Saturday, December 15, 2007

Vietnam Photo Preview

Just a few sample photos from our trip to Vietnam. I'll start
building the full album and narrative when I get back to Atlanta.

We had only been in the country for about an hour when we met Alex (middle), a photographer from Canada. He had been staying in Saigon for a while and knew exactly where to go. So, needless to say, our trip started out on a triumphant note. Nothing beats jet-lag like several lukewarm cans of 333.

One of the highlights of our stay in Nha Trang was a visit to the hot springs and mud bath. I'm not so sure the communal pool of slop did anything for my skin, but we had a pretty good time.

The four-day cycle trip begins in Nha Trang. Nathan, me, and the two Danish girls prepare for a nice long day of easy riding through the back country. Joining us, but not pictured, was a young couple from Austria. The six of us (along with our drivers) would ride together only for the first day before splitting off in pairs to complete our separate journeys.

The best meal of the entire trip... grilling wild meats and drinking rice wine with Chin and Hua.

Along the way, we stopped the bikes at different minority villages so we could observe their way of life. It's a little voyeuristic, but it was a fantastic opportunity to see the REAL Vietnam.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Saigon :: 12/14

Well, this is the last full day in Vietnam, and was it ever busy.

Our wake up was at 5:00am so we could watch the sun rise from China Beach. However, it was incredibly cloudy, and all we got was a few yawns. That said, there WAS a surprise side show.

Turns out, at least in Da Nang, the locals LOVE to get up early, go to China beach, and exercise. From the very early darkness, literally hundreds and hundreds of locals were stretching, playing games, hoola-hooping, massaging each other, and swimming with little floaties. They were all smiling and having an absolute blast, and it was all very communal... not like watching a few random joggers on Venice Beach. People did everything together, and it seemed like it would make a good calendar... sort of like those "Nuns Having Fun."

Our flight left at 8:30 in the morning for Saigon, and we arrived about 9:30-ish. We immediately took a taxi to our new hotel, a charming guest house in the "Western" area of the city, and then booked a private car to take us out to the famous Cu Chi Tunnels. A tour, consisting of a bus and entrance ticket to the tunnels, costs about 5 to 7 dollars. However, they leave early in the morning, so the only way for us to get out there was to get a driver. So, for $35 we hired a private, plush-leather SUV to drive us an hour-and-a-half there and back AND wait for us. Not something I would do if I was traveling long term, but to pack one last activity into our two week holiday... totally worth it.

The tunnels were fantastic... google them. These were the underground passage ways used to hide from American forces in the area, and the tunnels and entry holes are so small that fat-ass Westerners can barely squeeze through. One of the highlights was the movie they show before the tour. It's 1960 film copied to DVD, and it was so laughably filled with propaganda that those of us in the room couldn't control ourselves.

"After the U.S. devil soldiers dropped their Washington, DC bombs on her village, this Cu Chi woman took arms and is seen here receiving a medal for her efforts in killing Americans... the same ones that destroyed her peaceful land of flowers and happiness."

Good times.

After we got back into CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY Saigon, we hit up the central market, bought a few last things, and are planning to, now, grab some spring rolls, take a little nap, wake up, eat dinner, and stay up for as long as we can... our flight leaves at 7:00am tomorrow.

So, that's it from Vietnam. Look for the complete visual blog on my site in the coming weeks.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Hue :: 12/13

When I got to Hoi An four days ago, I had a few pants and a few t-shirts tucked neatly into my backpack. Now, after three nights in a place where the words "you buy something" haunt you in your sleep, I still have my pants and t-shirts, but I also have, tucked neatly into a NEW bag, two suits, three dress shirts, a leather jacket, and three pairs of shoes. Seriously. What the hell just happened?

Hoi An, for all it's old world charm, is nothing more than a tourist trap. Custom tailor shops line the streets, and I failed to meet even one person who didn't have something made. I kid you not, I met one girl who purchased 13 pairs of shoes. The post office is open all day, every day.

Besides the tailor shops, the city is flooded by merchants selling the exact same things at the exact same prices with the exact same sales pitch: "Sir, you buy something?"

But the narrow streets were quite beautiful, the nightlife is quality, and the beach even had a gentle peace about it, discovered on the designated no-more-buying-shit day, when Nathan and I rode bicycles to the water, set up the hammocks, and wasted away an entire afternoon listening to the sound of crashing waves. "Sir, you buy something?"

And a little of that, too.

After Hoi An, we took a bus to Hue, a bustling city along the Perfume River. There are about five universities here, and the youth adds energy to the night. From the balcony of the DMZ Bar, we could watch the main street below, and I noticed that the bikes were nicer, the clothes were fancier, and the streets were cleaner than other places we had seen in Vietnam. The market sucks, but it still seems like a very livable city. The Citadel, which we toured this morning, was also quite impressive. But not as impressive as Hue Beer... the best lager we've found so far in the country.

Now, as I write this, we are waiting for a 2pm bus to Da Nang where we will make like American GIs and chill out for a night on China Beach. We understand that there's nothing much to do in Da Nang, but we have to be there for an early morning flight to Saigon in the morning. So, we'll get up early, hopefully watch the sun rise over the South China Sea, and then get on a scary metal tube flying south.

We have some rather ambitious plans for Saigon, so we'll see how that goes. But as we near the end of the trip, we're moving full steam ahead toward the finish line where I, no doubt, expected to be greeted with a friendly Vietnamese face at the airport terminal.

"You buy something?"

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Hoi An :: 12/09

So, our three day motorcycle journey turned into four. It was sometime during dinner on our first night, throwing back shots of rice wine with our fresh boiled shrimp and rice, that Nathan and I decided that this was too much fun to make it short... too beautiful to rush... to real to forget.

Joining us on our first day were two girls from Denmark and a young couple from Austria. Each of us piled onto the back of our respective guide's motorcycle, leaning back against our overstuffed packs. This (mom) is one case where overpacking is a virtue. The more stuff you've crammed into your rucksack, the more backrest you have to relax on the ride.

Now, at the moment, it simply is not possible or justified for me to go into tremendous detail. Just know that the scenery was magic, the guides were outstanding, and the REAL Vietnam was all ours.

After the first night, Nathan and I split off with Chin and Nathan's driver, while the others went whatever way they were going. So, for the next three days it would be just the four of us. two motorcycles, and one open road.

The second day was actually the worst, if I actually had to call one as such. It was our longest day... about 250 kilometers. We visited rural workers, factories, villages, and more, and ended the night with a meal that goes far beyond words. Over a small chiminee-like piece of potters, loaded with fired wood and topped with a small grill, we ate, fondu-style, "wild meat." I put that in quotes because when Chin says it, it sounds like "whale meat." Nathan and I were looking forward to such a strange meal, but had absolutely no idea how the hell these guys found themselves a whale. So, our WILD meat consisted of cow, deer, goat, and rabbit. All them were spectacular (I mean SPECTACULAR) but I didn't care as much for the rabbit... too many little bones.

The highlight from the third day, a shorter day of riding, was a visit to an orphanage where we brought great smiles to the faces of the kids. Nathan, by the way, standing at 6'2", is a God to these people. For people who rarely see Westerners, Nathan is what you might call... A FREAK. Dinner on the third night was seafood hot pot... squid, shrimp, and tuna boiled in a soup. No whale.

Today, are extended fourth and last day, was more of the same, easy riding up the Ho Chi Minh trail (which we actually started yesterday). This morning, however, underneath a gorgeous waterfall, we were able to actually see and walk on the real Ho Chi Minh Trail, the same trail used by the NVA to head into southern Vietnam.

Now, safely off our bikes and with sad goodbyes to Chin and the other guide (his name escapes me... I suck), we are in a wonderful, lively little town called Hoi An. We plan to stay here for about three nights before heading up to Hue, and in that time we have already lined up some clothing to be made. It's just something you have to do when you are in S.E. Asia.

So, that is all for now. And if you are reading this, considering Chin as a guide... DO IT! You won't regret a single penny, but you'll forever regret not having the experience.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Nha Trang :: 12/06

Not going to lie... we sort of tied one on last night, bar hopping here in Nha Trang. A group fo travelers all sort of met up at Crazy Kim's and then headed over the Why Not Bar until abotu 3:30am. Well, at least that's what time we decided to call it quits.

Of course, needless to say, morning didn't coem without a headache. I've had worse, though. For whatever reason, Nathan and I decided just to get up adn get moving and make something of the day. So, we went down by the beach, rented a couple of motor bikes, and set off north to check out some old temples. Riding cycles int he craziness that is Vietnam's city roadways was quite an experience, but it didn't take long to get the hang of things and work ourselves right into the hustle and bustle.

The temples were good for a half hour of obligatory tourism, but after that came the real fun. We rode our cycles through the backroads of the Nha Trang suburbs in search of these well known hot springs. For the longest time, we had little luck in locating them. However, int he process, we got to see a lot of the local flavor. And if I had to name that flavor, I would say it was rotten fish. Such is the life of poverty in Southeast Asia. That said, the people were full of smiles and the countryside was beautiful.

Finally, we found the hot springs and spent several hours soaking in mud and bathing in mineral water - nature's very own hangover cure.

Tonight we plan to take it easy, for tomorrow we embark on a three day motorcyle trip through the middle of the country, passing through small villages and getting a real look at Vietnam on our way up to Hoi An. This promises to be a major highlight of the trip, and Nathan and I are both pretty excited to get on the road with Chin and the Easy Riders. Chin is an absolute riot, and his favorite phrase appears to be, "Why fucking not!" It's not so much WHAT he is saying, so much as it's HOW he says it and HOW OFTEN. I laugh every time. Hey, Chin, let's talka bout the trip while Nathan and I eat dinner. "Why FUCKING not!" Every time with a big toothy smile. Chin. Good times.

Probably won't have too much access to interneet over the next few days, but I'll try and post when I can.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Nha Trang :: 12/04

Greetings from Nha Trang!

Sorry for the late blogging, but, for some reason, we couldn't find any internet cafes in Ho Chi Minh City. However, we DID find about ten million people on motorbikes in what can only be described as organized chaos. It's absoltely mind blowing to see how these people move in and out of traffic, and I wouldn't dare attempt it. Crossing the street is like playing Frogger, as the rule of thumb is YIELD TO THAT WHICH IS BIGGER. So, for those of you doing the math, cars are bigger than motorcycles, motorcycles are bigger than pedestrians. That said, in Ho Chi Minh city I still rule most of the animal kingdom.

The flight into Vietnam was, amazingly, a piece of cake. Nathan and I first flew from Phoenix to Los Angeles and then L.A. to Hong Kong. That second leg is about 15 hours... or, if you have happy-sleep-pills, it's about five hours. Hopa!

Hong Kong to Ho CHi Minh City is just another two hours, so that was nothing. Once we arrived, we went straight to our hotel in the heart of town, checked in, and went to the famous Rex Hotel to have a beer on their rooftop and watch the end of the Tottenham/Birmingham soccer match. There, we met a guy named Alex from Montreal who, with his knowledge of the city, joined us for a night on the town.

The next day, December 3rd here in Vietnam, we purchased train tickets in the morning for an overnighter in the evening, and then hit up the city's big market to gaze at cheap crap. Always fun. Usually smelly.

Vietnam is sort of like Spain in that businesses sort of tend to take a break mid-day for whatever they might call a siesta. So we had a couple of beers at a cafe near a park and waited for the War Museum to open up. It's not Smithsonian good, but it did have many great photos and lots of old military weapons and vehicals to check out. Overall, it seemed very anti-America, but I suppose it is what it is.

The overnight train to Nha Trang (along the coast) was quite nice as Nathan and I shared a four person sleeper cabin by ourselves. We arrived here around 9am, checked into our beachfront hotel (yes, $23 gets you a balcony overlooking the South China Sea), and wandered around a bit before sitting on the beach, staring at the water, and drinking cans of Tiger and 333 (the local swill).

It's nap time, now, and then hopefully a big time in this big town that has a small feel to it. Like I said before, internet is sort of hit or miss, so I'll blog again when I can. Cheers!