TRAVEL JOURNAL
Incase you haven't figured it out yet from all of my whining about PCs in Asia, I can not do a real time updates in this section... I will add stuff from time to time here... but the message board is where you can see what I am up to daily.
They say you come to Vietnam and understand a lot in just a few minutes… the rest has got to be lived. They say what ever it was you were looking for you will find here. They say there is a ghost in every house and if you can make peace with him he will stay quiet. ~The Quiet American
Old stuff drops to the bottom
4/18/06 Hello travelers... I know that it has been sometime since I have checked in on this thing. My only excuse is that my heart just wasn't into it. After some prodding by certain someones, I have decided to pick it up again... slowly. I know some of you know this already but for those of you who don't... I came home, sat around in shock, and headed back for Vietnam. I really wasn't ready to come home. So one day at the gym my good friend Juan asked me if I would be interested in taking another trip back to the Nam with him. What, are you kidding? hell yah! We went and got our tickets the next day. To be continued... I promise!
Make a wish
Children of Can Tho
10/13 I am back in Vietnam. It's 2:40am and I just spent the better part of the day repairing the damage I did to my discs while I was in Korea/Australia. The first thing I did was run out and get another copy of FP 2003. The rest of my time was spent reformatting my one good data stick, which meant I had to transfer all the FTP files over using a Vietnam connection... in short. Still no updates... hahaha. I just to tired now to do any more. The good news is... I am back in business!
8/6 Well my special visitors have come and gone. David and Chris flew in to Saigon on the 7th of July and I was there to meet them at the airport.
My good friend David arrives in his usual style... who is he... what is he... and how do I get to be more like him?
Chris, re-pioneering a new Vietnam
It was a great time hanging out with David and Chris in HCM. I've know David for years, but this was my first time meeting Chris "the Giant". At least 6' and half feet and an immediate object of attention. The Vietnamese always quick to point out a person that is unusually tall, gee I wonder why =). Chris had been here about 35 years ago under much more difficult circumstances. To hear him speak and see his expressions I would compare it to a the child that was just pulling into the Disneyland parking lot after an eight hour drive. It was great fun to watch his surprise as he looked around as we drove in from the airport. In his words "My God, things have changed!" I got them checked in at my old living area, De Tham. I don't think it took them long to figure out why I had to move far away from that area. On De Tham, you are literally stopped every 30 seconds and asked if you want to buy something or if you want to give up any spare change. De tham is a great place to stay if you are only going to visit Saigon for a short period of time. Long term, that street wears on you like a bad relationship. We spent much of our time walking around town. We never really had much of a game plan... we just kind of "were". We ate at as many restaurants as we possibly could. Pho seemed to be the favorite. Chris had some specific plans on how he wanted to spend his time... his agenda was to walk and any direction and get as lost as possible. While he was in the military he had spent much of his time in Saigon and wanted to visit some places that had left a long lasting impression on him 35 years ago.
(THIS UPDATE IS BEING CONTINUED FROM KOREA WHERE I HAVEN'T A CLUE WHAT I AM DOING BECAUSE IT'S ALL IN KOREAN. SO MAYBE THE PICS WILL SHOW, MAYBE THEY WON'T, BUT I TRIED)
David and I spent time visiting some local sites. I also wanted to introduce David and Chris to as many of my VN friends as possible. We started by meeting my friend to Tuyet, Allyson, and Hein. Tuyet took us out to some traditional food in Saigon, while Hien took us too se her villiage and the resort where we met. Both experiences were invaluable.
Hien, David, Chris, and me (taking the photo) enjoying some good food where Hien works. (Phuong Nam)
It was time for Dave to take a side trip to Angkor Wat, which I hear went really well. He was gone for all of 3 days. I need the time to refocus on job and life in Saigon, so it worked out perfect. Once he returned back to Sg, Dave and I agreed to take a trip to Hanoi. I was scheduled to work at the time and I would need to ummm, demand the time off. Work, David?, work, David? Although I was really digging work at this point, I haven't had many visitors from the states and I knew traveling with David was a once in a life time chance... at least up to this point. Work and Ms. Huong (The woman running the school) were very cool. I got the entire week off... just like that. Hmmm... I wonder if my boss in the states would be so understanding... cough.
We decided to go cheap by taking Pacific Airlines. It worked out great... why? cause David, the man with the plan, liked the food. Let's just say he was happy with the food... not always and easy task.... hahaha. On departure, I'm not sure why, but I felt a sense of relief... I felt like I was heading back home. Everything went like clockwork. As soon as we got to Hanoi we got David checked into his hotel and I checked into mine. David recently had Knee surgery and need a place with a lift. My good friend Nga hooked us up with accommodations that suited both our needs. I stayed at the Hoa Linh so I could be closer to the action and my friends. David was close enough. Dave had been to Hanoi and didn't care for it much. That was the major reason for this trip. He heard my rants about the city and wanted to see it through my eyes. Can I say... it was a perfect experience from where I was standing, sitting, eating, lying, crying, visiting, and just all around hanging about. Sure the horns were just as loud as Saigon and the traffic was just as mad... but it just sounds sweeter to me. We had just left hot and humid Saigon and the weather was ideal in Hanoi. It had just finished raining for the past few days and it was cool and moist. A nice break from Sg, indeed. Dave got to meet my a few of my Hanoi-an friends too! Le Ngoc Anh and Nga. Hao actually made it down from Yen Bai to spend some time with us, but unfortunately he had an illness in the family and we never met up. The best part of the trip was spent with David walking and sitting around Hoan Kiem Lake share thoughts and pastries. I was happy to hear at the end of the trip that David could see why it was I had fallen in love with the city of Hanoi.
Dave headed back to Saigon and I stayed back. As it turned out... Dave ended up postponing his trip a few days because of an injury he incurred on the the flight back. The good news is that I got to say goodbye again to David and Chris after a proper night out. They headed back to the States the next day. David and I will hook up as soon as I return to Sacto... Chris and I, I'm sure, will stay in touch.
7/6 It's been awhile since I have added anything to this section so here it goes... I am still living and teaching in Saigon. I have learned to love it here. I do miss my friends in Hanoi (don't worry guys... I'm coming back your way soon). I live in an apartment far from "Backpacker's Row", thank God! I share a large house with 2 other teachers. There were 4 of us, but one guy got asked to move on after a disagreement with the landlord. The other 2 are a couple... they are from Canada and are hella cool. Barret is a huge, happy guy with a great sensibility. His girlfriend, Linda, is Canadian/Vietnamese and speaks the language very well for not living here more than a year. She comes in handy for sure around the neighborhood. The house is new and there are many bugs that have to be worked out... like major leaks during moderate rains, lack of furniture, a maid that I still have not seen after being there for 3 weeks... lol, and an A/C that sounds like its choking and slightly works... when it wants to. Other than that I am very happy with my living condition. I think I got lucky.
School is going well... The pay is almost enough to pay for my motor taxi and a modest lunch. Tonight's assignment: I handed out postcards from Vietnam. Before I left some of you were kind enough to put your names, interests, and addresses on a 3X5 card, in hopes of Landing a Pen Pal. Well guess what... Ethan, Angie & Tommy, and Jim Bucha, you guys were tonight's targets! 15 students participated and put a great deal of effort, thought and heart into the project. Each one of you will be getting very special posts from Vietnam. Please take the time to answer each one... I guarantee you will get A HUGE reward in return. My students are very special, as in amazing. They were very excited about the assignment and some were off the hook... Ethan... you may be in some trouble with the VN girls...lol. They saw your age and the girls in their 20s had some fun. I expect that you got a few invitations to visit... your still single, right? Anyway, it warmed my heart to see them so enthused about making new friends with my dear friends.
I am currently managing my budget so that I can hit the road one more time. I am not crazy about leaving my job, but I still have much to see. I will go to Korea where I will reunite with a women I met 7 years ago. Her name is Wonhee. We met in Bath, England. I am very excited about visiting her... she is a MAD traveler and has a lot to share. We have kept in touch through email and we seem to know each other well so it will be like visiting an old friend. The journey will begin sometime in August. I will then go to Sydney, Australia to visit with Kate and her family. Kate and I will will camp the coast for 2 weeks. I can't wait to see her again. We had a fantastic time when we traveled together through Asia and I imagine she will be a kick in the pants in her own country. I will also visit with an interesting Kat that I met while I was in Ha Long Bay. His name is Sam. Sam was this crazy, fun guy. All he wanted to do was smile and have a good time... didn't matter where he was. We have kept in touch and he has assured me a place on his sofa... yahoo! Sam... you party, I drive! I will try to make it to New Zealand while I am there for at least 2 weeks. After that I return to Hanoi to say goodbye to friends and pick up my belongings that I left behind months ago with Nga. Then it's back to Saigon... maybe I pick up some classes if I have time but I still need to head to 2 special islands off of Vietnam. Phuc Quac and Con Dao. Time is running out so we will see how things work out. Before I go home I have arranged for an extended stop over in Tai Pei. I hear that Taiwan is amazing... I say... let's find out. Then... home to the USA by Thanksgiving!
A few recent pics from Mui Nue:
Whoa! slow down girl, I'll get you some more...
Mui Ne Magic
Life of a Mui Ne fisherman
Blah Blah Blah... getting back on the road... Priceless!
5/28 Saturday - 11pm
Well, have you been keeping up with the message board... A lot has been happening... of course. I am teaching... a way cool experience... I have found an even more permanent residence in Saigon... I now have a DVD player with about 100, yes current movies ($1 a pop, now to get them back to the states) I have had my first run in with the medical system, not too shabby by the way... and I am keeping my head above water quite nicely... thank you.
Teaching - I work at a pretty successful language school here in Saigon. The School is also known for being the lowest paying one in Saigon. I make about $10 a day. There are 6 branches in all and I work at everyone of them. I take a motor taxi to work each day and it costs my about $2 round trip. That's a pretty good bargain considering it takes me about 45 minutes in some cases to get to work. I have a dedicated driver who's name is Giau. He's very good and always on time. He drinks a bit too much at night and we have had conversation about that... it's not a problem lately. He understands that If I smell Alcohol... I don't get on the bike. The classes range in age (6 to 60) and range in level (1 day to 10 years) They can be a challenge sometimes if they are late classes (students too tired) or too early (Students too Hyped up) But mostly the classes are very interesting and the students make sure they get their moneys worth. I am still meeting classes for the first time and we will generally go over some basic, but good conversational questions:
What's your name?
Where are you from?
How old are you?
How many people in your family?
Are you married?
Do you have a girlfriend?
Do you want a Vietnamese girlfriend?
What was your job in your country?
What's your favorite food?
What do you do in your free time?
How long have you been in Vietnam?
Where do you live in Saigon?
Why do you come to Vietnam?
What are some of the challenges that you have faced in Vietnam?
How do you feel about the Vietnamese People?
How do you feel about Vietnamese women (always asked by... the Vietnamese women)
The list goes on, but you can get the general idea... the VN are shy when it comes to talking personal about themselves... but it is fair game when it's time to ask the teacher questions.
After this experience, I have a new found respect of any kind of teacher... especially those teachers that exerted that little extra amount of energy to get and keep my attention. I appreciate the teacher who knelt down to me and looked me in the eyes to see that I understood what was being said. I remember you now. I can now see that there is a great deal of responsibility that must be exercised when arming students with what could potentially be damaging information or simple words that could cause hurt, like: hate, love, fat, short, ugly, tall, skinny, etc... at the same time, there is a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that one may be contributing to another's future success.
Tomorrow officially marks the half way point in my adventure... part of me wishes I had never come to this country... 6 months left and I am already dreading how I am ever going to be able to say goodbye to this place.
5/8
5/6 Friday - 10:05 AM
Let's see... what has been going on? My friend Van hooked me up with the right people to get me into a teaching position pronto. I wasn't expecting to get to work as soon as I did, but I took the opportunity. I am into my 4th week of teaching and I am really enjoying the experience. I have anywhere from 2 to 4 classes a night. I start at 5pm at night and end by 9pm. The classes have as many as 40 students, thank God the rooms are air-conditioned. The ages of the students range anywhere from 5 to 70 years old. The students have been studying English anywhere from 2 wks to 10 years. The books that we are using are "New Interchange" and "Streamline". The money is enough... it keeps me from dipping into my savings for little things like food and entertainment. Oops! out of time. I am off to celebrate a friends graduation today =)
4/19
Freedom to speak
I can only imagine that war is hell and there are all kinds of justifications one can make for the actions that are taken when waging war. That aside, the War Remnants Museum of Saigon is excellent and brutally honest. While I was at the WR Museum I made deliberate effort to read through the many comments in the guest book left by people from all over the world. Many of the comments were harsh and one sided, rightfully so. What our Administration did then and is doing now was/is irresponsible and inexcusable to say the least. But do they know about the war that took place in our country protesting the Vietnam conflict? Or had they forgotten or maybe never even bothered to research the many Americans that opposed the war. Perhaps it might make a difference in the many opinions about us if both sides of story were told by the museum... maybe not. Rather than write a rebuttal and minimize what I and others had seen in the museum by defending us as a population, I had to bite my tongue and know that as a country, there are many of us who do not agree with war as a solution to dealing with what our so called elected leaders claim is a defunct government.
I am an American... I wasn't in this war and any other war for that matter. I am whole heartedly against war as a solution. I am not a politician or a political person. I feel the need to say this to any of my foreign friends or persons from another country who might be viewing this site. I did not vote for Bush. I do not support the two party government that currently exists in our country. I am certainly not alone in my country in this opinion. Because I felt so strongly about the importance of this election, I took the only action I knew how, I exercised my vote and voted for a party that I don't normally support in hopes that a vote for what I viewed as the lesser of two evils could make a difference. In the last election, I voted for Kerry. It was my peaceful protest.
So with that said, here are my exacts thoughts that day after my second visit.
"After two visits to the War Remnants Museum, only one thing came to mind: what kind of person/people think/s up and create weapons that cause the kind of damage to humanity and Mother Nature, that were used in the American/Vietnam conflict? What about the person or administration that gives the ok to use such weapons... could you imagine having the such over for dinner and having them describe the details and affects of their latest invention to your children. Isn't that the kind of diabolical mind that we want tucked away in solitary confinement in one of our high security prisons? Do they sleep at night?"
4/11 Monday - Back in Saigon
Short update
I have left the sunny paradise of Thailand. I am back in Ho Chi Minh City. The noise, heat, humidity, 6 million motor scooters, and the great people are all exactly where I had left them. Initially I thought I might come here seeking work for a month or two... it's just too damn hot! Oh oh.... bad word! Forgive me but it is within context. I split for a quick trip to Vung Tau... city by the sea. Ahhh yes! nice cool breeze and some new friends to be made. As luck would have it I met Yen on the bus to VT. She works for the International School of language and is willing to do some digging around for me. I also met Ngoc... yes another one. Her sister has handed in my resume. Maybe with a bit of luck I can teach in VT. After a few days I came back to Saigon to take a tour of the Mekong Delta. It was going great until I discovered that my money belt was missing. I checked with Allyson, HC member to see if I had left it at her house the night before. No dice! The panic set in. I'm not going to say much more about it because I think this mishap deserves it's own story, to be filed under "Past Adventures" No worries, $100 missing and a $50 finders fee later... I am back on track. The cool thing is that both my friends in VN and my friends in the USA were ready and willing to save my arse. In the event I did not get my docs back... I had a powerful support system in place. THANK YOU EVERYONE THAT HELPED ME OUT! your names will be listed... sorry...not negotiable =) I'm off to shower and get some VN food.
3/26 Sunday
Sunset the night of the "Full Moon"
Full Moon Party (Man on fire)
I am back in Pattaya for only one night. I will head to Bangkok tomorrow to meet with my German friends for a night on the town. The "Full Moon" party was quite a spectacle. Luca and I made plans to meet up in Koh Pah Ngan. It took me about 12 hours to get there from Phuket. The journey started with a mini-bus ride and ended with a ferry boat. People from all over Thailand were coming to this party. The boat was filled will people from all countries. I had a feeling this thing was going to be good as promised. Once I got to the ferry station I started to take a tuk tuk. It was pretty full by time I got on and I was forced to stand outside, which was no big deal if the driver wasn't an idiot... he was. He drove the sandy roads like a maniac and his driving reminded me how out of shape I really was while I held on for dear life. Thank God I lost my backpack cover about 10 minutes into the drive. I shouted for him to stop and I walked back to find my cover. I never did find the thing... I had to walk the remainder of the distance to the bungalow in the dark... about an hour and a half. It was really a cool walk... Koh Pah Ngan is a small island and the people are pretty cool... I asked several people along the way where the guest house was and they were happy to help. Once I got to the bungalow I was greeted by the in-keeper, a nice Thai lady that had it bad for Luca. She pointed me to the beach where Luca was staying. Luca was outside the room talking with some really cool German dudes discussing the nights plans. Apparently there was some major confusion as when the "party" was really to take place. In the past there had been several protests by religious folk about having the internationally known party on the actual night of the full moon. So it was to move up a day or back a day... either way, there was a party every single night leading up to the big one. The first two nights we hit the parties on Hatrin. You take a Tuk Tuk or a truck over the mountain on the worst roads you could imagine. I had read in Lonely Planet that to rent a motor bike here was suicide (many deaths). I was to see how bad it actually was when I took the ferry back to Phukett... about 1 out of every 10 passengers bandaged from a motor scooter accident. When we got to the path that led to the beach we walked about 5 minutes to the opening. You could see about half a mile of beach front where they had maybe 20 bars and clubs lined up. The music is BOOMIN! there was anything from classic Eagles crap, to Hip hop, to my favorite... Trance, house, and Techno. I planted myself in front of the "vinyl Club" all three nights. Full Moon was held on the 24th... the beach had been crowded before, but this place was off the hook... standing room only. There were thousands of people from every country. You could here all the countries that were represented by listening to all the different languages. There was no real build up or promotion the first two nights I was there and didn't expect such a large turnout. We had stayed on the quiet side of the island and we just didn't see the volume from where we were. I was amazed by the attendance. The party is billed at the largest beach rave in the world. It wasn't really like any rave I had been to back in the day. It was more like a drunken fest. By time the sun rose many people were face down in the sand... one man thought it would be a good idea to jump into the fire... I rode out from the party on the same Tuk Tuk that took him to the hospital. From waht I could see, he had some nice 2nd degree burns... that's gonna hurt in the morning. For the most part it was hella funny watching the insanity from a safe location. I'd go back to the Island and the party.
Luca, from the safety of his lounge chair
OK, this was cool... although way too expensive to make it a habbit, shooting an AK47 was a highlight in Cambodia. It cost about $1 a bullet. Don't ask me how much I spent... I aint telling.
Me, throwing a grenade in Cambodia... even more expensive... but what a rush!
3/13 It has been a while since I have put anything up in this section. I am in Pattaya at the moment. What a bizarre but pleasant place. I am actually staying just outside Pattaya in the quiet section... Jomtien Beach. Pattaya is pretty much an old dudes paridise. There is a ton of bars... mostly in Pattaya, where one could seek company from an attractive Thai lady for the night... about 1000 Bt. $25 US. This place is swamped with bar girls and tourist guys looking for fun. It's hella strange to hear about the dynamics here in Pattaya and how money is number one. I am not completely sheltered, I have been to Amsterdam... but Pattaya is over kill. It's like your selecting a rental car for the day. I asked my and dive instructor many questions; he laughs mostly and simply suggested that I read the book "money is number one”. He promised that all my questions would be answered in the book.
Oh by the way, I have started my first read for pleasure... "The Quiet American" Before I started out on this journey I made a mental list of things that I would like to accomplish... one of them is reading a book for fun. So far I am really digging the experience... I'd be lying if I didn't confess that it is a chore for me to crack the book. Once it's open, I can see what the attraction to reading for fun is. FINISHED!
Where I have been the last couple of months: Met with Ben in Lao... we hitched to Hanoi and celebrated Tet Holiday with Hao, Nga, and Le Ngoc. From there we went to Yen Bai to visit with Hao and his family... again, hangin with Hao... an awesome experience. After that we made out way to Nha Trang by hitching. We stayed there for about 4 days. I wish I could give you details but I am on a very expensive connection at the moment... this is meant to be more of a timeline. From Nha Trang we headed to Saigon, where we stayed with Allison... a seasoned traveler and member of http://www.hospitalityclub.org.
Zuki, Allison, and Ben
I made a side trip to see my friend Thu in Vung Tau while Zuki and Ben stayed in Saigon. From Saigon we all went to Cambodia starting out in Phnom Penh. From Phnom Penh, I decided to take a solo trip and made my way to Siem Reip to see Angkor Wat. From there I made my way across the Cambodian border into Thailand... whew... a feeling of relief. Cambodia was a little less developed then the other countries. The roads... suck! The people (once out of the buss station) and the food was quite nice though.
I was to meet up with Ben again just before the Thai border, but plans got changed. Then we were to meet in Pattaya... I was here... but plans changed. A little frustrated with Ben's style of travel and timing... I was happy to just say... well... this is the end of the road for Ben and I. Ben has headed to Malaisa I think. I am confident that he will no doubt have a great experience. I am still too rigid it would seem with expectations of meeting time commitments and my ideas on putting travel mates as a priority over the opposite sex. Oh well, maybe this trip will snap me out of it. What ever the outcome... I am grateful for the time Ben and I did traveled together. I had a lot of fun and met some great people because of Ben and I am sure that we will have more adventures together.
While in Pattaya, I took the time and money to get my SCUBA cert. I have also met up with the cousin of one of my friends (P-one) from back home. Her name is Puk and she has been great about showing me around this place. She also is a travel agent and is making life much easier for me as to how to get around Thailand. I will now head to Phukett for some more diving. After that, I head to a little island for a full moon festival. Then it's back to Saigon for a month. I will hopefully have a job in Hanoi by time this is all finished so that I can replenish my savings account =)
2/12 Ben and I head to Yen Bai this evening to meet up with Hao.
2/12 My mom is recovering from her second hip surgery and is doing well. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried. I am on standby if needed to come home. The word at home is that everything went smoothly... I am back in Hanoi at the moment and it is freezing here!
I am still traveling with Ben and I am getting a taste of his world... Hitchhiking. So far it's been pretty cool... we walk a little... say hi to passers by a lot, get fed for free sometimes, and get interesting rides to where we are headed. Let's see, Ben's been molested in the back seat... we have been stopped by soldiers and the police, driven to remote areas behind lock gates, seen teens running across the road at night with AK47s, witnessed the cruel site of dogs for consumption being transported at the Laos border, met loads of really cool people (most don't speak English), and arrived in one piece. I'd say it has been one heck of a ride so far.
Hao has recently joined up with us and we will be traveling back to Yen Bai with him tomorrow. It is late now and if I want to wake up when those characters do I had better wrap this up.
More Pics from the road:
Below are the photos from a river boat trip to Lao from Thailand. As you can see the boat was quite crowded. The trip was literally a slow boat to china...it took us two days to arrive in Laos. There were quite a few positives to this trip...besides the beautiful scenery...being so close to my neighbors gave me the opportunity to meet some very nice people who eventually would become friends and travel mates. The homestay was quite pleasant... it was located right on the Mekong which made for a breathtaking view... if you stay there just be sure that you DO NOT order the garlic bread =).
1/17 5:02 pm Luang Prabang, Laos
I have been in Lao for a few days. What a great little town. It took me 2 days by slow boat on the Mekong River. I will be heading back to Hanoi in the next 2 days, but I will definitely return to this place. I have some really nice photos that I hope to post later on this evening. I am off for now to see the sunset at the top of the mountain where the Phousi Wat is. Wat did you say? Did he say Phousi? yes I did =) Wat = Temple...
1/11 9:30pm - In Chiang Mai, Thailand
Ok, working from a Thai version of FrontPage... oh how exciting to be working from the only copy of the site files you have, since losing the master in Saigon, and knowing that you don't understand a word of Thai and that at any moment you could erase 3 hours of hard work in a flash... business as usual.
Yah... that's right, I am in Thailand and about 6 months too early... but hey I was never really good at counting how many licks it took to get to the center of a tootsie pop... I'd just bit the sucka right in half. I have been to many places and I have attempted to write detail, but as luck would have it, it's been one thing after another with the tech stuff.
1/12 Finally a moment to update, but time is not the only challenge, computer seems to be working quite nicely, keyboard has all it’s keys, it’s early enough in the morning that the connections aren’t bogged down with too much traffic, the moon is in line with the planets… and so on and so on.
Sitting in an internet café in Chiang Mai, Thailand waiting for my photos to upload… just 45 minutes on what they call ADSL, dodging the instant messages from certain friend/s (Max) who would try to distract me from this update… lol
It’s been sometime since I last posted so I have a bit of catching up to do and I don’t expect that I will be able to do it all in this sitting.
The first series of pictures that I want post are of a sweet little industrial town that is known as Vinh Phu. I stumbled into VP by chance. I was coming to Saigon to attend a wedding for Tuyet’s uncle. The wedding wasn’t until the 1st of January so I decided to come a week earlier to meet other contacts from Viet fun. My first contact was a women by the name Ruby. Ruby suggested that I might want to stay just outside of Saigon to escape the “Saigon Noise”. I ended up at a little tropical paradise that was way more than this dirty little traveler expected; “The Phoung Nam” resort and hotel. The staff from the hotel was nice enough to pick me up from the airport… at a cost of course, which cost more than a nights stay at this luxury resort. The resort is on 3 acres of land and is set up to meet the demands of wealthy business sorts that come to VP to take advantage of the industrial boom. *side note – it’s kind of sad, as I was walking through one of the charming villages, you could see where there once were rice patties, now waiting to be plowed over to make way for new industrial parks*
Here are some pictures from around the village while walking with my friend Hien
I have just been informed that my mini bus leaves in 30 minutes to Laos… I must go for now… here are some pics:
Sorry.. I do not have enough time to try to figure out which files go where... its all in Thai and I am out of time... I hope to be back in Hanoi soon for proper updates... thank you for your patience. Gary