Amanda and I finally sorted through the 2,000 pics, and narrowed it down to about 800. I would have had more, but unfortunately I lost one of my memory cards on the way back home. Very sad.
But the remaining pics are all good, so check them out on my flickr page.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Mmmm...Salmonella
So, after a couple visits to the doctor, it was determined that I caught Salmonella in Vietnam. There isn't much I can do other than stay hydrated and tough it out.
In the end, I must say that I have never wished for such a swift death than when I was sick in Vietnam.
I think it's something everyone should enjoy at least once in their life.
In the end, I must say that I have never wished for such a swift death than when I was sick in Vietnam.
I think it's something everyone should enjoy at least once in their life.
Friday, January 18, 2008
End Of The Road
Today is our last day of the vacation. Since I am still sick, I take it easy, and we all head to the market for last minute gifts. Amanda picks up a bunch of stuff, while I finally get my hands on the snake wine I've been promising my coworkers.
We do finally get a chance to eat some dog. It's not too bad, but a little bit chewy. I guess it's all in how you marinate it.
Three weeks in Vietnam and Thailand is just about the right amount of time. I went for just over two weeks last time, and that is way too short. I think that had I not gotten sick, I would have enjoyed myself a lot more. I'm probably good until at least 2012.
But overall, I had a great time. There were many great memories and funny stories that came out of this trip. I hope that everyone else had a great time too.
Return to Saigon
Before we leave Long Xuyen, we indulge in the local breakfast: steak and eggs. They use a hot cast iron griddle plate, throw on the marinated beef, onions, garlic, and then crack two eggs on top. All this with about a ladle full of grease. I am amazed at how the servers can bring the plate to the table, with grease spilling over the sides, without burning themselves. After eating the meal and feeling 12 pounds heavier, we head out of Long Xuyen.
The only stop for the day is a floating market in Can Tho. We rent a boat and head out to the market, where a bunch of people just paddle around selling their goods out of their canoe. Anny buys a lot of fruit, but aside from that, there isn't too much to buy. Still, it was very neat to see an actual floating market.
We reach Saigon in record time. I notice that though the speed limit is 60 km/h, the driver cracks 100 km/h. Pretty fast considering the traffic and roads. He was going balls to the wall. We spend the rest of the day just relaxing, not doing much. I get a haircut (and another ear cleaning).
Joe experiences his first ear cleaning. I am left speechless. The pictures tell a better story than I ever could.
Out In The Country
With only a single night's rest, we head out to Kiet's hometown of Long Xuyen, a 4 hour drive. I've been there before, and it's a decent sized city. I find it funny that the girls keep saying that it's country, though neither of them have ever been to the city.
When we arrive, we visit Nui Sam, a mountain which has a bunch of houses and shrines built into it. It's a long climb up the top, and the norovirus is not cooperating. Amanda and I make it about a third of the way, then head back down. The rest of the group make it to the top, then take a mopeds back down...to the other side of the mountain. Good thing we have cell phones.
Later in the evening, we eat some beef hotpots out on the front porch. Kiet's mom had told us that there aren't any mosquitoes around this time of year. Apparently, the off-season for mosquitoes means there's only about 10,000 directly around you at any given time. Nothing a little 25% DEET can't handle.
Luckily Kiet's parent's house has 2 bedrooms with A/C, so we manage to sleep in there instead of out in the open like a feast for the skeeters. Before I go to bed, Kiet's mom offers me 5 pills, allegedly to help my stomach out. I choke down all 5, and sleep it off.
The pills help a little, but not entirely. I mention this to Kiet's parents, and within minutes, they come back from the pharmacy with 8 pills. I don't think the Vietnamese believe in coating their pills. I take about 10 minutes to down them all with about a liter of water. I pray I don't OD on whatever the hell it is I just took.
We stop by Kiet's cousin's wedding, where we simply have a meal outside. The tabletop gas stove does not alleviate the 90 degree weather. But the food was good.
After the wedding, we head to another mountain, Nui Cam. It is a 4 hour climb up the stairs, so we pay for the car to take us up. The first thing we notice near the top is a giant Buddha statue. As we get closer, we dub the place "Buddha World". It seems like they are in the process of turning this area into a lame touristy spot. The giant Buddha isn't as big up close, and it's hollow inside, as if it were made of plaster. I am underwhelmed.
Vietnam War II
We begin the long arduous journey home, hitting the major cities again. On Day 16 to Da Nang, I pick something up from the food or a glass of iced coffee. It must be some virus or bacteria, because it really did a number on my entire system. I end up vomiting, getting the shakes, a fever, and explosive runs. It's bad. And I have to suffer with it for 3 days, on a bumpy bus ride.
Special Massage?
We wake up bright and early and head out to the Phong Na Caverns in Quang Binh. It's dark, and our lame point and shoot cameras struggle with the low lighting. I think one of us will use this as an excuse to get an uber camera, perhaps a DSLR.
We stay in the only 4-star hotel of the trip, and it is very nice. The entire hotel has a contemporary design to it. This is good, because the town is so small, there is absolutely nothing to do outside of the hotel. The tour guide warned us that a common way the local criminals mug you is by using a dirty syringe in order to get your money. That does not sound like a good time. Needless to say we stay in for the night.
One of the amenities of this fine establishment is a massage parlor. All of us decide to get one, though Amanda opts for a foot massage only. The night starts off with a bang, as I am the first to go and get undressed. There is no dressing room really, just a little alcove with lockers. The guy tells me to strip down and put on a towel. I tried to do this quickly, so that I don't expose my frank and beans to anyone. Unfortunately, I forget that the waiting room is within sight. Apparently, Kiet was wondering where people get changed, and as he glanced around, he caught a glimpse of my kibbles and bits. I think he may need to get some therapy as he seems rather traumatized.
Flashing aside, we all get down to towels only, and spend about 10 minutes in a steamroom. Then we move to a sauna for a few minutes before we shower off. The girls here are wearing some pretty skimpy skirts, and we all start to wonder...could this be the special massage place?
My girl comes into my room, and she looks like she's about to bust out of her top. Sweet. Throughout the massage, I notice that she is...grazing...my crotch. At first I pass it off as an accident, or just part of the massage. Then I realize that she could easily be massaging me without grinding her elbows into my junk. I have to concentrate on not getting excited, because who knows where that would lead.
After about 45 minutes of fuck-me eyes, I am certain that I probably could have propositioned her. Alas, I am married, and have some morals (don't I?), so I leave it alone.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
What The Hell Did You Say?
We do almost nothing but travel all day to Da Nang. This is the roughest travel day yet. There is only one sight seeing stop, which is the Tay Son family home. More historical sight seeing, not much too write about here.
On the way to Hue, we stop in Hoi An. There is a silk factory, where it's kinda neat to find out that they harvest silk by boiling the silkworm coccoons. There is a Hoi An ancient town, but Joe is the only one that wants to see it. The rest of us shop around town.
Most of the trip to Hue today is through the mountains. The scenery was quite nice . We traveled alongside the ocean amongst some cliffs. The sharp turns look like they would be conducive to rallying...I think the bus driver has a fear of braking, because we hit some of these turns pretty hard. Maybe he was trying to three wheel it.
As we enter the Hue, or central, region of Vietnam, the accents here are incredible...incredibly difficult to understand. In Vietnam, there are three distinct accents: Northern, Southern, and Central. Northern is considered the "proper" or "formal" way to speak. Southern is just like the Southern accent in the US: kinda lazy-like, but easy to understand. Central is just god-awful. I liken the Central accent to a Scottish or Cockneyed British accent. Sure, it's technically English, but I don't have a damn clue what you just said.
In the evening, we take a cruise on the Huong River, or Perfume River. On the boat, there are Hue performers singing traditional regional music, and playing some of the craziest instruments I've ever seen. One lady had tea cups, and another guy played a dan bau, which is a Vietnamese monochord. The weird thing is that the pitch changes not by shortening the length of the string like a guitar, but by tightening or loosening the string. Very interesting.
Hue is the only town where we get to spend two nights in a row in the same place. It's nice to not have to pack up in the morning. We spend the day visiting some mausoleums and tombs. Nothing of note, except that at one of the mausoleums, Kiet buys a coconut bigger than his head. Even the locals are amused at the comparison.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Little Town On The Ocean
We leave Nha Trang for Quy Nhon, making a few stops along the way. First, we head to the beach for a few hours, taking in the ocean and the fresh seafood. It was a little cold for the water, so we just sat on the beach and ate.
Next we stopped at the tomb of Han Mac Tu, a famous Vietnamese Poet. I guess every Vietnamese child knows his poems. I don't know who he is, but his grave looks cool.
Eventually, we make it to Quy Nhon. This is a small college town, kinda like Gainesville. With not much to do, we all decided to once again indulge in a cheap massage right at the hotel. We question whether or not this is a "legitmate" massage, because the first thing we notice is a giant menu of sorts with all the different girls. I end up with a decent looking one, but no happy ending ensues.
I Wish I Were Dead
The other reason was that I think I contracted norovirus. Whatever it was, it caused things to be violently expelled from both ends of my body. Plus I had a fever and the craziest chills I've ever seen. I was shaking vigorously in the sun in 90 degree weather with a blanket. Not good.
The good news, is that I got sick at a time on the tour where we weren't seeing any sights. The bad news, is that we weren't seeing any sights because we were traveling for 8-12 hours a day to get back home. On a bus. Across really crappy roads. I have never wished for death to be so swift.
After 3 days, we make it to Long Xuyen, where Kiet's parents give me a Vietnamese pharmacist's cocktail. It's 5 various pills. Fearing nothing, I take all five. The next day, I feel better, but not 100%. Kiet's parents give me cocktail number two: eight pills. Have the Vietnamese never heard of coating their medicines? I choke down all 8, and as of today, I feel pretty decent.
I don't know if I'll update any more posts before I make it back to the states. But now you know why I've been slacking.
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