Saigon

We arrived in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) late last night after a full day of travel by bus, boat and plane. Saigon is a busy metropolis with signs of a decent economy everywhere. There is a lot of building going on, and the streets are full of brand new scooters and well dressed people. It is hard to imagine most of Viet Nam was leveled in the 60's and early 70's by the Americans. There are still many lovely buildings from the days of French rule here,
and lovely parks where the trees are groomed into shapes...

A visit to the War Remnants Museum today was a stark reminder of the realities of war. I cried. It was difficult to see the horrific pictures of so many people killed and maimed - the brutality was inhuman, and it makes me so sad to be reminded of what human kind is capable of.

After we visited the museum, we walked awhile, and then overwhelmed by the heat (it is as hot and humid here as southern India), we decided to hire 2 rickshaws. They offered to drive us for "one dollar"...but when we arrived and I gave the man one dollar, he said, "no..,one zero dollar" By now, Nate Nate and I are onto all the tricks...so we simply said, "nice try", smiled, and gave him one dollar. And then, he had the nerve to ask if we wanted him to wait while we looked inside the cathedral so he could also take us to the market. Hmmmmm, let me think about that buddy...uh..NO!

Markets, as always are my favorite for they show the colour and craft of the local people (and lots of good food). Nate spent an hour analyzing a purchase he never actually made, and I resisted the urge to by a ruby ring. I bought a lovely sapphire ring in India, and ruby is the only of the precious stones I do not own....but, I resisted, and bought Nate some clothes instead. I have gotten quite good at negotiating - in fact, I have it down to an art. Negotiate a price, then ask for a better price if you buy more than one, then hesitate and say I better look around first, then after they have come down for a fourth time, start to walk away...that is when they generally chase you down the isle and say loudly, "OK, OK"

After a tough few hours of negotiating, I was a little parched, so next we sat at the little plastic stool place on the street corner and drank a very cheap beer and visited with a Vietnamese guy named Joey, who kept telling Nate how beautiful his mother was, and said over and over to him - "if you loose your wife, you can get another one, but you can never replace your parents." Smart guy I say. I miss my mom.

I am feeling a little down tonight...perhaps it was the pictures at the museum, or perhaps it is having to walk amongst all these beautiful, tiny, skinny Vietnamese women in tight short shorts and high heels. I feel like a fat cow. Then to make matters worse, as I was complaining about it, Nate says, "mom, you are not supposed to look 17 (true), you are supposed to look old and saggy!" Great...I guess that means I am old and saggy. Oh well, old and saggy beats deformed from the effects of agent orange, so I guess I should suck it up.

Tomorrow Nate and I will head four hours north to the country's best beach and nearby sand dunes...should be fun...my large saggy old body can lie on the beach and perhaps some of the fat will melt off me....but no worries...I will replenish those calories with a lot of cheap beer.

Vietnamese facemasks and Cat ba cockroaches

Cat ba island and Halong Bay were everything we hoped for and more. We spent the past 3 days and 2 nights on a wooden sailboat exploring the mountains that jut out of the sea in a most dramatic way. They were full of caves and lagoons and we did plenty of exploring by kayak, which we pulled behind the boat.



At one cave, we kayaked through to a hidden lagoon inside. It was when we were in there that the guide said we had only 10 minutes before the tide would rush in so fast that we would not be able to get back out. Well, did I ever start paddling! I took a good look at the lagoon (for about 14 seconds), said, "yup, this is pretty - can we go now?" As we paddled back through the cave, our heads were ominously close to the muscle covered stalactites, and the current of the water so strong, I feared my arms would give out for paddling so hard!





We also visited a large cave system on foot - that was quite amazing - a real beautiful site.
There were many hidden beaches along the way where we could go swim - there were no other people around- just us -
and mounds of garbage. Nathan and I soon gave up shell picking for garbage picking, as it was much more interesting. On one small beach we found no less than 5 light bulbs - unbroken with filament intact, three shoes, hundreds of plastic gyzmos which we never did figure out what they were, a wine bottle, various food containers, mounds of broken Styrofoam pieces, a bamboo fishing pole, and 1 large dead star fish!

As we trolled around the various islands - which look like tall rocky mounds covered in vines - we were surprised to realize that many Vietnamese live amongst these islands. They don't live on the islands - for they are just sheer rocky cliffs that jut straight up out of the sea...they live in small shacks that are floating in the water. The are built upon a platform that is supported by bamboo poles resting on a series of Styrofoam blocks covered in blue tarps. The shacks are about 40 square feet big but some even have T.V. antennas...and the people fish for oysters and other various fish. Sometimes the shacks are isolated, and sometimes there are whole floating villages. Very strange. The bad thing about this is that because of the population of people living on the water, there is a lot of floating garbage. Quite sad really- though it does make beach combing more interesting...

Another interesting thing was the floating 7-11. Well, it wasn't really a 7-11, but every where we went, whether in the middle of the ocean or in some hidden lagoon - out of no where would show up a Vietnamese lady in a small boat loaded with Pringles and boxes of Oreos! Seriously! These ladies also carried an assortment of fresh vegetables, which the cook on our boat often purchased for our dinner.

Speaking of dinners...the food on the boat was amazing. Fresh seafood, caught and killed minutes before we ate it. The most tender squid I have ever had...wonderful fish and clams...fresh fruit and veggies (thanks to the 7-11), and very tasty spring rolls. We really enjoyed the food! So did the other guests on our boat.

The extra "guests" on the boat were not discovered until the second night when one rather large cockroach found its way onto my chest while I was laying in bed. I am quite certain the entire Halong Bay full of fishing villages heard me scream. Needless to say, I did not sleep too well after that - which is probably a good thing, for I was the only one awake last night to see the very fast moving storm come in. I had literally only seconds after the first flash of lightening to clamour to the top of our boat and grab all our clothes off the line while tripping over Nathan who was sleeping on the roof of the boat, before the gust front hit. The strong winds tossed up the water - though not too bad because of the protection of the islands - and the rain came down fierce for about an hour. I hope all those bleeping cockroaches drowned!

One more very interesting thing...when we first arrived in Hanoi, we noticed that a great number of people were wearing face masks -like surgical masks - only made out of colourful fabrics. We determined it must be because of all the pollution. But the more I looked, the more I began to think there was more to it. Nate insisted it was because Asian people are more cognizant of germs, wearing masks when they are sick. Well, that made sense until I saw a girl wearing a matching blouse and mask! Surely, one does not plan a matching shirt to wear in case one gets sick...so, when we got to Cat ba island, and I saw even more woman wearing them, we were really confused because there is no pollution here...hardly any cars! Dust maybe? Pollen?? Then matters got even more interesting when we found much to our surprise that all the ladies paddling the floating 7-11's wore them too! Definitely no exhaust fumes or dust there! That is when we finally asked, and learned that the woman want their skin to be white...so they cover their faces completely, even wearing long gloves -like the Jacqueline Kennedy type - to keep sun off their arms. So, picture this...a woman wearing rubber boots, long purple gloves, a surgical mask, and pointed rice hat to shade the brow...all in the attempt to look beautiful...and more "white." Sad really...for no white person in their right mind would be caught dead gardening in their back yard looking that ridiculous!

Tomorrow Nate and I are off to Ho Chi Mihn City (former Saigon)...assuming we can get a flight. I am looking forward to going to the war museum there...and maybe we will take a boat trip down the Mekong river...hopefully that boat won't have any uninvited guests.

Love to you all - especially my Stephane. I am starting to get a little homesick. Thoughts of moving to Calgary are foremost in my mind, and of course, but mostly I am missing the love of my life. Being apart is always a good reminder of how important someone is to you. I miss his smile every morning. I miss his encouragement and gentle words. I miss him putting slippers on my feet every morning, and oh God, do I miss the coffee he makes me. There might be something else too:-)

Cat Ba Island

Nate and I arrived on the island yesterday at 4pm after taking a 2.5 hour bus through the flat agricultural lands north east of Hanoi...then we took a boat to the island, then another bus to the main town. We were amazed at this tropical island with its jagged mountain terrain and $10 a night rooms. It is a resort village with small hotels lining the main blvd that overlooks the bay. There is a huge, modern resort being built and already I can easily imagine spending a winter here.

This morning we are heading out in a private junk (Chinese style sailing boat with 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a nice sun deck, and 2 big red sails...complete with kayaks, and snorkel and fishing gear....for 3 days and 2 nights to explore the islands of this world famous UNESCO site...an archipelago of thousands of islands with hidden lagoons, secluded beaches, floating fishing villages, and many grottos and caves. We will upload pictures and stories when we return on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, as I await my morning coffee, I will note some of the things I think my Stephane (patiently waiting for me back home) would like about Viet Nam:

Viet Nam seems far more organized than India. The roads are very good, and traffic moves along very well - and on the right hand side of the road! There is a "language" of honking - different than in India - though quite evident. Here, when passing (on the left) our bus would honk 5-10 times - just to let the guy know he was passing. even though he was passing in a passing lane, and everybody was staying withing the white lines. Lanes are lanes here - and except for the scooters, the trucks and cars all stay in their lane, driving quite slow and safe like. Quite boring really...no blind corners, no breathtaking "chicken" on steep mountain roads.

Oh yeah, and on the bus (which was full of families heading to the island on vacation) we watched on the TV what could only be described as soft porn. Scantily clad, and sometimes naked western woman gyrating to soft music, while caressing themselves, etc etc...on the bus ...with children...the whole 2 hour trip. (I read my book).

People here don't stare at you. In fact, they pretty much ignore you...at the street stall full of cheap pearls, at the restaurant when you want to order...no celebrity status or deference here.

There is no garbage all over the ground here. The streets are clean, and little ladies with sticks on their shoulders with 2 huge baskets on each end, go around picking the recyclables out of the garbage bins...yes, there are garbage bins here...a concept that has not yet taken hold in India.

People here are friendly and smile a lot and wearing short shorts and halter tops is not considered obscene - I mean, they play porn on the bus for Pete's sake, how could it be! So I can swim in the beautiful water in a bathing suit instead of wrapped in 7 meters of Chiffon!

There are no stray dogs here. In India, the scrawny pathetic starving mutts are everywhere - with large milk filled tits, or testicles hanging strangely down from their bodies. The few dogs we have seen were tied up, plump and well fed and cared for.

The food here is delicious (even some crunchy vegetables). Dog met is prominently featured on every menu.

Speaking of menus...Nate and I are also enjoying a new game...scanning the menus for funny English like...qualiflower, spinash, spring rools, diet aqua, and my personal favorite...homely cooking!

Later gaters.

Street scenes from Hanoi

Above is one of the very many ladies you will see carry huge loads of various things. And below Nate and I discovered an entire store that sold Canadian bedding.

Below are the two girls who for and hour (at a cost of only $250) gave me a lovely pedicure.



This morning Nate and I took a long walk over to the temple of literature - a very old university (1200s). It was full of gardens and bonsai type trees in planters.

Bonsai of a Banyan tree (I think)
This morning I sat at a teeny weeny wooden table (about 6" off the sidewalk) and had 2 wonderful cups of coffee. The nice man who made it on a small stove (also on the sidewalk) sat beside me and though he did not speak English, he taught me to say banana in Vietnamese and helped me get a good price for a kilo of leechie fruit from the street lady. He also gave me a free sesame cookie. Afterwards, I went and got a manicure and a pedicure.


Today, after wandering the streets for awhile, we stopped at a small place that served food. There were two old toothless ladies there, and with a little sign language, we managed to get two cold cans of pop. While sitting there, the old woman brought us (without us ordering) 2 bowls of soup. Oh well, I think to myself...it looks yummy, so we smiled and took the soup. Soon she was back, only this time with s plate of rather scary looking chicken pieces...but she would not take no foer an answer...instead she grabbed a pair of chopsticks, picked up a blob of chicken, dipped it in a bowl of salt, and placed it firmly on my spoon. So I ate it. She continued to "feed" Nate and I, filling our spoons with salty chicken until it was gone. Soon after that she was dumping large handfuls of leaves in our soup....so we ate those too! Well, all satisfied, we ask how much, and then the lovely toothless old woman TOOK US TO THE CLEANERS!!! Charged us $7! There must have a been a surcharge for feeding us :-)
Glazed pig anyone? If not, just below the hanging pig was a lovely plate of fried tongues.
If you are not up for pig or duck, there is no end to street sellers with baskets of fruit. We bought 1 kilo of leechie fruit this morning for only cents...very yummy.
Scooters are everywhere. Below is the shoe repair guy fixing Nate's shoes yeterday.

WE LOVE Viet Nam!

Nate and I arrived in Hanoi at 1 pm today (after not oo much sleep) and the weather was a cool 34 degrees - low humidity. After India, the 34 degrees seemed just perfect, and the streets are so clean, and while there is lots of hustle and bustle and a bezillion scooters driving everywhere, it is all very calm after India. Like India, here there is a strange mix of old and new. Generations clash in very obvious ways. Old women wearing pointed rice straw hats carry large baskets of goods on the end of long poles balanced on their shoulders, while young people dressed in Guess jeans scoot by on their scooters. Families share meals in the street - on the sidewalk sitting on small plastic stools, while street vendors prepare food, serve it, and do the dishes - all out of a few buckets at the side of the road. People are friendly and smile a lot.

Viet Nam is already my new favorite place!

The food is amazing AND SO CHEAP! Nate and I ate out tonight...set us back $2.60 and that included beer! How cool is that? You can buy a whole amazing cheezecake for a few bucks.

The funniest thing happened today....Nate and I were walking along the street and out of the blue a man stops Nathan and bends down and pokes at Nates shoe...and before Nate can really tell what is going on, the man has removed Nathan's shoe (which had separated from the sole along the side), put a thong on Nate's foot, and pointed out the tear in the side of Nate's shoe and then from nowhere he pulls out a basket with shoe repair stuff in it. 15 minutes later Nate's shoes have been completely resown - by hand on the street corner - relined and shined, and back on his feet, complete with new laces tied. They look brand new and will likely have saved him $60 buying a new pair (cause they really were falling apart!). Too cool. I LOVE THIS PLACE! Old shoes become new right before your eyes! Do you think I could find a street vendor that could make my old body become new right there on the street corner? Well, not likely, but I am going for a manicure and pedicure tomorrow am...will set me back $5.

AND, AND, AND...there is espresso stalls right down the street....YES, Vietnamese vendors selling espresso - real coffee!!! YIPPEE!!! NO MORE NESCAFE! I LOVE THIS PLACE. Lattes for pennies! I am giddy. Actually, it is probably just that I am so tired. Hardly slept a wink yesterday, We had three flights over 24 hours - with several long stops in between with no where to sleep. One of the flights was incredibly bumpy - pretty severe turbulance ans we flew around several thunderstorms.

After Nate got his shoes fixed, we hired a young fellow for $7 to pedal us around for an hour on a rickshaw - so we could get our bearings...no use. We were hopelessly turned around going up and down the tiny crowded streets of the old quarter. Up and down the streets we went...it was so fun. The streets here all are dedicated to a certain things...so, for example, you have the shoe street...every single street vendor has a store full of shoes, then there is the purse street, the backpack street, the duct tape street (I am serious), the rope street, the gold street, the watches street - you name it. The stuffed animal street, the CD street, the Chinese lantern street. It is a hoot. I REALLY LOVE THIS PLACE! Can't wait to get out and about tomorrow - and then I will post some photos for you all. For now though, I really must sleep. It is only 8pm but we are completely wiped.

Temples, Trees, and Tikes of Southern India

Coming soon...