I'm now in Beijing...I didn't know but blogging of any sort is not allowed in China. Well that's not stopping me. I guess you can say I'm breaking the law by blogging now. I left off with Hong Kong. HK is definitely different from any asian city I've been to so far. It's like the Manhattan of the east. Everyone actually follows the traffic rules. I got so used to walking into traffic that it took me a while to realize I needed to follow the signs and actually wait for a green light before crossing the street. I reunited with my friend Minh and did a little bit of exploring with him. I also met up with my friend Gigi. She took us out for the best hot pot I've had in my life! It was so good I know any hot pot I have back home will not even come close. I also got to see the big Buddha which in my opinion is highly commercialized. Christmas music in the background while visiting this site kinda kills the meaning of Buddhism.
HK is a must when visiting China. It's basically a different country. They have their own language, currency, and culture. If I were to move to asia, this would be a city I would most likely move to. The opportunities here are endless.
I'm just excited to know I have access to the world once again haha. I will post again from Beijing as soon as I can get some clearer thoughts. It's late here and this post is probably not as exciting as the rest.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Nha Trang, Hoi An, and Halong Bay
I've been meaning to do a better job at updating my posts but for some reason or another, I just haven't had the time or access. I'm in Bangkok airport at the moment waiting for my flight to Hong Kong. I decided to meet up with some of my Contiki travelmates and a couple of local friends for one last hurrah in Bangkok. It was filled with 2 nights of food, fun, and fantastic memories. I'll miss hanging with you guys!!!
Now back to Nha Trang. After my visit in Saigon, I took an overnight train to hit Nha Trang. Let's just say that was an interesting experience. English is not really spoken at the train station and I was directed to my car using my ticket as a reference and lots of finger pointing. After a few moments of confusion, I found my car and proceed to enter it lugging a 30kg bag (note to self, don't bring so much stuff next time and stop buying souvenirs!) I found my cabin and proceeded to take a peak. It seemed like an older lady was already occupying my bed. A Vietnamese lady spoke to me in broken English and asked if I could switch beds with the older lady since her assigned bed was on the upper bunk in another cabin. I didn't really care where I ended up so I agreed. I lugged by bag once again through a narrow passage way to found my bed. The cabins were set up with four beds each. The other 3 were occupied by a Vietnamese family that did not speak English of course. They smiled at me as I proceeded to climb to my bed. I actually preferred it since it got me closer to the AC located on the ceiling. I got comfortable, pulled out my iPod, and listed to music until I fell asleep...
What can I say about Nha Trang...it's basically a beach city dedicated for tourists. The beaches were ok, the water clearer than most places I've been to and the people for the most part were nice. The bad thing about Nha Trang? Everything else. Although the bars were cool and full of foreigners, as soon as you walk down the streets, you'll get hit up by every single Tom, Dick, and Harry offering you drugs, women, and pretty much anything else. This is especially true if you're walking alone at night. That's the major drawback to Nha Trang and for that reason I don't think I'd return. There are so many much nicer places in Vietnam you can visit without the shadyness. I did meet up with my friend Minh and his parents who were visiting Vietnam on a family trip. They started north and worked their way down while I did the opposite. Nha Trang was the mid point for us. We went to Vanpearl Land which is the poor man's version of Disneyland. They offer some attractions and rides as well as an aquarium. It was good to see a familiar face from back home. His parents were quite nice and invited me to go have dinner with them. Although I don't quite remember all the names of the food we had, it probably was the best traditional Vietnamese meal I had while in Vietnam. If you ever come visit Vietnam and your time is limited, Nha Trang is probably a place you can skip but other wise it's ok.
After leaving Nha Trang, I flew to Da Nang which is the closest major city to Hoi An. Hoi An has the be the most pleasant surprise on my trip to Vietnam. I felt like I was transported in time 200 years back. You can almost say it's the Venice of Vietnam. The buildings have withstood the test of time and unbelievably gorgeous to walk through. There are very few cars running around and there are even restrictions on motorcycles around the city. I loved the look of the town especially at night fall. The sights of colorful lanterns, water puppets, and shops made this a magical place. This town is a must for anyone visiting Vietnam. If you like shopping, you can get tailor made clothing at very affordable prices. A guy can get a nice, well made suit for about $150 or less. While in Hoi An, I took a trip out to another town called My Son. They have temples built by the Cham people that are about 1000 years old or so. Unfortunately, much of it was destroyed during the Vietnam war but there are still temples in great shape standing. You can walk through the temples and almost feel the vibes of what the area once was. In all, I wish I could have spent another day or two in Hoi An.
The highlight of my Vietnam trip is absolutely Halong Bay. You cannot visit Vietnam without coming here. Most people fly to Hanoi in order and then do a 1, 2, or 3 night stay in Halong Bay. It's one of the most spectacular wonders of the world I've ever set eyes on. They beauty of this place in undescribable. Just imagine an endless amount of islands all carved naturally by the water into perfect works of art. I stayed here one night on a boat but I wish I had done at least 2 if not 3. The tours offer kayaking and cave exploring usually as part of a package. For those staying more than one night, they will also take you hiking on one of the larger islands in Halong Bay.
I'm sorry I didn't expand some more on this post but it looks like I'm running out of time and need to catch my next flight!
Now back to Nha Trang. After my visit in Saigon, I took an overnight train to hit Nha Trang. Let's just say that was an interesting experience. English is not really spoken at the train station and I was directed to my car using my ticket as a reference and lots of finger pointing. After a few moments of confusion, I found my car and proceed to enter it lugging a 30kg bag (note to self, don't bring so much stuff next time and stop buying souvenirs!) I found my cabin and proceeded to take a peak. It seemed like an older lady was already occupying my bed. A Vietnamese lady spoke to me in broken English and asked if I could switch beds with the older lady since her assigned bed was on the upper bunk in another cabin. I didn't really care where I ended up so I agreed. I lugged by bag once again through a narrow passage way to found my bed. The cabins were set up with four beds each. The other 3 were occupied by a Vietnamese family that did not speak English of course. They smiled at me as I proceeded to climb to my bed. I actually preferred it since it got me closer to the AC located on the ceiling. I got comfortable, pulled out my iPod, and listed to music until I fell asleep...
What can I say about Nha Trang...it's basically a beach city dedicated for tourists. The beaches were ok, the water clearer than most places I've been to and the people for the most part were nice. The bad thing about Nha Trang? Everything else. Although the bars were cool and full of foreigners, as soon as you walk down the streets, you'll get hit up by every single Tom, Dick, and Harry offering you drugs, women, and pretty much anything else. This is especially true if you're walking alone at night. That's the major drawback to Nha Trang and for that reason I don't think I'd return. There are so many much nicer places in Vietnam you can visit without the shadyness. I did meet up with my friend Minh and his parents who were visiting Vietnam on a family trip. They started north and worked their way down while I did the opposite. Nha Trang was the mid point for us. We went to Vanpearl Land which is the poor man's version of Disneyland. They offer some attractions and rides as well as an aquarium. It was good to see a familiar face from back home. His parents were quite nice and invited me to go have dinner with them. Although I don't quite remember all the names of the food we had, it probably was the best traditional Vietnamese meal I had while in Vietnam. If you ever come visit Vietnam and your time is limited, Nha Trang is probably a place you can skip but other wise it's ok.
After leaving Nha Trang, I flew to Da Nang which is the closest major city to Hoi An. Hoi An has the be the most pleasant surprise on my trip to Vietnam. I felt like I was transported in time 200 years back. You can almost say it's the Venice of Vietnam. The buildings have withstood the test of time and unbelievably gorgeous to walk through. There are very few cars running around and there are even restrictions on motorcycles around the city. I loved the look of the town especially at night fall. The sights of colorful lanterns, water puppets, and shops made this a magical place. This town is a must for anyone visiting Vietnam. If you like shopping, you can get tailor made clothing at very affordable prices. A guy can get a nice, well made suit for about $150 or less. While in Hoi An, I took a trip out to another town called My Son. They have temples built by the Cham people that are about 1000 years old or so. Unfortunately, much of it was destroyed during the Vietnam war but there are still temples in great shape standing. You can walk through the temples and almost feel the vibes of what the area once was. In all, I wish I could have spent another day or two in Hoi An.
The highlight of my Vietnam trip is absolutely Halong Bay. You cannot visit Vietnam without coming here. Most people fly to Hanoi in order and then do a 1, 2, or 3 night stay in Halong Bay. It's one of the most spectacular wonders of the world I've ever set eyes on. They beauty of this place in undescribable. Just imagine an endless amount of islands all carved naturally by the water into perfect works of art. I stayed here one night on a boat but I wish I had done at least 2 if not 3. The tours offer kayaking and cave exploring usually as part of a package. For those staying more than one night, they will also take you hiking on one of the larger islands in Halong Bay.
I'm sorry I didn't expand some more on this post but it looks like I'm running out of time and need to catch my next flight!
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