andy Ong

So here's it:

11 Dec (my birthday!!) - 12 : Hanoi - Ha Long - Cat Ba

Boat trip, Sung Sot cave, cat Ba Town

13 Dec : Sapa to Catcat (pronounced not as in our feline friends but as in 'cut')

Ethnic market, the beautiful Sapa - home to Mount Fansipan (tough climb, according to Aileen)

14 Dec : Lao Cai - TaVan - Giangta Chai

All-day trekking to visit minority villages, see the colourful dresses of H'mong, Zay, Red Dzao.. Their colourful dresses will certainly be a talking point.

15 Dec : Hanoi

Stay at Manh Dung Guesthouse

Tour around Hanoi for 2 days

17 Dec : Hue (pronounced as 'hway' of 'huay')

Bella Garden
Tour around on our own
Do volunteer work at XuanPhu's Orphanage
45 Le Viet Luong St, Hue city

20 Dec : train ride to Nha Trang

Transfer from Nha Trang to Dalat hotel (night)
Check in to Dreams Hotel

23 Dec Depart for HCM on bus ride
Check in to HCM hotel (Madam Cuc)
Tour around the area

26 Dec 1330 hrs: Depart for Singapore
Home Sweet Home