June 29- Siem Reap, Cambodia
We have been having a great time in Cambodia, but we still haven't finished telling you about our last couple of days in Vietnam. Last Monday, June 26, we arranged to take a bike tour of the Mekong Delta, about one hour southeast of Ho Chi Minh City.
We got up bright and early (the tour began at 5:30!), picked up our bikes and with our guide, Yee, we biked a few kilometers to the bus station in Chinatown. Going back and forth between Boston and New York, we have gotten used to taking the Chinatown buses and it amazes us that halfway around the world, the budget buses still leave from Chinatown.
Unlike the other tourist tour buses we have taken before, this was the real deal local bus. They were selling sticky rice and other miscellaneous food treats wrapped in banana leaves through the windows while we were waiting to leave. When the seats filled up on the bus, the driver took out little stools (like the ones in the "restaurants" we ate at in Hanoi) and placed them down the aisle for people to sit on. There were no real bus stops along the way, either. The bus would just stop in front of a house or a dirt road and let people off or pick them up. Meanwhile, our bicycles were strapped to the top of the bus- at least we had real seats inside. When we finally reached our destination, a little man had to climb up on top of the bus and hand our bikes down to us.
From the bus station in Mekong City we rode our bikes a few more kilometers to the docks. On our way, we passed a small pond with a Vietnamese ghetto version of the Swan Boats in the Public Gardens in Boston. Like most farm animals in Vietnam, these swans looked a little malnourished.
Down at the docks, we boarded a small motor boat with our bikes. We rode down the Mekong River to a small island in the river delta. We left our bikes on the boat and walked through lush tropical fruit orchards boasting jackfruit, pomelo, dragonfruit, banana, mango, papaya, dongan (similar to lychee), and pineapple. It was pretty crazy to see how all of these things grow.
We continued on and walked to a little outdoor restaurant where we sampled an assortment of the fruits we just mentioned as well as one that we don't know the name of, but was super delicious. We had tried it in Hawaii too, and there it was called a brown sugar something or other, but we have no idea what they call it here. Yee couldn't remember either. While we ate, we were serenaded by a band of local traditional musicians and singers. I guess you could call it entertainment.
We walked a little further before boarding a different boat - a canoe this time. We hopped on, and were paddled down a little channel. Later we saw two men building a similar channel using no tools besides their hands. On the canoe ride, we got to wear the traditional conical bamboo hats. We blended right in with the locals - you would never know we weren't Vietnamese.
The canoe dropped us off at a makeshift dock where our motor boat was waiting for us. We switched boats and rode top a pretty large island in the delta. We hopped back on our bikes and rode along the channels to a "factory" where they make schlocky tchochkes (junk) out of coconut shells. Our guide gave us a half hearted explanation of how they make the stuff, and then we were back on our bikes.
Riding through the rice paddies, we came to a factory where they husked and cleaned the rice kernels. Behind the factory were fields and fields of rice paddies, where people worked endlessly tilling the fields. We saw (and climbed) a small mountain of unhusked rice before taking a tour of the factory to see how it went from the unhusked kernels to rice suitable for eating. Once inside, there was a small series of machines that did all the work, and Yee was very nice and explained everything to us, but it was too loud to hear a word she said. We saw the rice at each step of the process, and each time it was one step closer to being real rice, but we were no closer to actually understanding what happened to get it there.
We rode through villages on main roads and then through smaller villages on dirt roads. Then it was on to trails and paths, meandering through a series of creeks that the locals use for irrigation and transportation. We got a little nervous when our guide had to stop and ask for directions (twice). She still didn't know where we were and used her cell phone to call the home office. We weren't too far off, but we had to turn around. Let us talk about how muddy and narrow those paths were. It was about two or three feet wide and a similar drop off into the creek on either side of the path. Some of the creeks had cacti to keep out would be intruders...
It was at a particularly muddy junction that Jillian tried to turn but here wheels had other ideas. The bike skidded in the mud and sent Jillian soaring into the creek below. Ari was about to jump in after her, but the water was only about waist deep. She got up unscathed, but had to fish around in the mud for one of her shoes that had gotten stuck. It's a really good thing we were heading for a cocnut candy factory.
We were not too far away, and arrived at the candy factory just a few minutes later. Jillian was able to get cleaned up, then it was time to make the candy. They take the coconut and shave it all by hand, and put it into big mesh bags before squeezing all of the milk out of it. They then take the milk, mix it with sugar, and stir it over an open flame for hours until it is a delicious gooey mess. Then they pour it into long molds and make coconut candy snakes and let it cool in the mold. Once it cools, they take the snake, cut it into candy sized pieces and wrap each one individually with rice paper then paper-paper. It was quite a process. We got to help out with the wrapping, but we found we were much better at eating the candies than wrapping them. Needless to say, our candy wrapping careers did not last very long. At least that is one thing we can knock off of our list of potential jobs.
After gorging ourselves on coconut candies, we rode to a restaurant for a quick lunch before heading back to our boat. The boat took us back to Mekong City, where we rode our bikes to catch the bus that brought us back to Ho Chi Minh City. Everything was pretty uneventful until we got back to Chinatown in HCMC. Then the madness began. We have told you about the traffic all over Vietnam and how is is almost impossible to cross the street as a pedestrian. Well, it is ten times worse on a bicycle trying to ride with the flow of traffic. Luckily, the motorcycle drivers here are not nearly as aggressive as the cab drivers in New York that we have gotten used to, and we made it back to our hotel unscathed.
Yearning to get back to Thailand for some pad thai, we found a gem of a Thai restaurant around the corner from our hotel and had a lovely dinner.
The following morning we got up early and caught a taxi to the airport before flying out to Siem Reap. Needless to say, we didn't feel any safer being in a car than we did on bicycles. The roads are just not meant to be travelled on.
Of course our flight was delayed, but we made it here safely, which is all that matters. We got into Siem Reap in the early afternoon, and decided not to stay at the hotel that the taxi dropped us off at (we learned our lesson the hard way in Hanoi). We had met some cool travellers from Canada at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City, and the four of us set out to figure out where we were and to find a hotel near the center of town. We had gotten about halfway down the block when it started to sprinkle. We hadn't even taken three more steps when the heavens opened up and it began to POUR. It is monsoon season here, and it was only a matter of time before we felt the wrath of Mother Nature.
We stepped under an awning in front of a small store, but it was simply not acceptable to the shop owners to have us standing there. Instead, they pulled out a few plastic stools and invited four soaking wet gringos into their home/store for ome shelter from the rain. Every time we stood up, they followed us with a stool and beckoned for us to sit down again. They were so nice and we were very appreciative; we were off to a good start in Cambodia.
We soon realized that we were not far from the center of town at all, and the taxi driver had brought us exactly where we wanted to be. He was the firt taxi driver we have had who did this, so you can understand our skepticism. They usually drop you off at whichever hotel pays the best commission, regardless of where you want to be. A tuk tuk driver smelled his own opportunity for commission, and brought us from the shop one by one, in the rain, back to the hotel we originally got dropped off at. By the time we checked in and washed up, the rain let up and we walked into town for some dinner and drinks with our new friends. Shout out to Jamie and Allison!
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
June 27- Ho Chi Minh City
This will be our last post from Vietnam - we are flying to Cambodia later this morning. We did have a great time here, and we will remember it with (mostly) fond memories.
Two days ago we spent some time exploring, Pham Ngu Lao, the neighborhood that we are staying in. It is the backpacker neighborhood, so there is plenty of cheap food, cold beer, and kitschy souvenir shops. We had a good time shmying before making our way back to the center of town for something a little more cultural.
A little note about Vietnamese street names: You can practice and really fine tune your Southern Baptist preacher voice by shouting Vietnamese street names. Here are a few for you to try: Pham Ngu Lao, my children! Tran Hung Dao, Amen! Dong That Phu, you sinners!
Anyways, we walked to the Reunification Palace. Imagine the White House being designed by Mike Brady - it was tragically seventies. It served as the palace of the South Vietnamese president up until 1975 when the South fell to the communist North. It still looks like it did on that day, complete with green shag carpeting. Being such "Xtreme" tourists, we decided to break the law, while in the palace. We will post the photo proving it as soon as we can. Don't worry, they only cane in Singapore.
That night we walked around the city center a little more, and decided to try one last Vietnamese sweet street treat. These women line up on the sidewalk with their little coal fires and sit on the street corners selling these scrumptious little belgian waffle like treats. They are still warm when she gives them to you.
Jillian has also gotten a giant crush on Vespas in this junky moto loving country. Here is a beauty that we almost bought. In front of the nicest hotel in town we met a man who collects them. He offered to sell us this one for $2000. Only after we said no, did he tell us that he had just bought it for $1000.
We have lots of pictures to post, so yesterday is going to be a separate post.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
This will be our last post from Vietnam - we are flying to Cambodia later this morning. We did have a great time here, and we will remember it with (mostly) fond memories.
Two days ago we spent some time exploring, Pham Ngu Lao, the neighborhood that we are staying in. It is the backpacker neighborhood, so there is plenty of cheap food, cold beer, and kitschy souvenir shops. We had a good time shmying before making our way back to the center of town for something a little more cultural.
A little note about Vietnamese street names: You can practice and really fine tune your Southern Baptist preacher voice by shouting Vietnamese street names. Here are a few for you to try: Pham Ngu Lao, my children! Tran Hung Dao, Amen! Dong That Phu, you sinners!
Anyways, we walked to the Reunification Palace. Imagine the White House being designed by Mike Brady - it was tragically seventies. It served as the palace of the South Vietnamese president up until 1975 when the South fell to the communist North. It still looks like it did on that day, complete with green shag carpeting. Being such "Xtreme" tourists, we decided to break the law, while in the palace. We will post the photo proving it as soon as we can. Don't worry, they only cane in Singapore.
That night we walked around the city center a little more, and decided to try one last Vietnamese sweet street treat. These women line up on the sidewalk with their little coal fires and sit on the street corners selling these scrumptious little belgian waffle like treats. They are still warm when she gives them to you.
Jillian has also gotten a giant crush on Vespas in this junky moto loving country. Here is a beauty that we almost bought. In front of the nicest hotel in town we met a man who collects them. He offered to sell us this one for $2000. Only after we said no, did he tell us that he had just bought it for $1000.
We have lots of pictures to post, so yesterday is going to be a separate post.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Saturday, June 24, 2006
June 24- Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)
The overnight train turned out to be a good gamble. We were a little leery when it was two hours late, and we had to wait outside on the platform (that was lined with dried squid vendors.) There were two little boys in matching day-glo orange sweatpants pulled up way too high running around like sumo wrestlers on sugar highs; at least we had some entertainment.
Once the train came, there were no problems at all. We were in a four person sleeping berth that mildly reeked of pepperoni, but all in all it was a lot better than the overnight bus rides.
We arrived in Saigon yesterday morning, and again found a hotel without too much trouble. We directed our taxi over to the backpackers' district (or, he directed us there because he knew exactly where we were going before we even got to his car). Coincidentally, the hotel is run by the wife of the premiere surgeon in the country. He has done a lot of research on Vietnamese-specific epidemiology and physiology.
With our Lonely Planet in hand, we followed a walking tour of the city, first coming to a huge indoor market, and then walking by Pho 2000, the soup joint that Bill Clinton ate at when he came to Vietnam. We continued on to the Fine Arts Museum, where we had our fill of high culture before rushing off for some ice cream. Fanny, the French ice cream cafe, turned out to be much as Jillian would imagine heaven. The menu boasted a lot of unique and local flavors as well as the some of the coolest sundaes/creations ever! (No pun intended). Ari had Bailey's ice cream drowned in whiskey, but it was Jillian's dessert that will go down in history: a sorbet cyclo. See photo and be jealous.
Feeling all happy and giddy, we went to the War Remnants Museum for a BIG change of mood. Huge American war machines, tanks, planes, and guns were displayed in the front courtyard. Inside the building were extremely graphic photos of the atrocities of the Vietnam war. It was designed to be a sort of memorial to the Vietnamese people who lost their lives, but many of the photos evenhandedly told the stories of the American soldiers and journalists as well. While we were at the museum, there was an opening for a new gallery of children's art work representing images of world peace. It was nice to end the day on a more hopeful note. In addition, they were also installing an exhibit comprised of a series of photos of magnified piles of dirt from each town that had experienced devastation during the Vietnam War.
We tried, in vain, to find some cultural evening activities, but there was nothing going on at the Opera House or the Conservatory of Music. No one was really helpful in telling us when there might be an upcoming event either. So it was bia hoi for us. Bia hoi is "cheap beer" and is very aptly named. We had quite possibly the cheapest beer on the planet last night- less than 25 cents for 2 liters! And it was in a lovely little patch of sidewalk with seats, not stools this time.
This morning, we each took our own cyclo to Cholon - Saigon's own Chinatown. We explored a gaggle of temples and pagodas, each one more intricately adorned than the next. These pagodas have large statues of deities in the form of humans and animals, often horses. These statues are robed in gorgeous embroidered and sequined silk garments. A temple can have anywhere from three to several hundred of these figures that ranged from twelve inches to twelve feet tall. Placed behind and around these antiques were cheesy flashy colored Christmas lights, flashing and whirling in all their "glory."
The pillars, ceilings, walls, and everything inside the temple was beautifully carved with dragons, lions, phoenixes, lotus flowers, and warriors. Much of it was painted in bright colors while some of it remained in natural wood. There were also panels of Chinese caligraphy adorning the walls and columns.
The air is choked with incense as it is the most common offering left at the numerous altars. Most of the pagodas that we visited today had three feet tall spirals of incense hanging from the rafters. Each pagoda had a fireplace and chimney where the "friendly neighborhood incense man" gathers the sticks that have burned low and tosses them into the fire.
We even walked past the Cholon mosque, which was elegant but very sparsely decorated in sharp contrast to the lavish pagodas.
We had lunch at a vegetarian Chinese restaurant before hopping in a cab back to the center of the city. Jillian asked the cabbie to turn on the meter, but he insisted they could work out a better price. She wrote 10,000 dhong (about 65 cents) on a piece of paper and he agreed. We were a little puzzled as we watched the meter run up to 50,000 dhong before we reached our destination. Needless to say, once we got there he wanted us to pay the metered price. We have been in Vietnam too long and our skin has grown thick - the man got 10,000 dhong and not a diggity dhong more!
Just when we thought Fanny was the best thing to hit Vietnam, we found Cafe X. In Vietnam, they love the phrase "Happy Hour" and use it indiscriminately to describe any and all promotions. Well, Cafe X was having ice cream happy hour. It was an all you can eat ice cream buffet for about $3. Boy were they in over their heads with us.
Here is the play by play:
Round 1: Jillian - dish of Pinky Winky and M&M Smart Pants
Ari - dish of Cappucino and Creamy Cookies
Waitress brings over bright green drinks - think Fenway Park's Green Monster meets Kool-Aid
Round 2: Jillian - cone of Gum Drop and Hokey Pokey
Ari - cone of Boysenberry Cheesecake and Green Tea
Jay-Z Interlude
Round 3: Jillian - dish of Gold Rush and Rum Raisin topped with hot fudge and sprinkles
Ari - dish of "Cramel" Candy and Awesome Chocolate with sprinkles and mystery yellow sauce
Round 4: Jillian - dish of Passion Fruit topped with dried apples
Ari - dish of Banana Split topped with dried apples
Let us add to the story the fact that we were the only people in the cafe and there was a staff of 15 waiting on us. We had wanted to try all 27 flavors, but we were proud that we at least made it through half. Tomorrow is a brand new day.
Notice we were able to add photos. Please check some of our older posts because we have added pictures to them as well. Keep the emails coming - we love hearing from you.
Lots of love,
Ari and Jillian
The overnight train turned out to be a good gamble. We were a little leery when it was two hours late, and we had to wait outside on the platform (that was lined with dried squid vendors.) There were two little boys in matching day-glo orange sweatpants pulled up way too high running around like sumo wrestlers on sugar highs; at least we had some entertainment.
Once the train came, there were no problems at all. We were in a four person sleeping berth that mildly reeked of pepperoni, but all in all it was a lot better than the overnight bus rides.
We arrived in Saigon yesterday morning, and again found a hotel without too much trouble. We directed our taxi over to the backpackers' district (or, he directed us there because he knew exactly where we were going before we even got to his car). Coincidentally, the hotel is run by the wife of the premiere surgeon in the country. He has done a lot of research on Vietnamese-specific epidemiology and physiology.
With our Lonely Planet in hand, we followed a walking tour of the city, first coming to a huge indoor market, and then walking by Pho 2000, the soup joint that Bill Clinton ate at when he came to Vietnam. We continued on to the Fine Arts Museum, where we had our fill of high culture before rushing off for some ice cream. Fanny, the French ice cream cafe, turned out to be much as Jillian would imagine heaven. The menu boasted a lot of unique and local flavors as well as the some of the coolest sundaes/creations ever! (No pun intended). Ari had Bailey's ice cream drowned in whiskey, but it was Jillian's dessert that will go down in history: a sorbet cyclo. See photo and be jealous.
Feeling all happy and giddy, we went to the War Remnants Museum for a BIG change of mood. Huge American war machines, tanks, planes, and guns were displayed in the front courtyard. Inside the building were extremely graphic photos of the atrocities of the Vietnam war. It was designed to be a sort of memorial to the Vietnamese people who lost their lives, but many of the photos evenhandedly told the stories of the American soldiers and journalists as well. While we were at the museum, there was an opening for a new gallery of children's art work representing images of world peace. It was nice to end the day on a more hopeful note. In addition, they were also installing an exhibit comprised of a series of photos of magnified piles of dirt from each town that had experienced devastation during the Vietnam War.
We tried, in vain, to find some cultural evening activities, but there was nothing going on at the Opera House or the Conservatory of Music. No one was really helpful in telling us when there might be an upcoming event either. So it was bia hoi for us. Bia hoi is "cheap beer" and is very aptly named. We had quite possibly the cheapest beer on the planet last night- less than 25 cents for 2 liters! And it was in a lovely little patch of sidewalk with seats, not stools this time.
This morning, we each took our own cyclo to Cholon - Saigon's own Chinatown. We explored a gaggle of temples and pagodas, each one more intricately adorned than the next. These pagodas have large statues of deities in the form of humans and animals, often horses. These statues are robed in gorgeous embroidered and sequined silk garments. A temple can have anywhere from three to several hundred of these figures that ranged from twelve inches to twelve feet tall. Placed behind and around these antiques were cheesy flashy colored Christmas lights, flashing and whirling in all their "glory."
The pillars, ceilings, walls, and everything inside the temple was beautifully carved with dragons, lions, phoenixes, lotus flowers, and warriors. Much of it was painted in bright colors while some of it remained in natural wood. There were also panels of Chinese caligraphy adorning the walls and columns.
The air is choked with incense as it is the most common offering left at the numerous altars. Most of the pagodas that we visited today had three feet tall spirals of incense hanging from the rafters. Each pagoda had a fireplace and chimney where the "friendly neighborhood incense man" gathers the sticks that have burned low and tosses them into the fire.
We even walked past the Cholon mosque, which was elegant but very sparsely decorated in sharp contrast to the lavish pagodas.
We had lunch at a vegetarian Chinese restaurant before hopping in a cab back to the center of the city. Jillian asked the cabbie to turn on the meter, but he insisted they could work out a better price. She wrote 10,000 dhong (about 65 cents) on a piece of paper and he agreed. We were a little puzzled as we watched the meter run up to 50,000 dhong before we reached our destination. Needless to say, once we got there he wanted us to pay the metered price. We have been in Vietnam too long and our skin has grown thick - the man got 10,000 dhong and not a diggity dhong more!
Just when we thought Fanny was the best thing to hit Vietnam, we found Cafe X. In Vietnam, they love the phrase "Happy Hour" and use it indiscriminately to describe any and all promotions. Well, Cafe X was having ice cream happy hour. It was an all you can eat ice cream buffet for about $3. Boy were they in over their heads with us.
Here is the play by play:
Round 1: Jillian - dish of Pinky Winky and M&M Smart Pants
Ari - dish of Cappucino and Creamy Cookies
Waitress brings over bright green drinks - think Fenway Park's Green Monster meets Kool-Aid
Round 2: Jillian - cone of Gum Drop and Hokey Pokey
Ari - cone of Boysenberry Cheesecake and Green Tea
Jay-Z Interlude
Round 3: Jillian - dish of Gold Rush and Rum Raisin topped with hot fudge and sprinkles
Ari - dish of "Cramel" Candy and Awesome Chocolate with sprinkles and mystery yellow sauce
Round 4: Jillian - dish of Passion Fruit topped with dried apples
Ari - dish of Banana Split topped with dried apples
Let us add to the story the fact that we were the only people in the cafe and there was a staff of 15 waiting on us. We had wanted to try all 27 flavors, but we were proud that we at least made it through half. Tomorrow is a brand new day.
Notice we were able to add photos. Please check some of our older posts because we have added pictures to them as well. Keep the emails coming - we love hearing from you.
Lots of love,
Ari and Jillian
Thursday, June 22, 2006
June 22 - Nha Trang
We've been in Nha Trang for three days. With countless bars and 7k of beach, It's the beach resort and party capital of Vietnam. We spent our first day here lounging under a bamboo canopy on the beach. The sand was crisp white and the water was a deep blue. Just like at Coney Island, people combed the beach trying to sell you anything. We could have bought postcards, sunglasses, lighters, or even live lobsters. We settled on the "sambal" flavored chips. Yes, it said "sambal" on the English translation side of the package. It tasted kind of like a mild barbeque, but the chips, which can be more accurately described as extruded dried mashed potatoes, in cute little twisty shape.
After lunch, we bargained with the wandering beach masseuses and got two full body Vietnamese massages on the beach for a whopping $6 - that's $3 a piece. We were not about to pay the full $4 they wanted. If there is one thing we've learned in Vietnam, everything should be "cheap cheap."
Okay, so everyone gets it and we shouldn't have been surprised when it befell us. No, not a visit from the tooth-fairy. A visit from Montezuma, so to speak. After the massages, it was all downhill (although how could it not be, really?) We'll spare you the details, but suffice to say we didn't leave our room yesterday and not because it is our honeymoon (if you know what I mean...) But, thank goodness, our hotel had an English movie channel. We were able to watch a full day's worth of movies we never wanted to see in the first place. Although, afterwards Jillian was glad she watched Mighty Ducks 3 (that was the best this station had to offer.)
Today is a brand new day, though. We have sworn off Vietnamese food for the rest of our lives, and had pizza for lunch. When New Yorkers are feeling down, there's nothing like a good slice. We caught a little bit more of the beach and tonight we will board an overnight train headed for Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as everyone but the government calls it.) While we're in the mood to write things off for the rest of our lives, we are adding Vietnamese overnight buses to the list. It wouldn't be so bad, but the drivers feel the need to honk, and loudly, every time they expel air from their lungs. They also have fabulous taste in music and love to play it over the loudspeakers all night long. Oh, and did we mention the seats are made for Vietnamese tushies? OK, enough kvetching for now. We don't mean to complain - we are having an awesome time. We'll catch up with you later.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
We've been in Nha Trang for three days. With countless bars and 7k of beach, It's the beach resort and party capital of Vietnam. We spent our first day here lounging under a bamboo canopy on the beach. The sand was crisp white and the water was a deep blue. Just like at Coney Island, people combed the beach trying to sell you anything. We could have bought postcards, sunglasses, lighters, or even live lobsters. We settled on the "sambal" flavored chips. Yes, it said "sambal" on the English translation side of the package. It tasted kind of like a mild barbeque, but the chips, which can be more accurately described as extruded dried mashed potatoes, in cute little twisty shape.
After lunch, we bargained with the wandering beach masseuses and got two full body Vietnamese massages on the beach for a whopping $6 - that's $3 a piece. We were not about to pay the full $4 they wanted. If there is one thing we've learned in Vietnam, everything should be "cheap cheap."
Okay, so everyone gets it and we shouldn't have been surprised when it befell us. No, not a visit from the tooth-fairy. A visit from Montezuma, so to speak. After the massages, it was all downhill (although how could it not be, really?) We'll spare you the details, but suffice to say we didn't leave our room yesterday and not because it is our honeymoon (if you know what I mean...) But, thank goodness, our hotel had an English movie channel. We were able to watch a full day's worth of movies we never wanted to see in the first place. Although, afterwards Jillian was glad she watched Mighty Ducks 3 (that was the best this station had to offer.)
Today is a brand new day, though. We have sworn off Vietnamese food for the rest of our lives, and had pizza for lunch. When New Yorkers are feeling down, there's nothing like a good slice. We caught a little bit more of the beach and tonight we will board an overnight train headed for Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as everyone but the government calls it.) While we're in the mood to write things off for the rest of our lives, we are adding Vietnamese overnight buses to the list. It wouldn't be so bad, but the drivers feel the need to honk, and loudly, every time they expel air from their lungs. They also have fabulous taste in music and love to play it over the loudspeakers all night long. Oh, and did we mention the seats are made for Vietnamese tushies? OK, enough kvetching for now. We don't mean to complain - we are having an awesome time. We'll catch up with you later.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Monday, June 19, 2006
June 19th - Hoi An
We are almost caught up to the present. Today is our third day in Hoi An, the beautiful riverside town where we have been staying, shopping, and relaxing. Here is the run down for our stay here so far.
Day 1 in Hoi An: We arrived in Hoi An in the late morning after a bus ride south from Hue. We strapped on our packs and decided to splurge on a hotel - The Vin Hung I was a whopping $15 dollars a night! The air-conditioning actually worked, and like true Americans we cranked it so much that we had to sleep under two blankets at night. Our room had Chinese antiques, including a canopy bed. The price included breakfast and the use of the pool at the nearby, lavish Vinh Hung Resort. And, how's this for party trivia, Michael Caine stayed at our hotel while filming the Quiet American. We didn't want to break the bank, though; his room was $45 a night.
We had lunch at a local cafe and tried cao lau, a local noodle dish. It can only be considered cao lau if the noodles were prepared using the water fetched from one specific well in Hoi An. I guess, like New York bagels, its all about the water.
After lunch, we surveyed the countless tailor shops in town. Hoi An is known for its custom made clothing and gourmet food. Many of the gastronomic and fashion trends in Vietnam originate in Hoi An. In a town that's barely eight blocks square, there are over two hundred tailor shops.
That night, we headed to the best restaurant in town, Cafe Des Amis and were personally served by Mr. Kim. While showing us how to properly eat each dish, he told us that he had been the personal chef to the General of the South Vietnamese Army. At his menu, you can order vegetarian, meat, or seafood, but there is no menu. Mr. Kim just keeps bringing plates of delicious food to the table.
Day 2 in Hoi An: The next day, we decided on two tailor shops and every inch of us was measured. We each designed a few pieces, barely had time for lunch, and the clothes were ready to try on by the afternoon.
Late in the afternoon, we took a cooking class at one of the local cafes. Our instructor, Bup, taught us how to make fresh vegetarian spring rolls, fish grilled in a banana leaf, and calamari salad. We will begin taking reservations at Jillian and Ari's Vietnamese restaurant upon our return. We also tried the legendary Hoi An wontons, but were not privy to recipe because it is supposedly known by only one family in Hoi An. If they told us, they would have to kill us. Miraculously, the dish can be found in nearly every restaurant here. They must multiply like bunnies.
Day 3 in Hoi An: We collected all of our designs, including sneakers that proudly say ARI on the side, soaked up a little more air conditioning, and explored An Hoi just on the other side of the river. When the hot sun became too much, we retreated to the resort for some poolside lounging. We met up with some other travellers for dinner, and promptly returned to the air conditioning.
While we were in Hanoi, at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, we saw a television crew filming a young girl. The girl was clad in traditional Vietnamese garb and was lip-syncing to what some people might call music. While flipping through the channels last night, we saw a show that was nothing but these little music videos. It was very weird.
Day 4 in Hoi An: That just about brings us up to date. We began today with a walking tour of Hoi An's cultural sites (we had to do something worthwhile before we left town.) The museums were weak, but housed in cool old Chinese style buildings. The highlight was the craft workshop, where we saw people making silk lanterns, carving wooden and stone sculptures, embroidering wall hangings, and sewing. It was a glorified sweat shop and museum gift shop rolled into one, but at least they smiled for our pictures.
After a glass of fresh sugar cane juice, it was back to the pool for us. We are headed to Nha Trang tonight on another overnight bus. Nha Trang is known for its beautiful beaches. We'll let you know how it is...
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
We are almost caught up to the present. Today is our third day in Hoi An, the beautiful riverside town where we have been staying, shopping, and relaxing. Here is the run down for our stay here so far.
Day 1 in Hoi An: We arrived in Hoi An in the late morning after a bus ride south from Hue. We strapped on our packs and decided to splurge on a hotel - The Vin Hung I was a whopping $15 dollars a night! The air-conditioning actually worked, and like true Americans we cranked it so much that we had to sleep under two blankets at night. Our room had Chinese antiques, including a canopy bed. The price included breakfast and the use of the pool at the nearby, lavish Vinh Hung Resort. And, how's this for party trivia, Michael Caine stayed at our hotel while filming the Quiet American. We didn't want to break the bank, though; his room was $45 a night.
We had lunch at a local cafe and tried cao lau, a local noodle dish. It can only be considered cao lau if the noodles were prepared using the water fetched from one specific well in Hoi An. I guess, like New York bagels, its all about the water.
After lunch, we surveyed the countless tailor shops in town. Hoi An is known for its custom made clothing and gourmet food. Many of the gastronomic and fashion trends in Vietnam originate in Hoi An. In a town that's barely eight blocks square, there are over two hundred tailor shops.
That night, we headed to the best restaurant in town, Cafe Des Amis and were personally served by Mr. Kim. While showing us how to properly eat each dish, he told us that he had been the personal chef to the General of the South Vietnamese Army. At his menu, you can order vegetarian, meat, or seafood, but there is no menu. Mr. Kim just keeps bringing plates of delicious food to the table.
Day 2 in Hoi An: The next day, we decided on two tailor shops and every inch of us was measured. We each designed a few pieces, barely had time for lunch, and the clothes were ready to try on by the afternoon.
Late in the afternoon, we took a cooking class at one of the local cafes. Our instructor, Bup, taught us how to make fresh vegetarian spring rolls, fish grilled in a banana leaf, and calamari salad. We will begin taking reservations at Jillian and Ari's Vietnamese restaurant upon our return. We also tried the legendary Hoi An wontons, but were not privy to recipe because it is supposedly known by only one family in Hoi An. If they told us, they would have to kill us. Miraculously, the dish can be found in nearly every restaurant here. They must multiply like bunnies.
Day 3 in Hoi An: We collected all of our designs, including sneakers that proudly say ARI on the side, soaked up a little more air conditioning, and explored An Hoi just on the other side of the river. When the hot sun became too much, we retreated to the resort for some poolside lounging. We met up with some other travellers for dinner, and promptly returned to the air conditioning.
While we were in Hanoi, at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, we saw a television crew filming a young girl. The girl was clad in traditional Vietnamese garb and was lip-syncing to what some people might call music. While flipping through the channels last night, we saw a show that was nothing but these little music videos. It was very weird.
Day 4 in Hoi An: That just about brings us up to date. We began today with a walking tour of Hoi An's cultural sites (we had to do something worthwhile before we left town.) The museums were weak, but housed in cool old Chinese style buildings. The highlight was the craft workshop, where we saw people making silk lanterns, carving wooden and stone sculptures, embroidering wall hangings, and sewing. It was a glorified sweat shop and museum gift shop rolled into one, but at least they smiled for our pictures.
After a glass of fresh sugar cane juice, it was back to the pool for us. We are headed to Nha Trang tonight on another overnight bus. Nha Trang is known for its beautiful beaches. We'll let you know how it is...
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Saturday, June 17, 2006
June 18- Hoi An, Vietnam
Sorry we haven't posted in a few days, but the computers here are not as good as my Apple IIGS. Anyways, we had two wonderful days in Hue and we have now been in Hoi An for two more days.
Day 1 in Hue: After taking an overnight bus from Hanoi, we arrived in Hue bright and early and had no trouble finding a clean place to stay for $6 a night. We headed out and trekked across the Perfume River to the old Citadel in town. The old part of Hue (the former capital of the Nguyen dynasty that ruled Vietnam for several generations up through the nineteenth century) is surrounded by an ancient rampart and moat. Inside the big Citadel, there are several smaller enclosures, denoting areas reserved for the emperor and his retinue. We explored the newly restored temples (restored with the help of the Polish government, of all people) and saw many others that remained decimated from the "American War."
We even got to go into the Forbidden Purple City, which was reserved solely for the use of the emperor, his numerous wives, and countless concubines. It's good to be the king. Unfortunately, very little remains of this portion of the Citadel today (although, who is to say what was in there before?)
After leaving the imperial enclosure, we found the Hue School of Fine Arts, Vietnam's premiere art university. It had an idyllic location, right in the heart of the Citadel beneath the banyan trees.
That night the tropical sun caught up with Jillian. What's a trip to paradise without a little heat stroke? We went to bed early after Jillian lounged under a blanket of wet t-shirts for a bit.
Day 2 in Hue: Feeling perfectly refreshed (don't worry Grandma), we hopped on a small tour boat to take us up the Perfume River to visit some tombs, pagodas, and various tourist traps. The most impressive tomb was that of Tu Duc, and he was not evern buried there. The temples and monuments sprawled over several acres of lush gardens and ponds full of lotus blossoms. Amazingly enough, Tu Duc had 104 wives, oodles of concubines and NO offspring. Something tells us that there was something wrong with HIS "tu duc."
The most lavishly decorated tomb was that of Khai Dinh, which was also erected most recently, in the 1920's. Situated up on a hill, and only accessible by a small dirt road, all of the rooms of this tomb and temple were covered in mosaics created with glass, pottery shards, and precious stones. It was spectacular! Even the canopy over the site of his burial was an ornate mosaic.
Not to make you too nervous, but some of the tombs were a few kilometers from the river, and we had to take "motos" to get there. This means paying two dollars round trip (it's extortion, really) to sit on the back of some dude's Chinese "same same* moped. Most people in Vietnam, in the cities and the country, use motos as their primary mode of transportation. We have seen as many as five people on one (again, they do have Vietnamese sized tushies, but still...) and we even saw a woman breast feeding her baby while riding on the back of a moto. To make things even more insane, there are no traffic lights to be found in this country, and the lines on the road (if there are any) are a mere suggestion.
Our first day in Vietnam, the traffic was a little terrifying, to say the least, and we didn't quite know how we would cross the street. We just stood on the sidewalk bewildered for a few minutes, as a sea of motos criss-crossed in front of us. It wasn't until we saw a 4 foot tall, 95 year old woman step off the sidewalk and walk straight into the traffic that we mustered up the courage to follow her. The key to crossing the street is to walk at a steady pace, and the oncoming traffic will (hopefully) be able to avoid you. We scooted right behind her, and managed to make it across in her shadow. It was the first time an old lady helped us across the street. We have since gotten much more confident crossing the street, but Jillian often has to repeat the mantra, "Slow and steady, like the old lady."
*("Same same" is the term the Vietnamese use for knockoff, and everything here is "same same" or "cheap cheap" as they also like to tell us. Power, our guide on the bike trip, explained the difference between Honda motos and Honga motos; Honga being the Chinese same same brand. All of the motos around here are Honga, even if they have the Honda nameplate.)
Back to our second day in Hue. After returning to town from our boat trip, we found a great vegetarian restaurant and tried their specialty, the "deer." Whatever it really was, it was great! After that, we perused the galleries in town. Hue is known as the arts and culture capital of the country, and most of the up and coming artists in Vietnam have their galleries there. We found a gallery featuring the work of two twin brothers, whose work has been shown all over the world (and naturally, they have also brought it to Chelsea, NYC). We really liked their work and they seemed to be really cool guys. Jillian had a small crush on the pearly blue Vespa that one of them drove.
Early the next morning, we hopped on a bus bound for Hoi An and we were there before lunch time.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Sorry we haven't posted in a few days, but the computers here are not as good as my Apple IIGS. Anyways, we had two wonderful days in Hue and we have now been in Hoi An for two more days.
Day 1 in Hue: After taking an overnight bus from Hanoi, we arrived in Hue bright and early and had no trouble finding a clean place to stay for $6 a night. We headed out and trekked across the Perfume River to the old Citadel in town. The old part of Hue (the former capital of the Nguyen dynasty that ruled Vietnam for several generations up through the nineteenth century) is surrounded by an ancient rampart and moat. Inside the big Citadel, there are several smaller enclosures, denoting areas reserved for the emperor and his retinue. We explored the newly restored temples (restored with the help of the Polish government, of all people) and saw many others that remained decimated from the "American War."
We even got to go into the Forbidden Purple City, which was reserved solely for the use of the emperor, his numerous wives, and countless concubines. It's good to be the king. Unfortunately, very little remains of this portion of the Citadel today (although, who is to say what was in there before?)
After leaving the imperial enclosure, we found the Hue School of Fine Arts, Vietnam's premiere art university. It had an idyllic location, right in the heart of the Citadel beneath the banyan trees.
That night the tropical sun caught up with Jillian. What's a trip to paradise without a little heat stroke? We went to bed early after Jillian lounged under a blanket of wet t-shirts for a bit.
Day 2 in Hue: Feeling perfectly refreshed (don't worry Grandma), we hopped on a small tour boat to take us up the Perfume River to visit some tombs, pagodas, and various tourist traps. The most impressive tomb was that of Tu Duc, and he was not evern buried there. The temples and monuments sprawled over several acres of lush gardens and ponds full of lotus blossoms. Amazingly enough, Tu Duc had 104 wives, oodles of concubines and NO offspring. Something tells us that there was something wrong with HIS "tu duc."
The most lavishly decorated tomb was that of Khai Dinh, which was also erected most recently, in the 1920's. Situated up on a hill, and only accessible by a small dirt road, all of the rooms of this tomb and temple were covered in mosaics created with glass, pottery shards, and precious stones. It was spectacular! Even the canopy over the site of his burial was an ornate mosaic.
Not to make you too nervous, but some of the tombs were a few kilometers from the river, and we had to take "motos" to get there. This means paying two dollars round trip (it's extortion, really) to sit on the back of some dude's Chinese "same same* moped. Most people in Vietnam, in the cities and the country, use motos as their primary mode of transportation. We have seen as many as five people on one (again, they do have Vietnamese sized tushies, but still...) and we even saw a woman breast feeding her baby while riding on the back of a moto. To make things even more insane, there are no traffic lights to be found in this country, and the lines on the road (if there are any) are a mere suggestion.
Our first day in Vietnam, the traffic was a little terrifying, to say the least, and we didn't quite know how we would cross the street. We just stood on the sidewalk bewildered for a few minutes, as a sea of motos criss-crossed in front of us. It wasn't until we saw a 4 foot tall, 95 year old woman step off the sidewalk and walk straight into the traffic that we mustered up the courage to follow her. The key to crossing the street is to walk at a steady pace, and the oncoming traffic will (hopefully) be able to avoid you. We scooted right behind her, and managed to make it across in her shadow. It was the first time an old lady helped us across the street. We have since gotten much more confident crossing the street, but Jillian often has to repeat the mantra, "Slow and steady, like the old lady."
*("Same same" is the term the Vietnamese use for knockoff, and everything here is "same same" or "cheap cheap" as they also like to tell us. Power, our guide on the bike trip, explained the difference between Honda motos and Honga motos; Honga being the Chinese same same brand. All of the motos around here are Honga, even if they have the Honda nameplate.)
Back to our second day in Hue. After returning to town from our boat trip, we found a great vegetarian restaurant and tried their specialty, the "deer." Whatever it really was, it was great! After that, we perused the galleries in town. Hue is known as the arts and culture capital of the country, and most of the up and coming artists in Vietnam have their galleries there. We found a gallery featuring the work of two twin brothers, whose work has been shown all over the world (and naturally, they have also brought it to Chelsea, NYC). We really liked their work and they seemed to be really cool guys. Jillian had a small crush on the pearly blue Vespa that one of them drove.
Early the next morning, we hopped on a bus bound for Hoi An and we were there before lunch time.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Thursday, June 15, 2006
June 15 - Hue
It's been a few days since we last posted, so there's a lot to fill you in on. On the 13th, we took a bicycle tour of the northern Vietnamese countryside. It was a truly eye-opening day. We took a cab with our tour guide out to a rural village, but along the way we stopped at a pagoda. Our guide "Power" explained the significance of all the different Buddha statues, the lotus flowers, and the architecture of the pagoda itself. We walked behind scenes and saw the actual females monks in action, if you can call it that. Then we rode out of Hanoi, past countless rice paddies, until we came off of the highway, onto a semi-paved road, then onto a dirt road before we reached our destination. We stopped at a local woman's house, which was little more than one room (the "little more" was the bike shed.) Though modest, with only a bed, a table, and some chairs, the place was impeccably clean and ready with a tea set for any guests that might arrive. We had a small cup of tea, and then it was off on our adventure.
We rode through the "streets" of the village and saw all of the women at work in the rice paddies. Power told us that the men work and live in Hanoi so they can better provide (financially) for their families. Even the children in the village are expected to work in some capacity. We shared the road with some locals and their water buffalos, which we were told are quite valuable. I guess if it comes down to us or the water buffalo plowing the field, we would cherish it more than ice cream and Nintendo COMBINED.
It was super hot out so we stopped for a drink of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. We had only had sugarcane mojitos before this, and believe it or not, this was much better. The woman took the long stalks of sugarcane, that looked a little bit like bamboo, and cranked them through a big grinder-press-a-majig. Obviously, she did this by hand.
After this we rode further into the village and visited a 500 year old commune, which was more of a meeting area and village center (think, synagogue in a shtetl, but in 90 degree weather- and not in Florida) than a socialist commune. Again, the architecture and carvings were spectacular, and all done by peasants in the village. This showed that although they were not the mandarins or village aristocracy, everyone played a role in the commune's creation.
Then it was back to the little old woman's house for lunch. Power cooked up some mean noodles and vegetables and we chatted about all of the Vietnamese cliches about married life. Feeling refreshed, we headed out on our bikes again.
This time we biked over to a pagoda situated on top of a big hill. We climbed up all 238 steps (in the 90 degree weather, humid no less -- have we told you it's wicked hot here?). We were pretty embarassed to find a 94 year old monk, very highly respected in Vietnam, who climbs those stairs every day. Again we shared tea, and Power translated some of her words of wisdom. One word about the older women in Vietnam... they have black teeth, and it is considered beautiful! They actually make them black on purpose by eating a "beetle" fruit (a fruit, not an insect, we think). It's an awfully special site, and we will leave it at that.
Our final stop on the bike ride was a brick making factory, sort of. It was more of a field of clay, where WOMEN press the clay into bricks, and then stack them in one of two kilns. These kilns were bigger than our apartment, and they stack them all the way to the roof- two stories high- with bricks and charcoal. They then light the kiln, and let these cook for about a few days. Don't worry, though, they still have the other kiln to unload and load again while the first is cooking and then cooling. It is arduous labor, with poor air quality and it is even HOTTER by the kilns.
After a long day of bike riding, we hopped on an overnight bus bound for Hue, where we arrived early the next morning.
The saga continues...
Lots of love,
Ari and Jillian
It's been a few days since we last posted, so there's a lot to fill you in on. On the 13th, we took a bicycle tour of the northern Vietnamese countryside. It was a truly eye-opening day. We took a cab with our tour guide out to a rural village, but along the way we stopped at a pagoda. Our guide "Power" explained the significance of all the different Buddha statues, the lotus flowers, and the architecture of the pagoda itself. We walked behind scenes and saw the actual females monks in action, if you can call it that. Then we rode out of Hanoi, past countless rice paddies, until we came off of the highway, onto a semi-paved road, then onto a dirt road before we reached our destination. We stopped at a local woman's house, which was little more than one room (the "little more" was the bike shed.) Though modest, with only a bed, a table, and some chairs, the place was impeccably clean and ready with a tea set for any guests that might arrive. We had a small cup of tea, and then it was off on our adventure.
We rode through the "streets" of the village and saw all of the women at work in the rice paddies. Power told us that the men work and live in Hanoi so they can better provide (financially) for their families. Even the children in the village are expected to work in some capacity. We shared the road with some locals and their water buffalos, which we were told are quite valuable. I guess if it comes down to us or the water buffalo plowing the field, we would cherish it more than ice cream and Nintendo COMBINED.
It was super hot out so we stopped for a drink of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice. We had only had sugarcane mojitos before this, and believe it or not, this was much better. The woman took the long stalks of sugarcane, that looked a little bit like bamboo, and cranked them through a big grinder-press-a-majig. Obviously, she did this by hand.
After this we rode further into the village and visited a 500 year old commune, which was more of a meeting area and village center (think, synagogue in a shtetl, but in 90 degree weather- and not in Florida) than a socialist commune. Again, the architecture and carvings were spectacular, and all done by peasants in the village. This showed that although they were not the mandarins or village aristocracy, everyone played a role in the commune's creation.
Then it was back to the little old woman's house for lunch. Power cooked up some mean noodles and vegetables and we chatted about all of the Vietnamese cliches about married life. Feeling refreshed, we headed out on our bikes again.
This time we biked over to a pagoda situated on top of a big hill. We climbed up all 238 steps (in the 90 degree weather, humid no less -- have we told you it's wicked hot here?). We were pretty embarassed to find a 94 year old monk, very highly respected in Vietnam, who climbs those stairs every day. Again we shared tea, and Power translated some of her words of wisdom. One word about the older women in Vietnam... they have black teeth, and it is considered beautiful! They actually make them black on purpose by eating a "beetle" fruit (a fruit, not an insect, we think). It's an awfully special site, and we will leave it at that.
Our final stop on the bike ride was a brick making factory, sort of. It was more of a field of clay, where WOMEN press the clay into bricks, and then stack them in one of two kilns. These kilns were bigger than our apartment, and they stack them all the way to the roof- two stories high- with bricks and charcoal. They then light the kiln, and let these cook for about a few days. Don't worry, though, they still have the other kiln to unload and load again while the first is cooking and then cooling. It is arduous labor, with poor air quality and it is even HOTTER by the kilns.
After a long day of bike riding, we hopped on an overnight bus bound for Hue, where we arrived early the next morning.
The saga continues...
Lots of love,
Ari and Jillian
Monday, June 12, 2006
June 13, Last day in Hanoi
We haven't posted in a couple days, because we took a little trip out of Hanoi to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island that was a lot of fun.
Before we left for the boat ride, we spent June 10 walking around the Old Quarter of Hanoi, taking in all of the sites. And of course, we did some shopping. We found a really great Vietnamese antique shop, with gorgeous embroidered textiles, hand woven baskets, old tools, and various artifacts. We decided to get a couple of things, but were still browsing, when a man came in who struck up a conversation with us. He was originally from New York, but moved to Hanoi a couple years ago to be an antique dealer. He told us that he buys everything in his collection from this one particular shop, but that he sells his wares to Western museums and high end collectors. He looked at the basket we had picked out, and told us that the Natural History Museum had just bought 100 just like it from him, and they were one of his biggest clients. We knew we were in the right shop. Now you will have to come visit our apartment if you want to come to a museum where you can touch things.
That night, we went to a "bar" and had some beers with the locals and a few other backpackers. The bar bore a striking resemblane to the restaurants that we have been eating at- a collection of little plastic stools strewn about the sidewalk, with a woman tapping a keg instead of making soup. The scene was a riot!
Yesterday morning we got up early and caught a bus to Halong City for a Boat Ride around Halong Bay. The trip was half of the adventure. Hanoi is filled with places to book tours and bus tickets, and they are all dirt cheap, but you never really know what you are going to get. First, the vans that they pick you up in are made for 16 Vietnamese tushies, not 16 American tushies, but they squeeze you in anyways. We were lucky that our van was not full.
We made it down to Halong City, and we were handed off to another tour group and had lunch before boarding the boat that would take us though the bay. Once we got to the dock, we saw that there must have been at least 50 boats there, waiting to take tourists out. Every single one of the boats was a huge wooden junker, and ours had about 30 people on it, so there was plenty of room to stretch out on the top deck to get an optimal view. We befriended some other backpackers and watched the view as they jammed out on the guitar, sax, and yukalele. Halong bay is peppered with these majestic little mountains rising right out of the water as far as the eye can see, and in all directions. The scene looks like something out of a traditional Chinese landscape painting. We stopped on one on the small islands and trekked into a cave that opened up into a huge cavern. Though the Vietnamese had put up colored neon lights everywhere for some inexplicable reason, the sight was still amazing.
Then we climbed back on the boat and sailed a little longer, jumped in the waters of the bay just for good measure, and were dropped off on Cat Ba Island. We had paid extra to stay on the boat (as had everyone else we met), but we were told that a boat had sunk the night before and a tourist had drowned. We were skeptical since we had ran into a couple who had been given the same story only days before. In other words, the same ship seemed to be sinking multiple times. Just another scam, but it worked out for the best. Cat Ba Island was hospitable enough. We hit up a local bar with the friends we had made on the boat and had a good time.
Yesterday, we sailed back to Halong City and were driven back to Hanoi. The trip back was fun because our new friends had a travel version of Scrabble. Jillian won, as usual, but they put up a hell of a fight and it came down to the last round.
Back in Hanoi we wandered through the Old Quarter a little more, had another meal of soup with rice noodles (washed down with some gelato) and went back to our favorite street corner bar for some 12 cent beer.
Today, we are going to take a bicycle tour of the countryside, checking out a pagoda, a commune, and some rice paddies along the way. Tonight we will board a bus for Hue and make the 12 hour journey overnight.
That's all for now!
Love,
Jillian and Ari
Friday, June 09, 2006
June 10 - Hanoi
So, we made it to Vietnam and to the Hanoi with only minor troubles. We took a cab from the airport and asked to be dropped off at a specific intersection in the Old Quarter. Unfortunately, the cabby dropped us off in front of a hotel that was not actually in the Old Quarter, but was probably paying him some money to dupe tourists. The place was called Star Hotel, named to sound like the Stars Hotel which is a legit hotel in the guide books. We were shaken, but it turns out we were only a few blocks from the Old Quarter. We found an honest hotel but we have to get used to the Vietnamese hospitality. Its no Aloha spirit, thats for sure. They are friendly, but VERY pushy. We are such friendly, smiley people, but we are learning to say "NO" without smiling or they won't leave you alone. We spent the rest of the afternoon on June 8 exploring the Old Quarter and had an exquisite meal at a little vegetarian restaurant.
Yesterday we began the day with breakfast of a bowl of a sweet, clear, thick soup with little sweet dumplings. No idea what any of it was, but it was really delicious. A word about the restaurants here: There are some conventional style restaurants, where you go into a building, and the food that the restaurant serves is listed on a menu and you can pick what you want to eat and then they will make it for you. These are not the norm, however. Most of the places here consist of a little woman squatting with an array of meats, vegetables, noodles, snails (you name it, they will put it in your soup), a basket of noodles and a cauldron of broth. You pull up a little stool and gesticulate that you dont want any meat, and you have yourself a tasty bowl of pho (soup with noodles). In Bangkok the restaurants were similar, but it was men standing in front of a big frying pan ready to make you pad thai, in the same fashion. It seems as if this is how people eat all of their meals- in these little sidewalk restaurants. Each one only has a few stools, but there is almost one in between every shop, so there is always some place to eat.
Breakfast was followed by a cyclo ride to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. The cyclo is Hanoi's version of a tuk tuk, but these have a bench seat in the front, and a tiny Vietnamese man pedaling in the back, instead of being powered by a motor like the tuk tuk.
One thing about the Vietnamese is they are very small. The "seats" in the sidewalk restaurants are only about 8 inches off the ground, the doorknob for our hotel room is just above our knees, and a lot of the awnings in the markets are barely 6 feet high. The food is divine, but proportionate to the Vietnamese people- we don't know what my dad (Mitch) would do here.
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was absolutely surreal. The Mausoleum itself was closed and we couldn't acutaly view "Uncle Ho's" body, but we toured the grounds of his palace, saw the stilted house that he actually lived in, and in true MTV Cribs fashion, we checked out Ho's garage. We went into the museum that was dedicated to him and it was very clear that it was Ho's way or the highway. The communist art that filled the museum was cool, but never really seemed to make sense.
We then made our way over to the Temple of Literature, a thousand year old Confucianist university, used right up through the 20th century. For a period of 330 years, between 15th and 18th centuries, the students would have a series of tests throughout their schooling, and those that made it all the way through the 116 examinations had a stella erected in their honor, with a statue of a turtle at the base of it. In total, there are only 82 of these turtles, and Ari thought that the MCATs were hard. Today, people rub the heads of the turtles and then place their hands on the stellae and it is supposed to bring them intelligence. The gardens and courtyards of the Temple were beautiful.
We had lunch at a real restaurant (with air conditioning!!!!) called KOTO, Know One Teach One, a non-profit dedicated to taking kids off the streets and giving them job training in a restaurant setting. The kids learn and practice their English while waiting on the tourist clintele. The wheels in Jillian's head were turning, perhaps ice cream really will save the world...
Feeling rejunevated, we wandered over to the Fine Arts Museum, where we saw an array of traditional and modern Vietnamese artwork. There were ancient aritfacts, statues of Buddhas, beautiful etched lacquer paintings, and some more contemporary paintings. The art was really nice, but again, the air conditioning was a blessing. Then it was a cyclo ride back to the Old Quarter, where we "shmyed" for the rest of the afternoon. (This is the Marcus family term for shopping aimlessly).
Last night we treated ourselves to a water puppet show. This is the traidional theater form of the northern Vietnamese farmers. When the rice paddies would flood, they would set up their stage in waist deep water. The puppeteers stand bedind a curtain that comes down into the water, and weild their puppets in front of the curtain, on long sticks. The puppets are carved and painted wood and dance with the music of the band. There is some narration too, but it was all Vietnamese to us. After the show, we treated ourselves to 12 cent beers in a pub comprised of 12 small plastic stools and a keg on the street corner. We shyed away from the mystery meat wrapped in banana leaves that the locals were enjoying. It sort of looked like a pork fruit roll-up.
Today we will find bus tickets to take us through the rest of Vietnam and spend some more time around the Old Quarter, exploring the alley-like streets and markets. Sorry there are still no pictures, the computers in Hanoi are a little archaic and don't want to be friends with our camera.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
So, we made it to Vietnam and to the Hanoi with only minor troubles. We took a cab from the airport and asked to be dropped off at a specific intersection in the Old Quarter. Unfortunately, the cabby dropped us off in front of a hotel that was not actually in the Old Quarter, but was probably paying him some money to dupe tourists. The place was called Star Hotel, named to sound like the Stars Hotel which is a legit hotel in the guide books. We were shaken, but it turns out we were only a few blocks from the Old Quarter. We found an honest hotel but we have to get used to the Vietnamese hospitality. Its no Aloha spirit, thats for sure. They are friendly, but VERY pushy. We are such friendly, smiley people, but we are learning to say "NO" without smiling or they won't leave you alone. We spent the rest of the afternoon on June 8 exploring the Old Quarter and had an exquisite meal at a little vegetarian restaurant.
Yesterday we began the day with breakfast of a bowl of a sweet, clear, thick soup with little sweet dumplings. No idea what any of it was, but it was really delicious. A word about the restaurants here: There are some conventional style restaurants, where you go into a building, and the food that the restaurant serves is listed on a menu and you can pick what you want to eat and then they will make it for you. These are not the norm, however. Most of the places here consist of a little woman squatting with an array of meats, vegetables, noodles, snails (you name it, they will put it in your soup), a basket of noodles and a cauldron of broth. You pull up a little stool and gesticulate that you dont want any meat, and you have yourself a tasty bowl of pho (soup with noodles). In Bangkok the restaurants were similar, but it was men standing in front of a big frying pan ready to make you pad thai, in the same fashion. It seems as if this is how people eat all of their meals- in these little sidewalk restaurants. Each one only has a few stools, but there is almost one in between every shop, so there is always some place to eat.
Breakfast was followed by a cyclo ride to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex. The cyclo is Hanoi's version of a tuk tuk, but these have a bench seat in the front, and a tiny Vietnamese man pedaling in the back, instead of being powered by a motor like the tuk tuk.
One thing about the Vietnamese is they are very small. The "seats" in the sidewalk restaurants are only about 8 inches off the ground, the doorknob for our hotel room is just above our knees, and a lot of the awnings in the markets are barely 6 feet high. The food is divine, but proportionate to the Vietnamese people- we don't know what my dad (Mitch) would do here.
The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum was absolutely surreal. The Mausoleum itself was closed and we couldn't acutaly view "Uncle Ho's" body, but we toured the grounds of his palace, saw the stilted house that he actually lived in, and in true MTV Cribs fashion, we checked out Ho's garage. We went into the museum that was dedicated to him and it was very clear that it was Ho's way or the highway. The communist art that filled the museum was cool, but never really seemed to make sense.
We then made our way over to the Temple of Literature, a thousand year old Confucianist university, used right up through the 20th century. For a period of 330 years, between 15th and 18th centuries, the students would have a series of tests throughout their schooling, and those that made it all the way through the 116 examinations had a stella erected in their honor, with a statue of a turtle at the base of it. In total, there are only 82 of these turtles, and Ari thought that the MCATs were hard. Today, people rub the heads of the turtles and then place their hands on the stellae and it is supposed to bring them intelligence. The gardens and courtyards of the Temple were beautiful.
We had lunch at a real restaurant (with air conditioning!!!!) called KOTO, Know One Teach One, a non-profit dedicated to taking kids off the streets and giving them job training in a restaurant setting. The kids learn and practice their English while waiting on the tourist clintele. The wheels in Jillian's head were turning, perhaps ice cream really will save the world...
Feeling rejunevated, we wandered over to the Fine Arts Museum, where we saw an array of traditional and modern Vietnamese artwork. There were ancient aritfacts, statues of Buddhas, beautiful etched lacquer paintings, and some more contemporary paintings. The art was really nice, but again, the air conditioning was a blessing. Then it was a cyclo ride back to the Old Quarter, where we "shmyed" for the rest of the afternoon. (This is the Marcus family term for shopping aimlessly).
Last night we treated ourselves to a water puppet show. This is the traidional theater form of the northern Vietnamese farmers. When the rice paddies would flood, they would set up their stage in waist deep water. The puppeteers stand bedind a curtain that comes down into the water, and weild their puppets in front of the curtain, on long sticks. The puppets are carved and painted wood and dance with the music of the band. There is some narration too, but it was all Vietnamese to us. After the show, we treated ourselves to 12 cent beers in a pub comprised of 12 small plastic stools and a keg on the street corner. We shyed away from the mystery meat wrapped in banana leaves that the locals were enjoying. It sort of looked like a pork fruit roll-up.
Today we will find bus tickets to take us through the rest of Vietnam and spend some more time around the Old Quarter, exploring the alley-like streets and markets. Sorry there are still no pictures, the computers in Hanoi are a little archaic and don't want to be friends with our camera.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
June 8, 2006 Last post from Thailand (for now)...
So its only a few hours until our flight from Bangkok to Hanoi, Vietnam but we dashed to the internet cafe to make one last post. Yesterday, we hoped another bus and explored a slightly further part of town along Sukhamvit road. Funny, in New York we took the red line, often the 2 train. Here in Bangkok we've been taking the red bus (meaning no A.C.) and the number 2 line. Off of Sukhamvit we found a soi (that means alley) straight out of Las Vegas. It was called Soi Cowboy and it was littered with country western themed bars. One even had a Thai Elvis impersonator! It was still the morning so the bars were closed. It looked a little seedy anyway, so no loss. Near Soi Cowboy there was a cowboy boot store, the Siam Bootery. Despite what you are already thinking, Ari was the one who bought boots, not Jillian. We lugged those cowboy boots around with us all day long too.
We then took the Skytrain to the River City Art and Antique complex. It was a shopping center full of Asian antique dealers. Browsing through the shops was literally like walking through a museum. We saw the walls, columns, and ceiling removed from a temple in Burma, countless netsuke (Japanese hand-carved miniatures), gorgeous furniture, and exquisite sculptures. Jillian's favorite were the little opium bottles, no taller than 3 inches, and hand painted with Japanese scenes (sometimes sicko) from the inside of the bottle. We inquired about the price, but decided that we would rather send our kids to college. There aren't many museums in world where you can ask for the price of a piece you are looking at or where each gallery has its own attentive curator.
From there we took a ferry up the river to get back to our hotel. Along the river were beautiful temples mixed in with dilapedated homes. It was a remarkable scene. We got back to Khao San Road (the backpacker haven where we are staying) and did what our families have taught us to do best: we went shopping. Jillian found two shirts, sunglasses, and a pair of thai fisherman's pants for a whopping $10 total. Ari found a t-shirt bearing an image of a tuk tuk.
One thing that we forgot to mention about the mall. While perusing the gourmet food market, we saw a booth selling exotic fare. White toast with butter! The Thai people were lined up to get their slice, each cut into bite-sized portions and served with a mini fork.
The Quest for the Autistic Children
At Toy Tokyo, a store in the East Village in New York, Jillian found a series of little toys that we think are called The Autistic Children, but they are Japanese, so we are not quite sure. While we are not going to Japan on this trip, I thought that I might be able to come a little closer to unraveling their mystery.
Here is a link to them that we found on the inside of the package that they come in. Unfortunately, the website raises more questions than it answers.
Yesterday, in a Seven Eleven, I found chocolate pudding men.
The shape of the pudding (well, not really pudding in taste, but pudding in theme?) was the same shape as one of the Autistic Children. We are getting closer! In New York, you can buy the toys in little boxes, and you never know which you are going to get- it is a surprise. We think that here these toys come in the little vending machines that they have at supermarkets. We are still hot on the trail of the real Autistic Children, and we will keep you posted.
Lots of love,
Jillian and Ari
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Yesterday we had a crazy day exploring Bangkok. We began by tackling the public bus system, and making our way to Siam Square, which is at the heart of the new part of the city. There are bunches of shopping malls like you wouldn't believe! Malls within malls within malls. We walked for a half hour through a flea market area of the mall that sold only cell phones. Booths and booths and more booths selling nothing but cell phones (and a few pirated video games tossed into the mix). There were regular mall stores too, but the first mall we went to was 10 stories or sheer madness!
While we were on a roll with the public transportation, we decided to tackle the SkyTrain system as well. We the headed down to Silom Road, which is another big shopping area with lots of little outdoor markets in the alleys between the stores. We walked all afternoon heading from Silom Road back to Siam Square. On Silom road there were countless tailors that made custom suits and clothes out of beautiful Thai silks.
And of course, along the way, we stopped to get foot massages. When in Thailand...
At Siam Square we went into another mall, this one built around a huge department store. The bottom floor had food stalls and a gourmet supermarket. The market had countless things to sample or as the signs said "For Test." We tried dried strawberries, dried kiwi, smoked tuna, pizza made in an infrared cooking device (why, we dont know) and even had room for some black sesame seed ice cream. The fresh soy milk was the only disappointment.
Most buildings, even the brand new modern shopping malls, have beautiful shrines by their entry ways. We saw countless beautiful shrines like those and some even more impressive shrine temple complexes just planted in the middle of a busy street, nestled between the shops. We saw one enormous, beautiful hindu shrine. People were leaving offerings of incense, flowers, and milk.
For dinner, we made our way to a restaurant owned by Ari's old roommate Jared's aunt. We had a great dinner for unbeatable price and even spoke with Jared's aunt on the phone. Hopefully, we can meet her when we get back to Bangkok next month.
Sorry that we can't get pictures up today. We are having trouble uploading them but we will try again next time.
Love,
Ari and Jillian
While we were on a roll with the public transportation, we decided to tackle the SkyTrain system as well. We the headed down to Silom Road, which is another big shopping area with lots of little outdoor markets in the alleys between the stores. We walked all afternoon heading from Silom Road back to Siam Square. On Silom road there were countless tailors that made custom suits and clothes out of beautiful Thai silks.
And of course, along the way, we stopped to get foot massages. When in Thailand...
At Siam Square we went into another mall, this one built around a huge department store. The bottom floor had food stalls and a gourmet supermarket. The market had countless things to sample or as the signs said "For Test." We tried dried strawberries, dried kiwi, smoked tuna, pizza made in an infrared cooking device (why, we dont know) and even had room for some black sesame seed ice cream. The fresh soy milk was the only disappointment.
Most buildings, even the brand new modern shopping malls, have beautiful shrines by their entry ways. We saw countless beautiful shrines like those and some even more impressive shrine temple complexes just planted in the middle of a busy street, nestled between the shops. We saw one enormous, beautiful hindu shrine. People were leaving offerings of incense, flowers, and milk.
For dinner, we made our way to a restaurant owned by Ari's old roommate Jared's aunt. We had a great dinner for unbeatable price and even spoke with Jared's aunt on the phone. Hopefully, we can meet her when we get back to Bangkok next month.
Sorry that we can't get pictures up today. We are having trouble uploading them but we will try again next time.
Love,
Ari and Jillian
Monday, June 05, 2006
We safely arrived in Bangkok this morning, after almost 24 hours of traveling. Before we left New York, we were taking bets to see which would be easier to navigate; in other words, who would speak more English, Chinatown in New York or Bangkok. Hands down, Bangkok wins. We are making our way around without too much trouble (although we havent even been here for one full day).
We quickly found our hotel on Kho San Road, which is in the heart of the backpackers' section of town. There are lots of small hotels, cool shops, restaurants, bars, and even a Chabad House! After grabbing lunch in a little restaurant, we explored the neighborhood a bit and started to get a feel for the city. Neither of us had any idea what to expect, and I think it is safe to say that we could not have expected anything like we have found. Today marks the 60th anniversary of the king of Thailand taking reign, and the city and its people have all donned bright yellow for the occasion. Every car and building has flags flying with the king's insignia and almost every person walking down the street has a yellow polo shirt on, also with the insignia. Shrines are set up all over the sidewalks with enormous pictures of the king all lit up with Christmas lights, in gold gilted frames and lots of yellow bows. There will be huge celebrations tonight.
This afternoon we treated ourselves to Thai massages (how could we not get them, at $4 for an hour?) They were sort of a pleasant mix of being stretched out and put through a meat grinder at the same time.
Tonight we went over to Chinatown and explored some of the open air markets, displaying baskets and baskets of who knows what, but it was fun to see anyways.
The highlight of our evening was the transportation. There are many ways to get around the chaotic streets of Bangkok, but our new favorite are the tuk tuks. These are little three wheeled motorcylces, that have a driver in the front, and a bench in the back for a couple of passengers. The drivers here are crazier than anything Boston or New York could have ever bred, but we hold on tight and pray.
Lots of love and spring rolls,
Jillian and Ari
We quickly found our hotel on Kho San Road, which is in the heart of the backpackers' section of town. There are lots of small hotels, cool shops, restaurants, bars, and even a Chabad House! After grabbing lunch in a little restaurant, we explored the neighborhood a bit and started to get a feel for the city. Neither of us had any idea what to expect, and I think it is safe to say that we could not have expected anything like we have found. Today marks the 60th anniversary of the king of Thailand taking reign, and the city and its people have all donned bright yellow for the occasion. Every car and building has flags flying with the king's insignia and almost every person walking down the street has a yellow polo shirt on, also with the insignia. Shrines are set up all over the sidewalks with enormous pictures of the king all lit up with Christmas lights, in gold gilted frames and lots of yellow bows. There will be huge celebrations tonight.
This afternoon we treated ourselves to Thai massages (how could we not get them, at $4 for an hour?) They were sort of a pleasant mix of being stretched out and put through a meat grinder at the same time.
Tonight we went over to Chinatown and explored some of the open air markets, displaying baskets and baskets of who knows what, but it was fun to see anyways.
The highlight of our evening was the transportation. There are many ways to get around the chaotic streets of Bangkok, but our new favorite are the tuk tuks. These are little three wheeled motorcylces, that have a driver in the front, and a bench in the back for a couple of passengers. The drivers here are crazier than anything Boston or New York could have ever bred, but we hold on tight and pray.
Lots of love and spring rolls,
Jillian and Ari
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Hawaii was awesome, and we did not want to leave, but there were new adventures to come. Because we knew we would be leaving Hawaii soon, We spent all day yesterday soaking up the sun at beautiful Kauanoa beach. We snorkeled right off the beach and saw a thriving reef teeming with tropical fish of all colors and sizes. We even saw a black and white speckled moray eel and a sea turtle.
Today we spent most of the day in the town of Kailua Kona writing thank you notes and tying up loose ends before we head out. Here are a few last pictures of Hawaii. Check back in a few days to hear about our journey to Bangkok.
The real reason we didn't want to leave Hawaii yet...
Today we spent most of the day in the town of Kailua Kona writing thank you notes and tying up loose ends before we head out. Here are a few last pictures of Hawaii. Check back in a few days to hear about our journey to Bangkok.
The real reason we didn't want to leave Hawaii yet...
Friday, June 02, 2006
Aloha!
Everything is still beautiful in paradise. Yesterday we spent the morning in Hilo, scouting out some of the local digs. We began the day early at the most amazing farmer's market you could imagine. We bought five different kinds of mangoes, a bag of little lychee thingies, and a slew of local veggies. After a breakfast of fresh summer rolls from the market, we explored the streets of Hilo. Ari, the hairy monster that he is, needed a trim so we found a hokey local barber shop that turned out to be quite a scene. On our way out of Hilo, we strolled through their Japanese botanical gardens.
We then hiked to nearby Rainbow falls and saw a zillion enormous tadpoles that looked like they would eat us for lunch. Luckily, they were not hungry. A short way down the road, we explored Akaka falls and Kahuna falls, two more amazing waterfalls. Akaka falls is 440 feet high and Kahuna, well, it's the big Kahuna. To get to the falls we hiked through an incredible rainforest. After leaving the falls, we stopped in a tiny town for lunch, fish of course!
We then drove back to Kona, stopping briefly to photograph the street sign at Puu Nani Drive - hehe. Along the way, we saw a perfect rainbow. We could see both ends of the arc hitting the ground. Unfortunately, we could not find the pot of gold.
Today, back in Kona, we beached it. We went to a small beach frequented by locals and did some really awesome snorkeling. As soon as we put our masks in the water we saw that we were surrounded by countless tropical fish of all colors. There were parrot fish, angel fish, little tubers, puffer fish, grouper, and whole bunch more that we couldn't find on Snorkel Bob's handy-dandy fish identifying chart. In the evening, we checked out downtown Kailua-Kona and did a little shopping. We had a little more of the famous Kona Coffee and tried some Kava Kava at a local joint tucked behind the touristy shops. We'll be flying out to Bangkok on Saturday, but we still have our cell phones until then if you need to get in touch. Until then, we'll be on the beach working on our tans and eating mangoes.
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