Vietnamese God

Rangoon, Burma

2011-12-15T08:44:00.000+07:00

Rangoon is a fascinating city which reminds me a bit of Vietnam in the 80s. Every beaten up 1980s Datsun and Mazda is now on the roads in Rangoon, many of them operating as taxis. Interestingly, due to an assassination attempt a few years ago from the back of a motorbike, the ruling military put an immediate ban on the use of motor cycles in the city, a ruling which still stands today. So, unlike the cities of Vietnam, there are no two wheeled vehicles in Rangoon.

The architecture is beautiful old British style and not so different to what the French built in Vietnam in the colonial period. There are some really gorgeous old apartment buildings, many painted blue, green or pink. Sometimes these buildings are right next to something more functional or modern. This is interesting but occasionally very ugly.

Burmese people are incredibly friendly, apart from a few sellers near the famous temples. I understand why they have to be a bit pushy as their lives aren't that perfect. It's funny because I thought that the people would not be so positive and happy due to the political situation there but I saw them smile a lot during our trip, which is a great sign.

The temples in Rangoon are incredibly beautiful, very gold and shiny in the sunlight. I believe that the Burmese live their religion, which is mostly Buddhism, because I saw thousands of local people going to visit their temples everyday to pray and give offerings. It seems like a more peaceful experience than visiting the pagoda in Vietnam.

In five days, I didn't get to try as much food as I would like but it seems the food in Burma is influenced by Indian, Bangladesh and Chinese as well as some of the ethnic minority groups. It's quite an exciting food city, particularly the street food, which is my real interest. I really like the unique herbs, salads and pickles I tried. More on that in future posts.
In short, go to Rangoon now before too many tourists go there. It is amazing.

Bali Experiences

2011-11-15T00:05:00.002+07:00

My first time in Bali meant many first experiences.

Bali is a popular place for Aussie tourists as it is pretty close to Australia and there are many great deals from Garuda Airlines, direct and cheap. A lot of Aussie guys and girls love surfing and I didn't want to miss out so I took a lesson from Ketut, a young experienced local surfer on the beach. He charged $20 a lesson which was much cheaper than the expensive schools further along the beach. Finally, after some training on the sand, we entered the water and after a few wipe outs, I managed to stand up. I surfed! On the last day of our holiday, I went back to the beach again to have another practice. This guy Ketut is also a fake-tattoo artist so I got a tattoo on my arm as well. He is definitely a jack of all trades.

My second experience was a bike ride arranged by an Ubud gym. Wayan, one of the gym instructors, was on the duty for our ride from the mountainous Kintamani region back to Ubud. It was fun and we had such a great time. Along the 25km route, we stopped at quite a few different places. At a coffee plantation, we tasted coffee with vanilla, chocolate, and ginger as well as some teas. Later down the hill, we visited a carving village and the guy explained the way Balinese carve their gods and other products. Some of their big carvings take an amazing 6 months to complete but the income doesn't seem to match the time they put in. We also rode through the incredibly green rice fields and had lunch at a very small local restaurant. The young chef served us amazing traditional Balinese food and it turned out only $20 for 5 people including beers and soft drink. The bike trip was a real highlight.

The third experience was the Balinese dancing at the palace near the market in Ubud. What was very impressive to me about the way they dance is the movement of their eyes rolling around, their dresses and also the amazing gamelan music. It was quite a moving experience and I was very impressed by the way the Balinese not only promote their traditions to tourists but also the way they seem to live their unique culture every day.

I will definitely be making another trip to Bali some day because apart from all the things to do, it is also possible to really relax there.

Hanh Cafe

2011-10-27T22:05:00.001+07:00

Nguyen Huu Huan is a street full of cafes that I drive along almost every day. It's weird that I've never ever stopped in at any of these cafes to give them a try. But today my favorite cafe was way too busy and a friend recommended that I should taste the coffee at Cafe Hanh which is just a minute around the corner. As it was the weekend, they were busy as well but we landed a spot at the corner where two people had just left. On a bright and hot sunny day, we were lucky to be under the shade of a big old banyan tree.
Cafe culture in Hanoi is way different compared to the south, not necessarily in terms of the quality or quantity, but just about the atmosphere; the people spreading along the footpath, chatting and enjoying their coffee, no matter how busy or dangerous the street is. Having coffee in these kinds of locations is a great way to observe the happenings in the old quarter of Hanoi.

I love looking at the different ways people serve and even drink coffee in the old quarter. No matter if you are rich, famous or poor, everyone sits at the same kind of low tables and chairs. Most cafes in the old quarter use plastic chairs and tables because its very easy to collect them up especially when the police are patroling. Businesses are not supposed to take up the footpath with their goods or chairs and tables so when the police come, it's quite amusing. The customers stand up with their coffees while the staff move these plastic chairs so they will not be confiscated. Of course, it's back to normal after 5 minutes when the police have disappeared.

That's quite a normal part of Hanoi nowadays though I'm sure tourists get really confused if they experience it. But it's something that tourists shouldn't miss - sitting in the old quarter for half an hour, watching the craziness.
Don't forget to say, khong duong (no sugar) or it duong (only a little sugar) because black coffee comes with the sugar already in it. For white coffee, sweet condensed milk is always used. Yum!

Cafe Hạnh
51 Nguyễn Hữu Huân
Hoan Kiem - Hanoi

Offerings In Bali

2011-10-14T08:44:00.001+07:00

The offering ritual in Indonesia is a real highlight of a visit to Bali. The Balinese perform their offering to the gods every morning. The tray of offerings contains various kinds of flowers, usually picked from the surrounding gardens, small spoons of rice on banana leaves, crackers, cigarette and, of course, incense. Each little tray is placed around the house, on the garden altars, on doorsteps and on the streets. They spend hours just preparing, perhaps as much time as for a meal. They look amazing. Offerings are also placed on motorbikes and inside cars.

One interesting side effect of this daily ritual is that it provides food for the native wildlife. I have seen rats, birds and other animals, even squirrels, in town climbing up onto the altars to eat the offerings and wonder if this actually prevents them from going inside kitchens to rummage for food. Itbis definitely a special treat for these animals.

Observing this aspect of Balinese culture everyday was a very special experience.

Greetings From Ubud

2011-10-08T13:28:00.001+07:00

The main idea of going to Indonesia was to experience Ubud, where we spent two weeks staying at the Lala Lili Vilas in Penestanan. This little section of Ubud is located up 94 steps from the main road just after it crosses the river gorge. The two villas are behind a warung of the same name where we had breakfast any many other wonderful meals.

Lala villa is like a treehouse, open-air with the sleeping areas contained in two lofts. The swimming pool surrounds a little sheltered island where we spent many hours reading and relaxing. The atmosphere was filled with the sounds of birds, frogs and geckos. The gardens are lush with tropical plants and flowers and insects. In short, a perfect place to spend a holiday.

I discovered the neighborhood as much as possible by walking around, riding a bicycle and also driving a motorbike. Compared to Hanoi, the people in Ubud are much calmer in the traffic, even though the main streets in the town have traffic jams several times a day. One morning, my friends and I woke up pretty early and went to the local market, which operates as a food market first before changing at about 9am into a market for tourists where all kinds of souvenirs can be bought. The sellers are generally pretty open to bargaining but can be a bit touchy if you go low on price.

Our time in Ubud is nearly over but we intend to discover a bit more of the surrounding countryside over the next few days.

Postcard From Kuta - Bali

2011-10-03T13:54:00.002+07:00

I have arrived in Seminyak - Bali after a stopover at Singapore airport. It was actually a pleasant flight with acceptable food from Vietnam Airlines. The second sector of the flight with Singapore Airlines was real contrast and clearly Vietnam Airlines have a lot to learn. The level of service, the range of in-flight entertainment and the smiling faces of the crew are all lessons for my countries national airline.

The last few days on the coast in Bali have reminded me of my hometown, Nha Trang as there are many restaurants along the beach. The only difference is that the beach is not as beautiful. The people in Bali are gradually becoming more friendly to me. I sometimes think Asians treat each other differently than the way they treat western tourists. I'm not sure why - probably someone could write a research paper on that topic! I'm not worried about that as this is my holiday and I am going to enjoy it as much as possible.

We're staying at the Kusnardi Hotel where the hotel room is ok and the garden and pool are very beautiful. I have realized that most hotels on the coast and maybe in the whole of Bali have lovely design aspects with beautiful gardens and swimming pools. My other friends are staying at the Jayakarta, a very expensive hotel but they are very disappointed with the experience. We are lucky!

Indonesian food is great and we have tried many different dishes and most of them have been very tasty. Some places serve very slowly (in Bali time) such as the Tekor cafe on the beach and Be Tunu cafe on the main shopping road. I would recommend Tunu due to the great food; huge serves at a very reasonable price. This afternoon during my walk along the beach I tried noodles from a seller on a motorbike. The noodle he served was very nice included noodle, tofu, dried shallot, few different balls, mint and celery on the top just only 10,000.

Just few thing for the first post about Kuta Bali, a very interesting small town 20 minutes away from the airport with mostly Australian tourists. I think this is the second Australia as more than 90% tourists are from Australia. Most sellers and restaurant staff speak English with Aussie accent and sellers here are everywhere and it seems to balance to Aussie tourists. Most restaurants here have Australian flat around the place and in the middle of the restaurant, but NO Indonesian flag. Weird!!!!!

Angkor Wat - Siem Riep 4

2011-09-19T22:49:00.001+07:00

We took a day off from sightseeing to relax at the hotel pool and walk around the town, the old market and try some specialties of Siem Riep. Even though the weather was very hot my family loved the friendly atmosphere, nice people and the food from the old market. One of the highlights of the trip for me was that my mother, for the first time ever, at more than 70 years of age, got into a swimming pool to swim and she can swim every well. My nephew, my sister and I told her to walk into the pool to let her feet relax and take some photos with my sister. Then we pulled her into the middle of the pool for a bit of paddling. Truly a great moment to see!

On our last day at Siem Reap, our tuk-tuk driver Pheav took us to visit Banteay Srei Temple which has some of the most beautiful stone carvings in the world. This temple is about a 45 minute jouney by tuk-tuk from Siem Reap but we got a really good look at rural life in Cambodia along the road. My mother loved this temple the most because because of the carving and she was very impressed at the Cambodian government's efforts to maintain it so well. As UNESCO world heritage sites, they are obviously a very important source of revenue for the country.

Our next stop was the Ta Prohm Temple. My sister and my nephew couldn't believe those amazing huge trees growing throughout the temples and how nature and man's structures could become like one. We noticed this time that lots of restoration work was being carried out and that many foreign organisations help out.

Anyway, my family's visit to Siem Reap was great. We all learnt something new, about the different culture, experienced the beauty of the great temples and the charm of the Cambodians. The best thing from the trip was seeing the happiness that my mother showed after so many years of her working and sorting out the difficulties of our lives. Can't wait to make another trip somewhere next year with her.

Thanks to the Central Boutique Angkor staff and especially Mr Pheav for giving my family some great times in Siem Reap!!!!!

Rome

2011-09-12T01:01:00.002+07:00

In Rome, we returned the rental car after at least an hour of driving around lost with nothing but a useless Lonely Planet map. We scouted around central station for a hotel, eventually locating one in an old style building on the fifth floor. We bought hop-on-hop-off bus tickets to visit the famous places around Rome and it was really worth the money. It was a good way to get a first overview of the city before we started the real discovery on foot over the following days. I loved the Victor Emmanuel Monument and kept coming back to it. Even though it's way different and not as ancient as other famous buildings in Rome,it was my favourite. It's a magnet for tourists and difficult to get a good photo.

On our second day, we made our way to the Colosseum. And I had to pinch myself because I couldn't believe I was standing in front of it. The surrounding outside wall looked amazing but unfortunately we couldn't make it to visit inside as the queues were at least 2 hours long and Rome is so much more than one building. Good reason to come back :). So we walked around the Colosseum and I did a silly tourist thing and had my photo taken with the guys in Roman costumes. It was fun but expensive (€15, I think). My friends thought I was crazy but how many chances in your life to do that and look at the photo at the end of the trip, it was a highlight :).

The Trevi Fountain was another highlight and, like everything in Rome, it was packed with tourists, particularly Japanese. We threw coins into the fountain before heading to Piazza Navona, an amazing space filled with fountains and artists and restaurants. When I travel, I like to have things to remember places by so I bought some paintings. We sat down in one of the many restaurants for lunch and watched the artists at work. The statues by people like Bernini are, of course, incredible!

The next day I walked past the Lazio football club and I told myself that it would be a be crazy to miss an opportunity to see a match while in Italy. Luckily for me, five days in Rome coincided with the local derby between Lazio and AC Roma. The match wasn't that tough but the fans and the atmosphere was so great. I've watched football in Vietnam alot but I enjoyed this so much more. My friends aren't that keen on football so they went to visit museums and other places which is fair enough and they had a good day too.

There are so many things to say about Rome. It's impossible to know in only five days. Five months would not be enough!

Plant Sellers

2011-09-05T23:00:00.003+07:00

Street plant vendors are very common now in Hanoi in addition to the more noticeable flower sellers. After getting cheated a few times, I now know to check the plants very carefully before finalising any purchase from these vendors. Just remembering how I got cheated makes me feel silly but I do admire their endeavour, even though it's clearly not right.

At that time, as is my habit, I was sitting in front of Cafe Nang listening to the different conversations going on around me. I saw the plant vendor ride her bike past on the back of which was a very beautiful small bonsai covered with many gorgeous red flowers. After a round of bargaining, I thought I got a good deal. In fact, most of the customers in the cafe admired my bargaining skills and the flowers on the plant. Of course, two days later the flowers were dead. My friend checked them and we realized that the flowers had actually been pinned on, every single one of them. Hate that.

Another time, I got off my bike just opposite Cafe Nang, and noticed another seller with beautiful fire cracker flowers. I bought two plants and got them home safely. I went down to the Red River flats near my house to buy two new pots to plant them in. Great job, I thought to myself as I sat admiring them with a cool drink. Unfortunately, the next day the same friend pointed out that I'd been scammed again. This time the flowers had started to go moldy and I realised they'd been stuck in using elephant glue and I was so disappointed.

Bari

2011-08-29T22:33:00.001+07:00

We arrived in Bari after an overnight ferry from Igounamitsa. As usual, I got seasick but this time wasn't too bad compared to the last time by 'supercat'. After going through immigration, we took a taxi to find a hotel. This was probably a bad idea as he drove us on the scenic route before deciding to turn around and drop us at a B&B which ended up being only 4 minutes walk from the harbor. Anyway, the B&B was very reasonable and cute, the owner was a young woman who couldn't speak English but it worked out somehow with lots of smiles and gestures. We got a good deal for a one night stay. Her husband took us to the cafe near their house for breakfast. The standard of Italian or western breakfast is very much different compared to Vietnam. We had a simple breakfast of coffee/ juice, croissont and sugary donut but it was very nice. I've never been a big fan of espresso coffee but I decided that in italy I was going to try it. In Bari, I had my first but it was by no means my last!

Bari is a reasonably sized city with a gorgeous old quarter which we discovered and got lost in the whole time we were there. We had arrived on a lazy Sunday morning, so there wasn't much going on except for a terrible trashy market selling crap from China. I suggested that we try some pizza even though it was only 10am. But we were in Italy. We had to eat something Italian to start. In the afternoon, we walked around the central square near the old fish market where people were hanging out to listen to some local bands singing. Amongst the cafes and restaurants,there are also several old beautiful churches. We tried some local fried polenta with salt on the edge of the square and sat down listen to the music. Sitting there for half an hour of so, watching the passing parade was really fun. Later at the old pizza shop, we ordered a volcano pizza, a seafood pizza and a margarita pizza and some beers. Again, it was very nice having pizza in Italy. They weren't the greatest but we were sure there would be more to come.

The hotel owner offered to take us to the train station which was so nice of him. We were taking the morning train to Salerno, gateway to the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Salerno is a medium city with a spectacular old town and cobblestone boulevards, which we walked along on our first evening. It was lined with many beautiful clothes shops, restaurants and ice-cream shops. The mint chocolate and Baci ice-cream proved to be our favourites that night.
To be continued..

Dua Ca Muoi - Pickles

2011-08-25T00:00:00.002+07:00

Most Vietnamese women in northern Vietnam know how to make dua ca (pickles) well and my mother does, too. I have tried a few times when I was in Nha Trang but just couldn't make it right. Today, I walked pass Hang Muoi street and saw an old woman making it and my mouth started watering.

When I saw the woman hanging Dua vegetables on the side of an electric stand yesterday, I thought it'd be a great shot and I took a photo. Today, when I walked past again, she was sitting there making her specialty, going through the many different processes: the dried Dua veggies are laid in the hot sun for a few hours to wilt, after which they are well mixed with warm water and salt. They should taste a bit salty (no sugar is added). Lengths of spring onion are added and the Dua is ready to eat in 2 to 5 days. If you like the pickles a bit bitter then they can be eaten in a day. If you want to stirfry them, they are best after about four days of pickling.

In Hanoi, many typical Vietnamese restaurants serve stir fried Dua veggies with garlic, a little bit of tomato or sometimes with beef. In my opinion, it's better without beef as it has enough favor; the bit of sourness from the veggies, sweetness from the tomatoes, a little salt from fish sauce or soya sauce. It's a perfect match for beer and to eat with steamed white rice. It's actually a nice option for vegetarians, too...if you can get it without the beef, that is.

Angkor Wat - Siem Riep 3

2011-08-21T22:50:00.000+07:00

We left the hotel at 5 am and headed to Angkor Wat. As we approached, the sun was starting to rise up behind the amazing temple. The quiet of the morning and the early fresh cool wind blowing across our faces was a nice way to wake up. And what spectacular scenery. My mum said, "Angkor temple looks so beautiful and well maintained, why don't we have something as beautiful as this in Vietnam???" I told her that we have different things of beauty in Vietnam, from the north to the south, like the Cham towers, Halong Bay, and Phong Nha Cave, which are all world heritage sites, too.

Anyway, we sat outside and watched the sunrise for about an hour, before walking into the temple to start our day. My main duty was explaining the site and taking photos for everyone. Thank god that I like photography and I enjoy doing this kind of work. My sister and my nephew love having thier photo taken and I spent most of the time focusing on them in different corners of the site.

We walked toward the entrance and we saw a group of 30 very loud Chinese people talking to each other. We tried to avoid them but they seemed everywhere. I think this kind of place needs quiet for people to enjoy its peaceful beauty instead of shouting and arguing.

Our great regular guide Pheav next took us to Bayon Temple and he told us about its history when we arrived and offered us water that he had prepared in an ice container. We very much appreciated his attention to this kind of detail. I told my mother this is my favorite temple in Siem Riep and this is the third time I had been here, the first 2 times during my first trip last year. We were all wondering how people in that generation could make these amazingly huge statues and erect them on hilltops. We spent more than an hour wandering around and taking heaps of photos, of course!!! On the way out, we saw quite a few old women sitting inside the entrance chatting in their traditional costumes after finishing their prayers. I wish I could speak Cambodian so that I could have got some special information about the temples in Siem Riep and especially Bayon temple.

Anyway, after a few hours my mother looked a bit tired and we decided to head back to the hotel to have lunch and jump into the hotel pool to cool down. Later in the day, we went to the night market at about 6 for dinner
To be continued...

Kastraki

2011-08-17T21:48:00.000+07:00

Near the end of our time in Northern Greece, we arrived in Kastraki, the town at the foot of the world famous monasteries of Meteora. I was so excited to be there, to be able to visit this amazing landscape. We checked into a guesthouse nearby - run by a 60 year old Greek woman who had spent many years living in Australia - with fabulous views. Again, we were virtually the only travellers in town, which was kind of pleasant. We had the town to ourselves. While we were in Kastraki, unfortunately the weather was quite wet, forcing us to relax in the hotel for a couple of hours before walking down to the town for a wonder. We stopped at a small restaurant and had our lunch, the owner of which showed his upset face for no reason. May be he had an argument with his wife before we showed up. Anyway, we ordered a few dishes, tried to get a smile out of him and enjoyed his food despite it all.

Back at the hotel we started hearing music and the owner told us that the next day would be a special anniversay of a famous Greek victory over the Germans. We drove up there to have a look at the preparations, the music and the kids dancing. At the window of the town ouzerie, we saw the owner singing and dancing to Greek music as he served a single customer dinner. We immediately decided that this was the place for us. He was totally pissed and hilarious but he had a very nice voice and also he cooked brilliantly. We ordered some grilled sausages, Greek salad of course and Ouzo. He served the longest sausage I've ever had in my entire life, too big for the dish and it tasted amazing.

We started our monastery visiting the next day a bit earlier than usual as we wanted to visit as many as possible. Unfortunately some are closed on certain days. Anyway, we visited as many as we could and they were all amazing. I wondered at how the people could build so many monasteries that looked like they were hanging on the side of the rocky mountains. The walking paths up to them were beautiful both because of the view and the workmanship. After one visit, while I was waiting for my friends to come down, I talked to the ticket seller and he was so funny. He asked me where I was from and I responded. He tried to express that he knew Vietnam by acting out the shooting of a gun and said America and something else in Greek but I think he wanted to mention the Vietnam War. I'm so happy to know that at least someone in such a remote place knows about my country and he must know that we won the war. Thanks for that mate, I very much appreciated that. We had a brilliant day and yes, I can't believe I've been there.

To be continued....

Cafe Nang

2011-08-14T17:20:00.003+07:00

For the last 10 years I've been drinking coffee at the same cafe in the middle the old quarter. It sounds like I'm a creature of habit but I love the coffee here, the people and the customers. I meet other regular customers all the time and sometimes we have a chat. Sometimes they help me to buy produce from the travelling vendors such as flowers, food, meat or sometimes order my lunch.

I would say Cafe Nang, 6 Hang Bac street is one of the oldest cafe in town and is busy for most of the opening time. The owner is an old lady with a very sweet smile who wakes up everyday at about 3am to prepare the coffee before walking around Hoan Kiem lake for exercise before heading up to her favorite Pho shop for breakfast. She gets back to her shop (the house is upstairs)and returns to sleep until 12 or 1 pm. Then she goes down to help her daughter to run the cafe. She makes the best coffee, even better than her daughter. The cafe also serves seasonal juices as well, passion fruit juice being my favorite and the staff know that I like to drink it with the seeds while other customers don't. The cafe's staff changes sometimes but they do remember the customers' choices very well and for me, it's white coffee with lots of condensed milk. Whenever I sit down, my coffee is put on my table instantly and tastes perfect every time. Can't complain at all!!!!

While there are an increasing number of cafes around the old quarter, it doesn't seem to impact on her business. The reputation of Cafe Nang is obviously strong. Customers sit on low wooden chairs at low wooden tables and in the peak times, people have to sit on the other side of the road but nobody seems to worry about that. They come to Cafe Nang to enjoy the coffee and the great atmosphere. observing the tourists walking by. It's probably the best place for people watching in Hanoi.

There have been quite a lot of famous publications that have visited Hanoi and Cafe Nang is often part of their story. I'm sometimes involved in their stories as an interpreter to help the journalists to understand a bit more about the cafe and its proprietor's life. She took over from her father in law after he died and has been running the original Cafe Nang for just over 60 years. She buys her own coffee from the centre of Vietnam, stores it on the forth floor and roasts it herself twice a week. When the coffee is roasting, the area surrounding the cafe is full of the aroma of coffee. She told me she gets a lot of satisfaction from making coffee but she just cant do it all the time as she's getting old. She has transferred her experience to her children and they have since opened two other Cafe Nangs in town but they aren't as popular as the original.
If you are visiting Hanoi, come and enjoy the great coffee here. The price is the same for both tourists and locals. There is no need to worry about being ripped off here at Cafe Nang.
For a good coffee every time, you can't beat Cafe Nang.
Cafe Nang
6 Hang Bac

Angkor Wat - Siem Riep 2

2011-08-12T06:48:00.000+07:00

On our first day in Siem Reap, after traveling from Nha Trang, we relaxed for most of the afternoon at the hotel and then walked to the night market for dinner and a bit of shopping. We wondered around the night market for about an hour then we sat down at one of the many food stall around the area. We picked quite a few different dishes including rice, noodles and some stirfried veggies to taste the Cambodian style. As a chef, my sister loved Cambodian cuisine very much. It's a bit similar to Vietnamese dishes but there is something special in their style.

I encouraged my mum to try the fish massage and after a few refusals, she joined with us and she laugh so much. It is not very often that I see my mum so happy since my father and my eldest sister passed away. I realized, sometimes just a very simple thing could make somebody just that happy. I'm glad she tried a new thing like that. Mr Pheav, our great tour guide and tuk tuk driver came and after I took the family home, I headed to pub street to discover the Siem Riep night life. I stopped at a cafe and sat outside drinking a mojito and watched people walking past. I have to admit that there are heaps of prostitutes around, walking up and down trying to find clients.

I felt bored after an hour and took a tuk tuk back to the hotel at 10.30pm. A sunrise tour to Angkor Wat was waiting for me and my family at 5am. I was sure my family would love this amazing view just I did the first time. My mum was still awake when I got back and my nephew was in the pool swimming. I joined him for a few laps then headed to bed. This is such a beautiful hotel, very quiet compared to crazy, noisy Hanoi. I was sure to sleep well before the early start the next day.
To be continued......

North Greece

2011-08-08T22:11:00.002+07:00

During my second trip to Greece we headed to the northern part of Greece, famous for its beautiful mountains and monasteries. I had heard a little about those amazing monasteries located on the side or top of the rocky hills and I couldn't wait to be there and enjoy the great views and the ambience. But before reaching there, we passed quite a few amazing places in the Zagorahoria area north of Ioannina.

We visited Vradeto to walk up the renowned Vikos Gorge to view the beautiful scenery. We arrived a bit late in the tiny town after a long drive through the region. We parked our car at a small hotel and tried to work out when was the best time to do the hiking. We met the restaurant owner inside the place and a few of his regular customers eating and drinking wine. After a long chat, we realized that people only spent their summer time in the town to serve tourists and now being Autumn, there are only a few people staying in to take care of their houses. These regular customers were helping their relatives to build a house nearby. One of the young guy came over to our table and talk to us. He spoke very good English and we had a nice conversation. He explained a bit about the culture of the local area, the food and travel around this area. We decided to stay overnight and do the hiking the next morning. Unfortunately, there was no heater during the night (the temperature was only 3 to 5 degrees). We were the only people in the restaurant and the owner gave us extra blankets and it wasn't too bad. I went down stairs in the morning to ask for hot water to clean my face and the owner was already in the kitchen preparing our breakfast. He's a really funny man and a really good cook and we enjoyed his food very much.

It took us 45 minutes to walk up to the Vikos Gorge, truly beautiful even along the walk. There are quite a few different animals accompanied by their keepers walking up the mountain with us as well, cows with bells, deers, dogs... Very nice and peaceful atmosphere. We stood up there for a while enjoying the cool fresh air, the view and took some photos. Absolutely love this place heaps!!!! We walked back to the restaurant and headed further north to Kastoria, on the edge of western Macedonia. After checking into a B&B, we drove outside of this pretty town on Lake Orestiada. We wanted to visit the Prespe Lakes region, which sits right on the border of Greece, Macedonia and Albania. We reached a small village where we saw a man selling different pickles in jars and they tasted so nice. We walked toward the end and we found a restaurant for our lunch. We had to admit that we had the best meal for a long long time. Thank god we found this town for our great experience with totally traditional great northern Greek dishes.

Hanoi Scams

2011-08-06T21:49:00.001+07:00

Pickpockets and other kinds of scams are common-place in Hanoi these days. One of the most prevalent scams in Hanoi is the professional charity collectors. This is what happens; there are two people, the girl dresses up nicely and speak English quite well, and the man rides the motorbike. They always look for single middle aged tourists.

They carry a book with a long list of western tourists and the number of dollars they have donated, of course with signatures. They have cheated so many tourists in Hanoi. Last year, I met an American woman in Siem Riep who told me about a young girl who approached her while she was in Hanoi, using the same story. When I told her that it was a scam, she was horrified.

I've witnessed the scam myself. Yesterday, when I was buying some food for my dog near the Dong Xuan market, I saw a girl speaking with a young male tourist. Finally, she got what she wanted but further drama followed. The tourist gave her some US dollars and there was a $1 note which was a bit old and she refused to take it, asking him to change the note. He didn't have another note and she tried and tried for about 10 mintues but the guy refused to give her a better note. She actually got angry with him, jumped on the back of the motorbike and took off. Today again, when I was having my regular coffee at Cafe Nang in Hang Bac street, I saw a very young, pretty girl doing the same thing to a young guy but after 10 minutes trying he kept refusing. She was very mad, said something in Vietnamese which I couldn't hear then sped away.

Fruit sellers in the old town are another annoying night mare to tourists. There is a group of young women who carry small amounts of pineapples and bananas. They try to put their baskets on the shoulders of tourists, thinking it would be a good photo, then force them to buy their fruit at an exhorbitant price. They often charge $3 for a small bag of pineapple instead of 50 cents. Sometimes, these women shout at the tourists when they don't get their own way. Occasioanlly, other old quarter residents shout at these scammers to leave the tourists alone, some even threatening to call the police.

Everybody needs to work to earn money but these kinds of scams give Hanoi and Vietnam a bad name. The local authority really should do something about it.

Angkor Wat - Siem Riep 1

2011-08-03T21:45:00.001+07:00

I promise myself that I would take my mother to one country in South East Asia every year and I have been doing it for the last 3 years. My brothers and sisters also contribute some money for the trip and I'm more than happy to take my mum with me. She has been to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and this year I took her to Angkor Wat - Cambodia. As with other trips, Minh, my sister joined us along with my nephew, Phong.

We arrived in Saigon from Nha Trang at 5.30 am and we took a taxi directly to Tan Son Nhat International Airport as we were leaving Saigon at 9.45 am and my family were so worried about missing our flight. Anyway, we didn't, and arrived in Siem Reap after about an hour flight. I could see from their eyes that my family were very excited about being there to discover one of the most famous world heritage sites in the world.

We got picked up by the Central Boutique Resort staff. The very warm welcome and big smiles from the staff made all of our tiredness disappear. The hotel is centrally located, about 7 minutes walk to the night market and pub street which is very convenient. I loved the resort's pool and the welcome drink of tea, the sweet staff and the strong free wifi. My nephew and I decided to jump into the pool after checking in to refresh ourselves. So cool!

We had lunch at the hotel and I was very impressed with the presentation of the food. I never saw a sour face from any of the hotel staff either - the whole time we were there. No wonder the hotel is busy most of the time!!! I felt bad that I didn't use their tour services but I had already booked a tour guide whose services I had used last year, Mr Sopheara Pheav. He is one of the best tour guides in town, charges a very reasonable price, speaks good English, and has good knowledge about his great home town.

My family loved travelling around by tuk tuk especially since my mother and my sister get car sickwhen they go by regular car.The tuk tuk also allowed us to have a really good look at the surrounding scenery as we went along. Anyway, Pheav met us on the first afternoon as we planned by email to discuss our tours the next few days. I didn't really want to do a tour everyday because my mother is over 70 now. I wanted to see her enjoy the amazing temples slowly and feel it instead of rushing around like other tourists. Pheav and I negotiated a suitable plan and he recommended that we bought a 3 day pass which cost $40 per person and is valid for a week. We started out journey the next day to see the sunrise and my favorite Bayon temple.
To be continued .....

Steamed Prawns In Coconut Juice

2011-07-31T10:20:00.005+07:00

I think seafood a pretty popular choice for the most of the world's population. And for me prawns are the most special as we can cook it in so many ways. I usually cook seafood according to my best friend's recommendations; her family owns a well-known seafood restaurant in Nha Trang called Gio ("Wind") at 86 Tran Phu Street.

Yesterday, after a morning street food tour with my clients, I stopped by my regular seafood shop at the Nghi Tam market to buy some prawns for dinner. I decided to cook steamed prawns with coconut juice for dinner. This is one of my favorite dish and not very difficult to make, only needing a few minutes to cook. I got the recipe from my friend in Nha Trang. Let me know what you think.
Ingredients: Coconut juice, prawns, garlic
Boil the coconut juice, add the garlic (lightly mashed) and prawns for about 7 minutes.
Serve it with mixed salt, pepper, chili and lemon.
Don't forget to have a glass of white wine or beer when you enjoy this delicious and healthy prawn dish.

Nha Trang - Wedding

2011-07-29T07:30:00.001+07:00

I went back to Nha Trang to attend my cousin Huyen's wedding. that was the main purpose and the other reason was to take my mother, sister and my niece on a short trip to visit Siem Riep. I'm always happy to be at home with my family and also to visit old friends.

I have been to so many weddings before, mostly in the north and they are celebrated differently compared to the south. Anyhow, I like to see the ceremony of gift giving between the parents to their children and their relatives as well. Everyone loves posing for photos and sometimes I had to be patient as it takes a little while just putting the earings or necklace on the bride.

In the evening, everyone went to the hotel reception centre for dinner and the main wedding celebration including opening champagne and cuting the 5 storey cake. There was entertainment on the stage while people were eating and the MC also asked if anyone would like to come up to the stage and sing a song to congratulate the young couple. My nephews from Lam Dong and Hanoi came up and sang 3 songs, even Huyen's father - Mr Hop came up and sang 2 songs. It was so funny !!!!

The wedding was very well organized by the reception centre though the entertainment was a bit over the top at times. They served very delicious food and the staff were really helpful. Everyone had a great time at the wedding and we finished at 9pm. While the other guests went home, my mother, my sister, my niece and I went to the railway station to catch a late night train to Saigon before the morning flight to Siem Riep. More on that later.
Congratulations to Huyen and Tuan, all the best for your future happiness.

Bangkok

2011-07-25T22:46:00.000+07:00

On the trip to Bangkok last year with Mum, we stayed at the Vista Residence Bangkok. This is kind of a boutique hotel, small, great food and extremely friendly. The receptionist is the hotel owner's daughter who had been studied hospitality in Switzerland so she's fluent in English and basically she knows how to manage a hotel very well. After the political problems last year, the hotel gave a great promotion for accommodation such as stay 1 night get 1 night free and Internet and breakfast which was great for us as we were staying in Bangkok for 4 nights. The hotel is located about 200 meters away from the National Stadium and the sky train station is nearby which was pretty convenient. We used the skytrain everyday to go to the shopping centres and different places around Bangkok. One of the other highlight of the hotel was the food as the chef served delicious food with nice presentation.

Following the recommendation of the hotel staff, we took the skytrain to Chit Lom, one of the biggest shopping centers in Bangkok which seemed to be having lots of sales. We wandered around the center for about 2 hours and I bought a tennis bag, tennis shoes and my family bought too much stuff to mention. There were so many sales but unfortunately they are still more expensive compared to Hanoi especially sport stuff.

The next day, we hired a taxi to the floating market and on the way back we visited the King's Palace. My family had a great day and a funny thing happened involving my sister trying to pay for a postcard. She wanted to pay for 1 more postcard but her English is limited and they had a very funny argument which we were laughing out loud about on the way back to the hotel. My sister said "More One" instead of "One More" and the seller didn't understand.

During our stay, we also visited some pagodas, markets and night life in Bangkok. We all loved the foot massages and we had one almost every night after the long days discovering Bangkok.

My family enjoyed Bangkok very much especially my mum. She particularly loved the pagodas around Bangkok and the hotel staff. Thanks heaps to the hotel staff and the taxi driver who all treated us so well. Hopefully I'll see Bangkok again in the near future.

Photo Shoot

2011-07-23T14:24:00.008+07:00

My friends Anne and Arno are leaving Vietnam for good after nearly 10 years here. They are moving to Bangladesh. I think it must have been truly hard for them to leave though. But life goes on and they are both still quite young and full of energy. I'm kind of sad and happy with their choice as I know it will be good for their careers.

Just before they left Hanoi, Anne mentioned something about doing a photo shoot around Hanoi, like the Vietnamese wedding studios do. For fun. So I offered to help them to make it happen as a gift.

On the Monday before they left, we mapped out a few locations around Hanoi and set off. Being summer, the lotus flowers were out so we thought that could be the theme of the photo shoot. They would look brilliant in the photos. We took shots around the West Lake lotus ponds and on the bamboo boat and in amongst the lotus petals being harvested to flavour tea. I coached Anne a bit to act it up and in the end she was so great. I was really impressed.

After that, we went to the road where many of Hanoi's flower sellers set up shop and we made sure to get the crazy traffic in the background. Because she's been living here so long, Anne wasn't scared at all standing in the middle of the road. She momentarily became a professional super model. We were having such fun!

Before moving on to Hoan Kiem Lake, we stopped at Anne's favorite pagoda in town. Unfortunately it was closed but we spent some time outside the pagoda and the pictures worked out very well. Anyway, we stopped at Hoan Kiem Lake for about 30 minutes to take some shots of the old gate then moved up to the Huc Bridge where most young Vietnamese take their pre- wedding photos.

We had such a great, fun day and the photos turned out very well. We wish you luck in Bangladesh. I very much appreciated your compan over the past years and keep in touch.

Italy

2011-07-21T23:00:00.002+07:00

For the 3 weeks in October last year discovering Italy by car, ferry, bus and train, I had just an amazing time. I didn't need to force myself to love anything. My love for the great food, the wine and the people was automatic and unconditional.

You would think it would be a very easy question to answer if someone asked me about my favorite place in Italy but it's very hard to answer indeed. Venice, Milan, Rome, Florence, Bari, Salerno or Naples are all incredible places as they are all really beautiful and each of them offers a different perspective.

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of coffee and in Vietnam, I usually drink coffee with lots of condensed milk. One day during our time in Rome, I refused to use the public toilet at the railway station because they were charging 1.5 euro. I walked across the road to use the toilet in a cafe and had the best espresso (and a pee) for only 0.80 euro. From that day, I started to drink espresso every day and sometimes I had quite a few.

A funny story I can recall related to the squid pasta I ordered in Venice. During the meal, my friends were laughing at me and I wondered why. I went to the bathroom and I was shocked to see I had a very black mouth. I decided I would never eat squid pasta anymore even though I actually loved it very much.

In Venice, I couldn't believe the restaurants served prosecco as the house wine. Along with the Spritz, a cocktail popular in the north of Italy, the prosecco was a special experience. I've never really been a sparkling wine drinker but now I'm converted. When we got back from Italy, I vistited the local wine shop and have had at least one in the fridge ever since.

I know it has taken me a long time to start blogging again. I hope I can write a few more posts about Italy while the memories are still fresh.

Greek Experiences

2011-01-25T09:09:00.003+07:00

During my second trip to Greece late last year, I went to the north to visit the mountainous parts and the monasteries. For some of the time, we were lucky with the weather while on other days it was rainy and actually quite chilly. But when the country is Greece and everything is new, it doesn't really matter what the weather is like.

The highlight of this part of the trip was the amazing monasteries of Meteora. I couldn't visit all of them mostly due to the fact that they keep differing hours and many of the ones we stopped at were closed. But being on the top of them, looking over the landscape, I felt so great - like I was on top of the world. Beautiful!!! I would recommend this place in greece for anyone travelling there.

The food and wine in the north of Greece was also a highlight. I love to try all different kinds of wine and food as do most people when they travel. I remember we went to have dinner at a local restaurant and the owner was quite a character, singing and dancing traditional music with his other local customers. That was so nice to be there and enjoy the atmosphere. They were so friendly to us and also served delicious local specialties.

He was actually quite drunk and his wife seemed to be rolling her eyes as he danced around singing and taking orders. We ate the longest sausage I've ever seen, along with fantastic lamb and pork chops, rich and delicious dips and bread and the usual Greek salad, which I love.

This night we actually were drinking ouzo and raki instead of wine. It was a really fun two nights in the monastery village of Kastraki.

Ruou Sim Bay Gao

2011-01-11T21:10:00.004+07:00

On my last trip to Phu Quoc, I stopped at Bay Gao Sim wine house and work shop. The proprietor is the first man to make Sim wine in Phu Quoc using the traditional central highland style of one of the minority groups. He started making it over 20 years ago but started his own business in just the last 14 years.

This special Sim fruit is grown in Phu Quoc and only bears fruit for a very short season from February to April. To make the wine, Mr Bay Gao needs to buy from the growers in the forest then ferments it for 3 months.

This wine is apparently good for upset stomachs and sleeplessness. It tastes a little bit like red wine and is also said to relieve stress, guard against physical tiredness and prevent bladder infections. Like so many kinds of alcohol in Vietnam, it seems to be a miracle cure.

Address : Sime Wine Bay Gao
124 Duong 30/4, Khu Pho 1. THi Tran Duong Dong, Huyen Phu Quoc - Kien Giang

Finally, I am back!!!!!

2011-01-10T18:25:00.010+07:00

Sorry readers that I have been slack at posting new articles. But I am back as I have a bit more time to write about Hanoi and other destinations that I have been to lately, also ocassionally about one of my favorite topics, food.

It's winter now in Hanoi and it's really cold. I don't particularly love winter but Hanoi winter is special as you can see beautiful flowers everywhere along the roads. There are so many yummy winter specialties to try. I'm going to write about some of these delicious dishes and my own experiences of winter.

Steamed Rice with Salt and Sesame/ Com Nam Muoi Vung

2010-07-18T20:33:00.000+07:00

I always go to my favorite Cafe Nang for coffee after lunch or sometimes after breakfast with my good friends. Last week, I saw a woman carrying her baskets past the shop. Some women inside the cafe called her in and bought some small packages wrapped in paper. I wondered what was inside the paper.

The owner of the Cafe Nang told me it was called Com Nam Muoi Vung / Steamed Rice with salt and sesame. I've actually eaten these before but most of the time my friends put them on plates and also my mother used to put them into a bowl for me to take to school.

I love this rice cake very much and I ate them all in one go. The lady in the shop told me that this dish was eaten by poor people in the past and that it's also a popular snack to pack on day trips to pagodas in the countryside. I'll definitely be up for another serve at only 4000 dong/serve.

Saigon, July 2010

2010-07-13T21:03:00.002+07:00

I'm in Saigon for a few days before taking some members of my family to Bangkok for a short vacation. The weather in Saigon is a bit different to Hanoi but I like Saigon as it always cool from 4pm which is much better. At the moment it's rainy season which helps keep temperatures down a bit.

Yesterday, when I wandering around the market in the afternnon when I realised my Iphone had gone. I'm very upset with myself for not being more careful with my bag. Normally in Hanoi I know exactly what's going an around me and where my phone is. I just lost concentration for a second and it was gone!

I'm trying not to let this incident ruin my holiday but it's hard. After trying to call the phone a few times I gave up and went back to the hotel. Later in the evening I went out for some snacks, including duck eggs and crabs with tamarind sauce. This made me feel better but I'm still thinking about the phone.

I was trying to take few photos of the food but I couldn't get them in focus, which I hate. There must have been something wrong with me at the time. I decided to walk back to the hotel for an early night. The next day I returned and had more success taking photos of the food. I really love eating from this old lady who has quite a striking face. She is quite a character, smoking, swearing and laughing with all of her customers. She rocks everybody who comes to her stall.

I also went to my favorite Hu Tiu vendor for breakfast. It was great to see she remembered me and what I normally order as extras such as fresh beanshoots, a bit more dried onion... The only thing that she doesn't know is that I don't eat lots of meat and noodles now because I am trying to loose some weight and workout on my belly. Anyway, I went back to her shop for every breakfast and the day I left early for Bangkok, I got up extra early for another serve of noodles.

A smile and a wave from her was a great start to my trip.

Traveling

2010-07-09T17:26:00.004+07:00

I have been to Bangkok quite a few times and even though it's actually an interesting city, it's not my favourite destination. I'm going back to Bangkok this time to take my mother and sisters for a short trip to fullfill my promise to take my mother to one country in southeast every year. My sister and I took her to Malaysia and Singapore 2 years ago and she loved it very much.

I hope the Thai drama is over as my family are a bit worried and I had to spend hours trying to convince them that is was safe. One of my friends told me, as a joke I think, that we should take some red shirts which may help if the trouble starts again :). Anyway, I hope Mum enjoys our trip to Bangkok.

Miss Wong Bar

2010-07-06T08:35:00.002+07:00

In the last trip to Siem Reap, following the hotel staff's recommendation, we went to Miss Wong cocktail bar for a drink after dinner. I was quite impressed about this Chinese - Shanghai old style bar which is inspired by the owner's impression of Miss Wong from China.

It's totally different compared to the rest of the bars in Siem Reap which were all modern and a bit tasteless. Miss Wong is lit with low red lights, chinese style tables and chairs and interesting photos. I do love their menus designed sharplywith Miss Wong photos on the top.

They make very nice cocktails particularly the Mojito and Margarita. I also enjoyed the China white cocktail very much and I think the staff have been trained very well. They speak quite good english and they are very friendly.

Anyway, good to know another place in a small town to hang out next time and have some of the best cocktails in town.
Address : The Lane , Siem Reap behind pub street
Phone : 855/92.428.332

Ta Prohm Temple

2010-07-03T16:50:00.007+07:00

So many things have been said about Ta Prohm temple but this is the comment that best sums it up for me:"If Angkor Wat, the Bayon and other temples are testimony to the genius of the ancient Khmers, Ta Prohm reminds us equally of the aweome fecundity and power of the jungle" (Lonely Planet Cambodia)

Siem Reap is the northern city home to the Great Angkor Wat Temple, the most popular destination for tourists in Cambodia. People usually know about Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom which are the well known temples rather than the many smaller gorgeous temples around the area. I was particularly impressed by the temple called Ta Prohm or Tree - Strangled Temple. This temple is 800 years old and has lots of enormous beautiful trees, a great example of nature and manmade structure as one. The tree roots twisting around and on top of these temples look like the tentacles of a giant sleeping octopus. This unique appearance of the temple attracts thousands of tourists every year even though the weather isn't that pleasant throughout the year, averaging 34 degrees. Interesingly, Tom Raider, the 2001 film starring Angelina Jolie helped to spread the world about this amazing feat of architecture.

About a hundred meters walk from the beautiful entrance you can see the first temple with a large front quadrangle surrounded by several tall trees reaching to the sky. Walking through this temple complex is exciting, with trees and roots blending into the temples at every turn. It's like an enormous sculpture. The camera was working overtime!

And I think, in this case, the pictures are better than words...

Novotel Hotel

2010-06-05T15:12:00.004+07:00

While I've been living in Hanoi, a hotel rennaissance has been occuring in Nha Trang, Vietnam's south central coast beach resort and, also, my hometown. The long and natural bay lends itself to this kind of development, with many of the big players in international hotels moving in to claim their plot of beach front. Tran Phu Street, the boulevard running parallel to the beach, is turning into Vietnam's Gold Coast.

I wanted to check out what all the fuss is about. Of course, normally when I'm home I stay with family and when I'm on holiday I stay at family run mini-hotels, so the four-star Hotel Novotel Nha Trang is a big deal for me. A recommendation had come from a friend in the trade and when I was offered a room upgrade as I checked in, I must say that this little experience of luxury was quite nice for a change.

The hotel boasts that every room has a seaview; in some hotels that could mean out of the bathroom window. Not so here. A blue panorama of sea and islands can be seen through full length windows from air-conditioned comfort or from each room's balcony, where Nha Trang's famous afternoon seabreeze takes the edge off the heat of the day. Sunrise in the morning is truly a spectacular sight which one need not get out of bed for. That's a bonus!

The room decor is purple on white and there is no hint of Vietnam in the design or the finish. They have avoided the cliched images of girls in ao dai and there is not a lacquer vessel in sight. Maybe there is a Novotel template of room design. The shiny chrome reading lamps are a classy touch by the bedside, which is a couple of steps up on a mezzanine of sorts. This creates a sense of spaciousness, with desk space for laptops, glasses for the main drinking occasions, sofa and the balcony and outdoor setting down below.

And don't forget the sea, which really is the star feature of the room!

Outside of the room, there is lots to enjoy, including a pool, fitness centre and massage service; all quite typical I guess for regular guests at the Novotel and other high-end hotels. My outside of the room experience was spent mostly with friends and family at the local eateries but I did enjoy a beer at the hotel's main restaurant, The Square, which almost feels as if it is located on the beach.

Indeed, the sea seems to be the recurring theme at the Novotel Nha Trang.
Novotel Nha Trang Hotel
50 Tran Phu Street
Telephone:(+84)58/6256900

Misa's Birthday

2010-05-27T19:36:00.006+07:00

I've had my dog for five years and for the first time since 2005, I decided to have a small celebration for my king, Misa. We cooked some roasted chicken, steamed some corn and made some salad and said cheers for misa with some wine, Russian beers and Belgium beers plus a birthday cake for dessert. I made a small slideshow to show my friends of Misa's life from the first day up to now. It was fun and my friends loved the photos very much. You have to admit, Misa is pretty cute.

We usually take Misa on our trips so that he has been to quite a few places around Vietnam, including Quan Lan island, Tam Dao, Nha Trang and Hoi An... He loves going on the motorbike and in taxis. He's even been on Vietnam Airlines!

He is a very good dog who obeys my commands very well because we trained him well but he only understands English. My friends also love Misa very much. He loves having a shower very much, standing up on the side of the bathtub to let me shower him. A special thing about him is that he doesn't really like to eat dog biscuits but he loves eating rice from Com Binh dan restaurants and duck eggs.

When we used to live in Cao Ba Quat street, I usually took him to Lenin Park which was close by for him to play. Since we moved to Nghi Tam, he loves going to the Thang Loi Hotel to run up and down the grass hill then we walk back home.

Tam Dao 2010

2010-05-26T00:10:00.001+07:00

A week ago, I took a short trip with my friends to Tam Dao, a hill station about 90 km from Hanoi. Like so many Hanoians, they have recently bought a car and, according to Vietnamese custom, whenever you buy something new, you have to celebrate with friends. It also meant we could escape from the horrible heat of last week. During the week is the best time to go to Tam Dao as it's very quiet compared to weekends. It seemed there was only us and about 10 other tourists also from Hanoi.

I have been to Tam Dao several times during the past 8 years and it never seems to change much but there do appear to be more guest houses. The last few times I've usually stayed in a small guest house on the top street of Tam Dao, but I changed my mind this time to stay near the market which is close to the main street where the restaurants and shops are located. After checking out a few different guest houses, we picked Mai Hoa guest house which only coat a cost of only 100,000Vnd per night. The hotel was very clean, the proprietor and staff were friendly and they served great food. The only thing that they didn't have was airconditioning but in Tam Dao it's hardly necessary as it's always cool and a bit chilly in the evenings. In fact, I needed to use the colorful blanket provided to keep me warm.

We had lunch at the hotel the first day, which of course included the local specialty vegetable, Susu. I ate so much of this vegetable during my trip there along with wild boar and wild chicken. For our second meal, we went out for dinner to a restaurant near the hotel but like so many restaurants in these kinds of semi-remote tourist destinations, it was very expensive. I hate it when they just make up the price. As a consequence, we decided to eat at the hotel for the rest of the trip and the good thing was they served us at our balcony on the second floor with a very nice view of Tam Dao.

On the last day, we went to visit a temple called Tay Thien Quoc Mau, which is reached by climbing up about over 100 steps to the top of the hill. The Tam Dao people are investing to make it bigger and now it's almost finished, and includes many statues. I wondered how they could transport all the huge Buddha statues up the hill as it was very steep and hard to climb. Anyway, we spent about 30 minutes there praying, taking photos before going the same distance down the hill to see the Thac Bac waterfall, which my friends hadn't seen before. I felt exhausted on the way back up even though I exercise very regularly. We stopped quite a few times in between to relax and take some photos of the surrounding countryside. Sweating when we reached the township, we decided to take a dip in one of the other hotel's swimming pools. Buy, that felt good.

Finally, after two nights, it was time to get back to reality, back to Hanoi to face the heat and work. I really didn't want to leave as Tam Dao's so peaceful. I need to go back here in the near future. Thanks to all of my friends for the fun times.

Fishing And Lunch

2010-05-23T16:40:00.002+07:00

Many Hanoians went to other cities or to the beach for their Independence Day and May Day Holidays. I not keen on that as wherever you choose to go on these national holidays is generally very crowded and really expensive. So instead,my ex-colleages and I went to Thang Long retreat in Gia Lam for a day. This retreat is such a peaceful place with small bungalows located around a lake from where you can fish. When we arrived, we had the place to ourselves but 2 hours later, the crowds we were trying to avoid showed up. Some were turned away because the place was full. I really appreciated the fact that my friends had booked and ordered from the menu a few days in advance.

I've tried fishing before but I wasn't patient enough to catch any fish. My friends didn't seem to be very interested either so we played cards and drank a few beers, and had a wander about to see if anyone else was having any luck with the fishing. It really didn't seem as if anyone was concerned about it.

Soon after noon our lunch arrived, many different dishes that my friends had pre-ordered, including grilled squid, chicken baked in mud and beef in vinegar.But the highlight of the meal was the 1.5kg deep fried snake head fish to roll with fresh vegetables. I felt bad as we couldn't finish this super fish dish even though we gave it our best shot.

Anyway, the important thing was the relaxing atmosphere on the national holiday. For 8 of us, we only paid 900,000Vnd which means $47 including beers and soft drinks. I am sure I will come back to this place for a future party. Thanks to my friends for a great day.

Heaven Calling

2010-05-19T06:11:00.001+07:00

In Asia, people believe in the laws of karma and that's why many people go to pagodas every first day, 15th and the last day of the lunar month to pray for their health and luck... also for their family members who have passed away.

The thinking is that dead people also need the same stuff as living people so, on these special days, some people spend millions of dong on fake paper products, from a pair of shoes to air conditioners, even motobikes. But in certain cases and for people in high positions in society, there may be different ways to celebrate. Families who have very successful businesses are known to spend a fortune paying a service to organise the praying and provide the paper goods.

Last week, on the way down to the old quarter, I saw people transporting their stuff on a small truck to the temple to burn after their prayer session and it included lots of huge paper horses, elephants, angels and fake money. This is not the first time I've seen these stuff which is mostly seen during pagoda festivals which are held early in the year. This occasion in Yen Phu street was a private one as it was nowhere near a special lunar day.

Anyway, even though it looks good and provides a great photo opportunity, I think this practice is such a waste of money and the smoke produced by the fire is an environmental nightmare, especially on lunar days when everyone in town is burning paper.

Golden Banana Hotel

2010-05-16T07:00:00.010+07:00

Last month we went to Siem Reap, Cambodia and following a recommendation from a friend, we stayed at the Golden Banana Hotel. I was very impressed with the hotel in general and particularly the service and friendly atmosphere created by their staff.

We are welcomed with a glass of iced lemon juice with mint and a cold towel to cool us down as the weather was 35c+ degrees. What a great way to welcome guests...we realy appreciated that drink at that time! After that, the receptionist explained to us about how the hotel operates, the city and some of the best destinations to go for the next few days, then he sent us to our room.

Most rooms in the hotel are similarly designed with a bed room, bathroom on the ground floor and a living room with an extra bed on the second floor. There's a balcony with a rocking chair, small table, another chair and a view over the swimming pool. I wondered if I needed all of this for my holiday? Was it a bit too much for me? And reconsidering, that's what most people need for their holiday, to relax and release all the stress. I decided it was okay!

Our room was tidied up everyday and new complimentary water placed in the bathroom.

Having a cocktail or a cold beer by the side of the pool was how we spent our afternoons after wondering through temples all morning. The Golden Banana Hotel serves great cocktails even in my limited experience. Their mojito was a hit with me. Besides that, I loved the hotel food with great tastes of Kh'mer and some fusion of Thai, Cambodian.

Golden Banana Boutique Hotel & Resort
email: goldenbanana2@gmail.com
telephone: +855 (0)12654638 / (0)12885366

Handy Man

2010-05-12T00:00:00.000+07:00

Yesterday, it was raining and I was checking my emails. I heard a very deep voice from an old man riding past my door on his bicycle. I finally recognised the call of the handy man who sharpens knives. I've frequently seen him riding by along with lots of other people riding bicycles who shine shoes, collect recyclable waste and even collect kitchen slosh to feed pigs.

I called him back to my door and asked him to sharpen some knives. He was a funny man and he did a great job. But in the end he was a bit cheeky asking for more money even though we made the deal at the beginning. Anyway, I think most people doing these jobs don't earn lots of money and I usually give some extra.

As he sharpened, he told me he's from the countryside just out of Hanoi and he leaves his home early in the morning, rides around west lake looking for customers and finishes the day at about 6pm. His average income for a day is about 70,000Vnd which is not so bad, considering it takes only 5 minutes to finish a knife. I paid 30,000Vnd for 4 knives and it took him less than 15 minutes work. Unfortunately for him, though, most Vietnamese families have their own whetstones to sharpen their own knives.

Angkor Wat

2010-05-09T21:45:00.014+07:00

Most people I know who've been to Angkor Wat mentioned the amazing sunrise there so I decided to make the early trip on my first day. We made an arrangement with the tuk tuk guy to pick us up at 5 AM and he showed up on time but we had a problem with the alarm settings. Anyway, after 20 minutes driving including a quick stop at the ticket centre for our passes, we finally arrived at majestic Angkor Wat.

There were lots of people already there taking photos and I also saw quite a few people leaving, meaning they must have been there since 4.30 or 5, which is a bit too early for me. I am a bit lazy when I am on holiday, sleeping and eating alot and visiting the sights a bit in between. I don't like the idea of rushing around to see everything possible and then feeling exhausted at the end of the day. I would like to take it easy, relax and enjoy every moment of the trip.

Anyway, we spent about 20 minutes watching the sunrise and taking lots of shots, before walking inside the beautiful temples of Angkor Wat. As soon as the sun came out, the amazing detail of the scenery appeared. Inside the temple gate, we got our first view of the main temple and the two libraries located in the forground on either side. Upon stepping into the main temple, we saw the long exterior walls covered with 600 metres of detailed bas-reliefs with lots of different stories about Angkor's amazing history. We kept walking around and ended up climbing the steep steps into the main part of the temple, from where we had a beautiful view.The other feature of Angkor Wat is all of the carvings of apsaras, the female spirit of the wind and clouds in Hindu myth. They are everywhere, more than 2000 of them.

It was one of the most memorable mornings of my life.
To be continued

I'm On Twitter

2010-05-05T21:03:00.000+07:00

A couple of my friends signed up for this website and keep telling me to be part of it. Finally, I'm came on air last week but there are so many things I need to learn especially how to link to my blog...but I almost have, I think

Follow me as vietnamesegod.

Just a quick note and hope everyone has a great week!!!

Travel

2010-05-03T21:31:00.002+07:00

Most of my friends have been to Cambodia and have been talking about Siem Reap for years. I suppose I've always thought Cambodia is so close and I can make a short trip anytime. I finally got the chance when recently I saw a great promotion from Vietnam Airlines for only $143 for a return direct flight from Hanoi. I can't imagine abetter deal than that.

So last week, after a 2 hour flight from Hanoi, I arrived at Siem Reap at 5.30 pm. The Airport is a small but stylish building and we had no problems getting through immigation and customs. Visas for Vietnamese are not required but for other foreigners they cost US$20 and are available at the embassy in Hanoi or upon arrival. My friend had arranged accommodation and we were greeted at the airport by the smiling tuk-tuk driver from the Golden Banana Boutique Hotel.

After 20 minutes in the tuk tuk, we arrived at the hotel to be served with a glass of iced lemon juice with mint, similar to my favorite cocktail, Mojito. We checked into our 2 storey room, in the corner of the complex which looks over the swimming pool from a small balcony connected to the living room on the second floor, perfect!!! After unpacking, we ordered from the poolside bar before relaxing in and around the pool for an hour or so.

The hotel is only a 5 minute walk to the old market area of Siem Reap where most of the bars, restaurants are located. I have to say, this is one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at with a very friendly, homely atmosphere and helpful staff. It's quiet, tastefully designed and worth coming back to. When I'm in Siem Reap next time, I'll be staying here, that's for sure!

Flowers 1

2010-05-01T17:56:00.001+07:00

I love being at the night flower market in Quang An as it's like another small world. I can just sit there looking at young couples hand in hand looking at flowers or people shopping for their retail florists with torches checking out the quality of the flowers. The bargaining also amazes me: recently I saw a person pay $1 for a 100 roses. I do love bargaining not beause I'm stingy but I love playing the game with them and I usually give them a little bit more at the end and see their big smiles. That makes my day.

The many street vendors who come to this market to get flowers then spend another few hours to re organize them before selling them along Hanoi's streets. Watching them is also a highlight as I can see they use their talents to make some ruined flowers look beautiful. They take all the bad leaves and petals off and put plastic or paper around the remaining bud or flower pretending that it's great. They do look good until the paper's been taken off. It's a cheeky practice and I've been caught myself. I've learned my lesson though.

Besides heavy rain which can put a temporary stop to their business in our area, there is another reason that will stop their business. Whenever a dignitary like the president of the US comes to Hanoi they normally stay at the Intercontinental or the Sheraton hotel, which means most commercial street activity has to stop until the visit is over. In fact, when Bush visited a couple of years ago, there was a tank positioned near where the florists normally trade. Recently during the ASEAN conference, the flower vendors went missing for a few days. Of all the street vendors, I hope these street florists remain as long as possible as they add a touch of colour and charm to Hanoi.

Demolition Workers

2010-04-23T18:30:00.001+07:00

I am sure many Vietnamese and westerners have seen these activities many times. A few days ago, from my bathroom window I noticed (and heard!) that something was happening.
The beautiful old house with the amazing garden behind us was being knocked down and will be soon replaced by two tall houses. I couldn't believe that the whole big two storey house was demolished by only six workers in just two days. There are two men and two women whose job it is to transfer waste from the house, including plants and rocks, by push cart. In between, the remaining two men continue to knock down the rest of the house and try to take all the cement around the old bricks so that they can be re-used to build new houses. I wonder if it's safe to re-use these old bricks which have been used for over 15 years?

During lunch time, they eat on the ground and sleep on the top of the old bricks. Some of them play with their mobile phones and chat with friends, the rest try to take a short nap before getting back to hard work again. I am not sure how much they earn, maybe not much but they don't really look tired or unhappy. One of them realized that I was taking their photos and they hide their faces but two of the women were laughing out loud.

It's really good to see these hard workers laughing. It's not an easy or well-paid job. I wish them all the best of health, luck and happiness.

Frustrations In Hoi An

2010-04-13T07:00:00.003+07:00

Hoi An today is far different to the Hoi An I knew in the past. Compared to even a few years ago, it is full of shops and hotels. In a hundred metre stretch of road, there are more than 10 shops selling the same stuff and making the same clothes. It's a bit annoying as the old ancient town is slowly disappearing, replaced by these modern activities.

Most of the hotels in Hoi An call themselves "Resorts" but the quality is far away from the meaning of the word. Basically it means they can create their own prices, mostly really over the top expensive. I don't know how they can get their permits to do business. I remember 2 years ago, the hotels usually started at between $15 to $25 per night with a swimming pool and breakfast included but these"Resorts" are charging up to $56 to $85 per night which is too much. I refused to pay that much not because I cannot afford it, but rather that they are not worth that money at all.

Unfortunately, these days small Hoi An old town has far too many tourists. The big tour groups, buses and noise makes it feel like I am in Hanoi or Saigon. Of course, in the short term its good for the local people as tourism has created jobs and improved their standard of living. But sooner or later, Hoi An might suffer as most of the interesting parts are slowly disappearing and people may lose their interest in visiting there.

The number of tourists is increasing so fast which means Hoi An people are getting more commercial minded and not always in a good way. Even though they remain friendly and nice on the surface, I still there is something different in their talk and their reactions when people shop. The charm of the Hoianese is disappearing step by step and is being replaced by modern, western thinking. I hope Hoi An local council considers limiting the numbers of shops, bars, restaurants and "Resorts" and tries to maintain the great old houses around.

Hoi An

2010-04-10T23:34:00.000+07:00

I am in Hoi An for a few nights with my ex colleagues. I made a really long list of MUST eat food in the old ancient town to try. I also would like to have some summer clothes made there as they're quite cheap compared prices in Hanoi. I'm staying at the Trade Union hotel for the first time and, so far so good. This is not a very expensive hotel compared to others in town but it's in a good location.

Hoi An today is crowded all the time, full of western tourists and Vietnamese tourists on weekends. It's actually not as relaxing as I remember it but still nice to escape from the busy traffic and crazy noise of Hanoi. I will try to post some articles about Hoi An in the next few days. Hope everyone has a great week at work!!!

Heavy Snack

2010-04-01T22:47:00.005+07:00

My friends usually go out in the evening after their dinner for a snack and a chat. Last week, they invited me out for Nem Chua Ran - deep fried fermented pork in Tam Thuong Lane. There are lots of small shops selling this snack around Hanoi but it seems the most popular area is in Tam Thuong lane in the middle of Hang Bong street.

We ordered one serve which included Nem Ran, mangos, cucumbers and also french fries. Beside these snacks, they also serve different kinds of grilled dried fish and dried squid. Dry seafood doesn't exactly sound very nice but they are a perfect match for wine and beer, even hot and iced corn juice. All of these snacks use the same dipping sauce and condiments, salt and chilli or sweet chilly sauce. These two dipping sauces sound boring but they really work with these dishes

It's a good snack for a change but you wouldn't want to eat it every day as it's quite high in fat. I am sure I will come back for more as it is quite cheap and something that you can dwell over for a long time for a good chat. Definitely worth exploring this little lane in the Old Quarter.

Thanh Son shop
Tam Thuong Lane

Flowers

2010-03-30T16:04:00.000+07:00

The weather in Hanoi seems to change like most young girls change their minds these days. But we actually need some more steady warm weather with lots more sun after a really damn cold winter. But after half a day of beautiful sunshine here and there, a dry cold comes back which is not very nice.

For those who love flowers, this is the second best time of the year as the cool weather helps to keep the flowers longer than usual. In summer, I often have to change the flowers at my house every week, sometimes twice. But at this time of the year they last over a week. I also need to remind you that flowers in Hanoi are very cheap. I usually spend about $2 for 2 vases of big roses and maybe a little bit more for other flowers. It's always nice to have some flowers in the house to come home to.

I love wandering around the night flower market near my house after midnight. I remember 8 years ago, my friends and I would go there for a look and drink some beer plus eat noodles.... Thankfully, every thing is still much the same. I remember the family who run the noodle and tea shop, particularly their great fried noodles. In those days, for 100 beautiful long stem roses it cost only $1. I wonder how much profit there could be? I talked to many of the traders and they all grow different flowers in their own gardens and according to what they say, they still can earn some daily income and save a bit which is good to hear.

To be continued...

Riding Around Phu Quoc

2010-03-27T17:21:00.004+07:00

Last month I was in Phu Quoc for a couple of weeks, mostly relaxing on the beach. Yesterday we decided to hire a motorbike for a ride around the south of Phu Quoc. We stopped at Sao - Star Beach for a drink and we had lunch here as well. This is one of the best beaches in Phu Quoc and Vietnam with white sand, wild and really quiet. I came here last time two years ago and nothing has changed in this area which impressed me much.

The next day we drove to the south to check out the pepper farms. We get lost on a really dusty road and we didn't know where we were. But luckily enough there were some pepper farms on the side of the road covered with red dust. They looked really bad, very dry as if it hadn't rained for years. Finally, we walked into a house where pepper was sold and the farm did look greener compared to the others. We bought some white pepper and I got some information about how they deal with business and the weather for my article. These pepper people were very friendly and quite willing to talk about the whole pepper process. Their peppercorns weren't that expensive compared to the shops in town and I believe it's pure instead of being mixed up with some other cheaper pepper seeds.

Driving back to town was also a nightmare of dust. I got totally covered by red dust and I looked filthy by the time we returned to the hotel. Anyway, it was an interesting drive and a bit of a break from the beach.

Melbourne

2010-03-08T23:11:00.002+07:00

During my trip to Australia in October-November, I visited a few different places but Melbourne was the place that I stayed in between and also spent the rest of my trip. Most people who have been there would know about the unpredictable weather. I don't really like the cold weather but the temperatures in Melbourne were not as damn cold as Hanoi because the humidity is quite low.

This trip I feel was very special as it was the second time and I was invited out for dinner a lot by my friend's relatives. I was a bit lazy after the trip and with the blogging. But, once again, I would like to thank them all in this post. I may have missed out someone and please forgive me.

I would like to show my special appreciation to Liz, Mark's mother who took care of me for most of the time when I was in Melbourne and also joined the beautiful trip to Tassie. Liz also arranged quite a few different parties to welcome, farewell and for other reasons. I really enjoyed her famous lasagne, one of the best dishes I've had.

Sarah and Chris' family is the second to thank as I went to their house many times for dinner. Sarah is a great cook and she can use her talents to cook even the left overs into a beautiful meal. I was really impressed about her food and her food's presentation. I enjoyed your food and great company of your family especially Harvey, Eden and Rosie. They are gorgeous.

The third family is Catherine's, Liz's sister. Yes, I love your old house and the Greek meal which reminded me heaps about Greece and was a nice way to remember meeting Cathy and her family in Santorini in 2008. The grilled lamb, salad and dessert was delicious. Thanks alot for the great evening and funny stories about the Melbourne Cup and Nana. Just loved it !!!

Emma, Mark's cousin, and her friend Bec travelled around Vietnam at the end of 2008 and this was such a great chance to catch up again and remind each other about some funny stories about riding on the back of the motorbike and being a bit drunk at parties. Thanks Emma, Sam, Luke, Gerry, Damian and their friends that gave me a memorable dinner with beautiful food and wine. Sam is such a gentlemen and really loved his design of the house.

Megan, yes, how can I forget about you:). Thanks for the BBQ and great time with your friends. Lisa was very nice and hilarious plus the special discount I got from her work. I do appreciate it very much. Also I would like to thank John who allowed me to stay down there in Anglesea. I can't believe how quickly Angus and Myee have grown up. I was very impressed about your family's zoo. John freaked me out when he showed me the huge lizard. Very warm family atmosphere!!!!

Special memory for me was the lady with the saucy beige hair, that's Nana. I love her hair color and her old house. It was really nice seeing Nana again and spending time at Crown but hope we are luckier next time.

Thanks all once again for having me and giving me such a great time and looking forward to seeing you again very soon.

Disappointing Aspects of Phu Quoc

2010-03-04T23:09:00.000+07:00

I spent two weeks in Phu Quoc and everything seemed perfect with great weather and beautiful food, especially the seafood. But as always, there were some issues that came up

I went out for lunch on one particular day, walking along the beach just up from the bungalows we stayed at to try to have some different food instead of going into town. Unfortunately, it was a mistake to choose the Lien Hiep Thanh Hotel and Restaurant right on the beach. I ordered grilled squid with salt and chilli, spring rolls and sour broth with tuna. It sounded great as these are specialist dishes from Phu Quoc and most places I've been they had been so nice and yummy. Well, they served us boiled squid instead of grilled and I told the waiter that it was not what we ordered in a polite way but he denied it, telling me this is their restaurant's grilling technique. I was a bit upset and I ended up taking it back to the kitchen myself and they promised to make a new dish for me. Ten minutes later, the same plate came back with the half bitten piece of squid. I couldn't say a word as they were so hopeless and they waiter tried to make a joke but it turned out all stupid. The sour broth with tuna which should be great as it's simple to make was tasteless, the tuna wasn't cooked enough and, if that wasn't enough, the spring rolls tasted like they were from the super market. Totally sucked down there at the Lien Thanh!!!! No tip and worst meal of my life.

On another point, I was expecting the food at the night market to be cheap but it didn't work that way. Most restaurants at the night market were more expensive than restaurants in town and in the hotel. A prawn cost $4, 4 pieces of squid cost $5, a pice of tuna cost $5. Hello!!! this is Phu Quoc, an island where you can catch fish anywhere.

Rip Off Noodles

2010-02-20T13:00:00.001+07:00

Yesterday we wanted to find something different for breakfast after tennis. After wandering around, we stopped at a chicken and duck noodle and salad stand. We ordered one bowl of vemicelli with chicken and one noodle soup with chicken. We thought that'd be ok and cheap but the lady kept asking us about our order and confusing us. Other people in the restaurant are shaking their heads. I didn't really understand if their reaction meant that they knew her or what?

Anyway, we ended up with two bowls of vemicelli with chicken and it costs 150,000VND. I couldn't say a thing, I was so shocked. I couldn't believe my ears. I thought she's probably going to say it's New Year which is a common excuse to rip tourists off. She didn't say anything. We just had to accept her price! I told people from the hotel and they thought I was joking. This really pisses me off and this is not the first time as well.

Thai Restaurant ( Vincom Tower)

2010-02-15T11:00:00.000+07:00

My friends invited me to have dinner at a Thai restaurant in Vincom Tower a few weeks ago. It was the weekend and it was really crowded, full of smoke and noisy. We could hardly hear our conversation unless we spoke very loud, almost shouting.

We ordered chicken soup, prawn soup, mango salad, stir fried mixed vegetables, french fries, stir fried corn and finished with a hot pot. We always order too much and we couldn't finish all of the food. I really like the mango salad as the mango was very fresh and a bit spicy and the rest of our food wasn't too bad but they use a bit too much coconut milk in the soups.

Like many Vietnamese, my friends didn't enjoy that much as they thought it was too spicy, sweet and fatty. They were right about some of that but I tried to explain to them about Thai food always being spicy. We didn't have a good time and I don't think I would recommend this restaurant to anyone as there are plenty of nice Thai restaurants in town which are not that expensive. We spent over 1.7 million dong on our meal for 5 of us which is about $95.

Birthday Party

2010-02-12T07:54:00.000+07:00

As some of my good friends went back home during my birthday in December, I decided to celebrate instead in January. We prepared Italian winter food as the winter weather was still around but unluckily, the weather changed on the day to such a beautiful sunny and quite warm day. We even had to switch on the air-conditioning, which is really unusual for Hanoi at this time of the year.

We served some cheese, bread, marinated mushrooms and wine to welcome everyone and for the dinner, we cooked Italian soup called minestrone, roasted chicken with with lemon zest, olives and tomatoes. For the side dishes, we cooked roast potatoes, and made a beetroot salad and pan-fried asparagus with parmesan cheese.

Thanks to my good friends for coming and making it such a great fun night.

Phu Quoc, Here I Am....

2010-02-10T21:06:00.000+07:00

I am in Phu Quoc, the place to be!!! This is my second time here but I feel like I know this place very well. The people I met last time, from the hotel staff to the people who live around, are all still here. They are gorgeous with smiling faces and so sweet. We're staying at the Thanh Kieu Resort, the same place I stayed last time. I was lucky enough to get a room here as I booked way in advance as I heard some people couldn't get a room or had to pay lots of money for due to Tet holiday.

This is the first time I am not going home for Tet. I just want to do something different as I've been home every year for the last 8 years. I also want to spend sometime here to relax and enjoy myself. I do love my city but I went home last month to visit my family and my mother seemed happy with my decision.

The weather in Phu Quoc is so beautiful compared to the freezing cold in Hanoi and it makes me feel so great. I am going to go to the beach to relax for the first few days and read a bit then off to the city for dinner at the night market which has the best food in town and REALLY CHEAP!!!! They're cooking fresh seafood in the Phu Quoc style which is a bit different compared to other cities in Vietnam. I will eat all of my favorites, especially stir fried crab with tamarind sauce. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it!!!

Happy Tet every one and see you in the next few posts.

Street Snails

2010-02-07T14:14:00.001+07:00

I was walking through the old quarter yesterday and saw so many young people sitting along Dinh Liet street eating snails. I have to say that snails have never been on my list of must eat things as I had trouble a few years ago when I ate some snails at the Old Man restaurant in To Ngoc Van street in West Lake. I had a stomach upset for 3 days in the row after eating snails on that occasion.

I told myself that I shouldn't look but I actually did look and wanted to try them again. I ordered two bowls of two different kinds and also asked the waitress to give me lots of ginger and chiili. These snails don't actually have any special flavors at all but the dipping sauce which includes fish sauce, ginger, chilli and lemon is what makes the dish special. While I was sitting there trying to finish the two bowls I occupied myself by watching people walk past and by taking photos of this dish. I hoped that eating lots of ginger and chilli would help to protect my stomach. By now, after 24 hours, I am still ok and I wouldn't mind going back again. If you have lots of time to spend, this is such a good place as it's cheap and a great location.

Saigon

2010-01-27T22:13:00.001+07:00

It's pretty exciting for me when I'm able to get down to Saigon for a few days to see my dentist and visit my sister. It's nice to be in the sun and eat my favorite food from the south. Food in the south is getting dearer but it's well cooked, fresh and tasty and worth the money.

After I visited my dentist, my sister took me out for dinner with her family and our nephew by the river. We had a such a beautiful meal there, ordering coconut salad with chicken skin, stir fried duck eggs with tamarind sauce, fried rice with eggs and garlic, stir fried beef served with vegetables, pine apple and fresh noodles, and the last dish was Thai hopot. They're all really tasty and the bill came out amazingly cheap.

The next day, my niece's boyfriend invited everyone out for breakfast and we chose to go to Lam Son beef steak restaurant. It sounds funny to have a beef steak for breakfast but this is a common thing to do in the south. We had a mixed beef steak which includes fried egg, ham and french fries. It's surprisingly nice and the place is generally really crowded. Good to eat something different instead of chicken noodle soup - pho ga - all the time :).

In the evening, my nephew took everyone out to have Keo fish hotpot which is one of my local favorite even though I am not really into river fish. We ordered some grilled river prawns, grilled Keo fish, grilled squid and Keo hotpot. We were totally full after all and I couldn't even move. It's really nice being with family especially as I'm very close to my sister and my nephew. It's good to see them again and I will be back here briefly at Tet after my trip to Phu Quoc. Looking forward to that!

Frog Dishes

2010-01-24T10:31:00.000+07:00

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned my tennis club before but I play tennis with 5 mates who are all slightly older than me and have really good taste in food and drink. Maybe I can say that they are a bit fussy about the kinds of alcohol they drink but they try all kinds of food and we rely on Mr Son, our food leader, to recommend places for us to eat. A few weeks ago, Mr Thang, another member of our club found a new place at 15 Long Bien street in Gia Lam where great frog dishes are sold. To be honest, I am not keen on frog and wild animals at all but he talked about it heaps and I think I need to give it a go and see.

We went there on a cold day and as usual, our group always orders far too much , enough for 10 people rather than just the 5 of us. Anyway, we ordered deep fried frog skin, deep fried Chau Chuoc (stir fried frog with bamboo shoot), a deep fried rice(com chay), a frog hot pot, and a whole boiled chicken and some veggies. I was very impressed with Chau Chuoc, and quite surprised that frogs are a meatier animal than I thought. These dishes were really yummy and those frog legs had lots of meat. Of course, we couldn't finish all these dishes. Surprisingly the bill was very cheap. I would recommend this place not because it's cheap, because they serve really nice food and have friendly staff. I am sure I will go back sometime soon.

Short Trip Home

2010-01-14T13:49:00.007+07:00

I am off to Nha Trang tomorrow for my dad anniversary and spend sometimes with my family ecause I will spend my Tet in Phu Quoc this year. I miss my home town, the food, good friends and the beautiful beaches. Another reason is the cold is killing me here in Hanoi also the high huminity that's making me feel tired and couldn't sleep well.

This year I am going to back to work in hospitality again as I kind miss it. I hope I can get a good job with a reasonable salary without working in the 5 star hotels around Hanoi as they pay really low. One of my friends who is working at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel told me that they promoted him to supervisor but they couldn't pay him the higher salary due to the economic crisis and hotel's lower profit. It's a joke as the hotel is always almost full plus they have just extended another wing to have more rooms. I had an interview at the Metropole before and I didn't know that they paid very low and you have to work harder compared to the other hotels around.

When I am in my home town, I have to think about which companies I am going to work for as I have a few options and some of them are from my friends recommendations, mostly in restaurants. I love to work in restaurants because that was what I started in when I was 18 and it seems I have good skills in this area and enjoy meeting people.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great year in 2010 with happiness, success and health.

Vote For My Photos

2009-11-29T22:21:00.004+07:00

I was in Australia last month for 5 weeks holiday based in Melbourne. But I also managed side trips to Sydney and Tasmania. I took lots of photos when I was in Tassie and I sent some of them to the Spirit of Tasmania website for a competition. I hope I can win a free trip to Tasmania again next year with your help voting for my photos.

If you guys have time, please click on the following link and choose RANKING. My photo is on the first 3 pages: just look for the Stanley Pine Tree photo under my name Tu Van Cong. Your time and effort is much appreciated.

Here is the link : http://www.capturethespirit.com.au/gallery/45/

Launceston

2009-11-14T19:42:00.004+07:00

Launceston is not my favorite place in Tasmania but that doesn't mean it's not interesting. The city is big and stretches quite a way so it took us a bit to drive around to discover it. After we found accommodation, we went to the port for lunch before taking a short cruise along the Tamar River. I couldn't believe that I had to pay $23 for a serve of fish and chips which was a bit of a rip-off compared to Stanley where it was only $6.5 and in Melbourne only$9.

Anyway, we took the cruise for 55 mintues and it was very interesting with lots of information from the old captian. It was a pleasant trip into Cataract Gorge along the Esk River and along the Tamar River to see some of the old boats even though the weather wasn't very good with rain at some points. After the cruise, we drove up into the expensive hillside suburbs where there were some great old Victorian and Edwardian houses mixed with some newer mansions. Most of these houses have great views to the river and over Launcestion and because it was spring, the gardens were in full bloom.

We took a trip to the Launceston casino (lost!) and had a nice Vietnamese meal to end our day in that town.

Coles Bay

2009-11-09T10:50:00.005+07:00

As I mentioned in the last few posts, Tasmania in general including Coles Bay on the Freycinet peninsula has a cool climate especially in the evening. During the day, the weather is so nice with sunshine, blue skies but the air is a bit crisp. From 4pm, I feel as if I need to put more clothes on. Coles Bay is a pretty small town surrounded by beautiful beaches. It's not surprising that it's hard to find accommodation and we ended up driving around the town for a while. Finally, we decided to stay at the hotstel at the Illuka Holiday Park for 2 nights. Even though we had to share a bathroom and kitchen, it was a well-run place, clean and tidy.

We stayed in a small room and cooked our own dinner before going to the Iluka Tavern for a drink. After not much luck with wifi access in Tasmania, I couldn't believe that they had free wifi here so I spent almost two hours emailing and updating photos. It is necessary to stay at least two nights in this area and will spend most of the day hours walking up the mountain to see Wineglass Bay then walk down to the beach. Everyone told me that is the most beautiful place in Tasmania that no-one should miss.

Anyway, we started our day with a walk up to the Wineglass lookout then down to one of the most beautiful wild white sand beaches I've seen. Before we started our walk, we saw a Wallaby in the car park. These animals look like kangaroos but smaller. I was a bit worried at the beginning even though I really wanted to pat him. People say they could attack with their front feet but my friend came over and the wallaby was actually very friendly and licked her fingers. I did the same thing and he licked me too. I was so happy that I tried that and luckily my friends got some shots. Anyway, we started out trek up to the lookout point, the view was amazing. I couldn’t stop taking photos and when we finished our three hours walk, I realized that I'd taken more photos than I really needed. From the lookout, we walked down again and headed to the beach. This walk was quite steep and slippery. It was worth all our energy to see this beach and the colour of the water reminded me of the beaches in Greece, blue water and white sand. Just gorgeous!. Lucky though that I had been exercising a lot before so I didn’t feel too bad, but a bit stiff:).

On our climb we saw quite a few terribly overweight people trying to walk up to the lookout. Many of them already felt exhausted and were leaning back on rocks or sitting down on the ground holding their knees. Some of them weren’t looking good at all but their families forced them to keep going. I am not sure they could make it up to the top or back down to the start. Anyway, we spent over two hours walking before going back to town for lunch. My friends went to the light house for a wander but I decided to take a rest at the restaurant in town which provided FREE Wifi to uploaded photos and email. I feel regret now after I saw their photos and I may go up to the light house before I leave. They may lend me their photos so I can show you.

We will head to Launceston tomorrow for a night and hope to have enough time to visit some wineries, a chocolate factory and a cheese factory.

Hobart

2009-11-06T00:03:00.000+07:00

I felt so cold last night even though I had two blankets on. It was no wonder as my friends told me it was zero degree during the night. I have never ever been in such a cold situation before and I am a bit worried about my health as for the rest of the trip it could get even colder here in Tasmania. It took us over 6 hours to get to Hobart from Strahan as we stopped to visit Queens town and Lake St. Clair for a bit. Queenstown was not really interesting as it’s kind of a mining town with a few shops and pubs but with old fashioned and charming. Lake St. Clair is so beautiful and peaceful surrounded by huge green tall trees.

Anyway, we finally arrived in Hobart, and after consulting our accommodation magazines that I picked up from the laundry, I called the Welcome Stranger Hotel which is located right near the harbour and also in the city centre. They had several rooms left. We got a good deal and went down to have some dinner at Salamanca Place. I couldn’t find any internet cafés around and finally, we decided to have some pizza for our dinner. Surprisingly, the Cargo restaurant had wifi and it was free. I was so happy with that not because of the free internet, but because they served really nice pizza and French cheese. We had a margarita and a tandoori chicken pizza and they were really great plus the wine was cheaper compared to other shops nearby. Hobart seems a very busy city like other cities at 5pm in the afternoon. There are lots of interesting buildings around mixing old style and the new modern style.

On the second day, we walked along Salamanca street and Battery Point for an hour checking out the shops and beautiful old houses. This is the most expensive area in Hobart I think as it has great views to the harbour. Some houses are over a hundred years old but in good condition so that they are now used in business as hotels, restaurants and shops. We went into a small gift shop in front of the harbour and talked to the seller who sells ethnic minority products including stuff from Sapa in Vietnam. It was such an interesting conversation as she explained the history of the building and talked of her boss' trips to Vietnam. The building had been used to store gunpowder in the old days and had also been some kind of post office museum. We spent about an hour just talking about stuff from Vietnam and I was explaining to her where they are originally from and so on. Anyway, later on, we joined a boat cruise for over an hour up the Derwent River. The boat was nice and we got some education from the captain who explained most things of interest on both sides of the river. After that, we drove up to the top of Mt. Wellington for a great look down at the whole city of Hobart. It’s such a great place to look at the city and the beauty of Hobart and we were actually above the clouds which is even more amazing. I love that feeling that I am higher than everything and also like I am on the plane.

At the end of the day, we spent some time to relax and try our luck at the lobby of the hotel which has poker machines and the Keno bingo game. Surprisingly I won A$30 for the first time which paid for my beautiful dinner at Mure's seafood restaurant which is located on the harbour. My friends and I ordered some grilled fish, salad and seafood platters which included french fries and salad. The seafood was so fresh and tasty, just loved it so much.

We headed back to the hotel for an early night as it was pretty cold and also we wanted to wake up early in the morning for our drive to the Freycinet Peninsula. We wanted to spend more time in Hobart as there is other stuff to see and do. I hope the weather is going to get brighter with more sun and heat as I am struggling with the cool temperatures a bit so far.

Cradle Mountain

2009-11-04T07:52:00.001+07:00

We spent almost 3 hours driving from Stanley to Cradle Mountain; the road was really windy in parts but mostly good so we had a good trip. We couldn’t find any cafés along the road so we ended up stopping at the resort on the way into the Cradle Mountain settlement. It was a bit expensive and I decided to have a glass of local Tasmanian wine, a nice Sauvignon Blanc which made me dizzy as I hadn't had any breakfast!

We stayed at the Discovery Holiday Park suggested by the RACV accommodation guide. It was the cheapest accommodation in quite an expensive place. We went down to the tourist information centre to have something for lunch; we had some soup which was very nice. We bought the holiday ticket to enter all national parks around Tasmania. After that, we caught the park bus down to the walking spot and started our walk.

We walked from Snake Hill to Dove Lake which took us about 2 hours for over 5kms. The scenery was so beautiful that we didn’t realize how far we walked or how much time had passed. We took so many photos of trees, wild animals, lakes and the beautiful mountain with snow on the top. This is the first time ever that I've seen snow and I think I may try to walk up near the top to touch the snow. It would be very cold but it's worth a go. We will come back here tomorrow to walk around the lake which will take about 3 hours. I hope the weather is warmer as today it was very cold especially in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t do anything on the second day as it was raining and really cold. We missed the lake walk which has the best views of the snow on the top of the mountain. To fill time, we decided to get some education about the area from the information centre. After that, we went to Cradle Mountain Lodge Tavern for a coffee. As the rain got heavier and colder, we had lunch. We had had some pizzas for dinner there last night and the food was excellent even though it was a bit dear and over our budget. The lamb shrank looked amazing and I went for it today and it was just delicious. My friends had the trio of dips and mountain nachos, I tasted them all and they were damn good. This lodge is a cosy place on a rainy day with friendly staff, great food and good views from the restaurant. If I ever go back to Cradle Mountain again, I will definitely come here to have all my meals and stay in this place as well.

We are going to Strahan tomorrow morning for a night before heading to Hobart. I hope we will have great weather so that we can spend sometime in the sun.

Stanley

2009-10-31T06:51:00.000+07:00

It took us about two hours to drive from Devonport to Stanley as we stopped at many places on the way and we spent quite a lot of time at a tulip farm. I have never ever seen tulips in my life and they are so gorgeous especially the black queen of the night variety, which is really amazing. The multi-coloured flame of Paris is beautiful, too. They are all beautiful and this has been one of the highlights of my trip.

Anyway, we arrived and stayed one night at Stanley on the way to Cradle Mountain, one of the prime tourist areas of Tasmania. I’m glad to be here because this is such a small lovely town. For lunch, we all had fish and chips. As this is a fishing town, the fish was so fresh and tasty but eating all those chips means I have to do more exercise. The weather was very beautiful with sunshine but as we expected in Tasmania, the temperature was cold and we used the heater for the whole night.

Stanley has only about 1000 people; everything seems in a really good condition from the houses to the roads. In fact, the town has been voted ‘tidiest town in Tasmania’. People here are very friendly. Accommodation, dining out and drinks are a bit dear compared to Melbourne. We stayed at Stanley Cabin Tourist Park which was budget but still quite expensive. The cabins are all self-contained and very comfortable and we just stayed for one night so we didn’t really shop around for other rooms. We cooked our dinner together and have some OZ wines which we brought with us. The Internet is not popular here as they only have one place in the tourist centre. Luckily the women at reception gave me a chance to use the hotel connection for free. I spent most of my time online downloading photos and updating the web blog. I better stop right now as we are driving up to the top of the mountain to have a quick look at the whole town from a distance to take a few photos. I want to publish this before the lady comes and kicks me out.

Anyway, see you on the next post about Cradle Mountain trip.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Happens

2009-10-27T06:12:00.000+07:00

Today I felt like playing tennis and we took the car to get there. When we reversed the car, we didn't check carefully and backed into another car on the side of the road. Even though it was a minor accident, it costs a lot especially in Australia. It may not cost much in Hanoi but it's expensive here. Luckily, the Korean owner doesn't really care about the car and he wanted the cash instead of getting it fixed which suited us just fine. Unfortunately it cost $500 plus the cost of fixing my friend's car. I hope this is the end of my bad luck for this trip, especially as we are heading to Tasmania tomorrow evening by ferry.

I hope the weather will be warm there as I don't really like cold weather. Many people told me that it's quite cold there especially in the evening. But Tasmania is a beautiful place worth going to so I am really looking forward to discovering the island state. I will be there for 10 days and hoping I will be enjoy the beautiful scenery in Tasmania. Wish me luck!!!

Short Break

2009-10-24T06:12:00.000+07:00

After a short flight(Jetstar) from Melbourne to Sydney, I realized that I had forgotten my Ipod on the plane. I couldn't get it back when I talked to the official at Sydney airport. I was a bit disappointed after calling them a few times and they kept telling me that they will call back but it never happened, which is pretty bad service. Anyway, as people say," Shit happens".

However, we arrived in Melbourne and decided to take the skybus to the city then a train to my friend's house. It's unbelievable that the train system in Melbourne is so bad, with most of the trains running late and changes to the timetable without informing customers. We were waiting at Southern Cross station for a train which was delayed 10 to 15 mintues and when we got on the right one, after the first station, they announced that the train was going to a different destination. We had to get out to change trains with many other people and we were then late for my friend's birthday party. Most people seemed very upset about the hopeless system but what can we do?

So we arrived at Sarah and Chris' birthday party 1 hour late. Anyway, their party was held at The Mill Bar and Restaurant which is located in the city centre. This is such a beautiful bar and they served delicious food. As it was quite busy after a big horse race, we had few drinks at the bar then went up to the second floor for dinner. Among other things, we ordered freshly shucked oysters with soy and lemon shallot vinaigrette, sumac rolled pork belly with roasted apple mash, onion proscuitto relish and jus, braised ham hock risotto with tomato, gruyere and parsley, Atlantic salmon fillet on steamed bok choi chilli and cumin pickled corrots, Black Angus eye fillet with horseradish mash, beetroot pickle and red wine jus and Roquette, roasted corn, grana padano and white balsamic vinaigrette for a side dish. For dessert, we had dark chocolate brownie with salted peanut caramel, hazelnut tuille and Swiss, orange and almond pudding with spiced syrup, vanilla anglaise and rhubarb ice cream. We had no complaints about food in this restaurant as it tasted so good, was beautifully presented and the staff made some great recommendations.

Thanks to Sarah and Chris for inviting us to join their happy event and I look forward to many more events to come in the future. Happy belated birthday to you guys.

Sydney City

2009-10-20T19:38:00.000+07:00

We took the number 378 bus to Sydney again for a big day of adventure to discover the Opera House, the Harbour and Manly. On the way into the city, we decided to take a look at Bondi Junction and have some something to eat at the food court (in the Harbour room!)on the 5th floor, which has a fantastic city view. The food wasn't bad there but quite dear, I think but we are starting to think in Aussie dollars now instead of converting everthing to VND which can make you crazy!

We took a train to Circular Quay by the harbour to take a ferry heading to Manly Town. It's a small lovely beach suburb northeast of Sydney which has so many shops with great deals. Most of the stuff was on sale up to 70% off and I wonder how can they earn money if they offer such discounts? Most stuff of course, is made in China and I think that's the reason why it's so cheap. We walked toward the beach to have a wander then went into the pub on thebeach to have a schooner (big beer) and play a game of Keno. It was fun and we managed to play for a half hour on $10!

About 2 hours later, we took another ferry back to Sydney to have a close look at the Opera House. It's a great piece of architecture with an amazing shape in the best location in Sydney. There are hundreds of people hanging around there taking photos and lots of them are from Japan, Korea and Europe. I think I was the only Vietnamese here. Also there are quite a few couples taking their wedding photos around and between that, their families and friends are having drinks at the Opera Bar. This bar has great views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and to the north shore. We decided to have a beer here to take a break and look at the great view in the afternoon. It's a shame that we couldn't make it till sunset as Australia has daylight saving at the moment which makes the day seem longer. Maybe next time.

Sydney has so many festivals and functions almost everyday and we tried to go to the Asian noodles festival near Goerge street but it was too crowded and we didn't want to queue up for hours to get a delicious bowl of noodles as we didn't have as much time as other people. We changed our mind and took a train back to Bondi Junction to have dinner then another bus to Bronte. We kept changing our mind about food and we missed two buses by just half a minute. We walked into Chu Bay II, a Vietnamese restaurant to eat after a few kilometres walking. We ordered some fresh spring rolls, and chicken salad which was not very nice and quite salty. The main courses included stir fried beef with chilli and lemongrass and fried rice which wasn't too bad. I can't believe I paid so much for very average Vietnamese food!

We will take a flight back to Melbourne today for my friend's brother in law's birthday party then we head to Tasmania for 10 days od discovery. See you guys in the next post.

Sydney Here I am

2009-10-19T03:04:00.001+07:00

Luckily enough through a connection in Hanoi, a friend of a friend, we were able to stay in Bronte Beach in Sydney. We hired her beautiful sea view apartment for 3 days for a very special price. We were so happy to have this place and even though it's not big it has a great view of Bronte Beach, from over the cafe and in front of the bus stop which was so convenient. Bronte is just a few minutes walk to Bondi beach which is the most famous beach in Sydney, around one of the most spectacular city coastal walks. It's such an amazing place with an amazing view. Just loved it!!!

We took a bus trip to the city, which took us about 20 minutes with many stops but cost only $6.40 round trip. We walked from Central Station down to Darling Habour for a wander around and it's so so beautiful. We spent about 2 hours there walking around and taking photos. I realized that Sydney is totally different compared to Melbourne with a few more tall buildings and life here seems faster and it definitely has better weather. I am so glad to be here.

I have to run now to meet up with my friend, Paula who used to live in Hanoi. We will meet her in Newtown for a drink but we will have dinner there beforehand. She's such a lovely woman and I am really looking forward to meeting her this time. I will get back to the city tomorrow again to visit Sydney Habour, the Opera House and Manly. I hope I can visit all of them in a day as I want to spend some more time on Bondi beach and have a good look around Bronte Town.

Australia, Welcome Back!!!

2009-10-15T05:16:00.001+07:00

After a long flight which stopped in Kuala Lumpur, I finally have arrived in Melbourne to start my 5 weeks holiday. This is my second time in Australia but I feel like it's the first time as I haven't been back here since 2005. Everything looks familiar but I need to restart my brain again to make sure which places I've been to. I don't think I will have any trouble here as Australia is such a multi-cultural country and people seem very friendly and easy going. I spent half a day shopping for winter clothes today in Melbourne as it's a bit too cold for me. Shopping here in Melbourne is not really expensive as they have many options plus spring is almost over so tthe warm clothes prices are down quite low but some brands are still very expensive such as Kathmandu...

In the afternoon, I went to my friend's sister's house for dinner. She cooked beautiful pasta and stired fried asparagus with lemon and pepper. It was so yummy but I need to behave myself so I didn't eat alot :). I was very surprised that the food in OZ is not that expensive, veggies and meat as well are cheap. There are many things much cheaper than in Vietnam especially WINE!!!!! I love wine and a decent bottle ranges from AU$6 up to Au$15. If you buy 6 bottles you can get 30% off and of course, we bought 6 bottles on the first day. It sounds like I am an alcoholic! I think that because there are lots of wineries in Australia, they need to be competitive in price which is good for the local people including me:).

Anyway, I better stop here and get into bed for my 3 day trip to Sydney tomorrow morning. I hope I have enough time to make my noodles for breakfast before I leave. I also will try to spend some time in between to publish some photos and ideas about my trip.

Travel With Air Asia

2009-10-13T09:02:00.001+07:00

Most of my friends have been using Air Asia for a long time. I was a bit worried about cheap airlines but I think why don't I give it a go when I can save almost a thousand dollars compared to Thai Airways or Vietnam Airlines.

Even though the connections are not always great as we had to stop over at Kuala Lumpur for almost a whole day but it's a good chance for my friend to discover Malaysia, one of the places that I always love. Airline food is not always great but it was actually not so bad this time especially from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne. I had a great flight and I think I will keep using this airline for many more years.

Truc Bach Lake

2009-10-06T15:41:00.001+07:00

There is no doubt about the beauty of Truc Bach Lake is but it not always a pleasant place to be because of the pollution and waste in the lake and the craziness on the street in the evening. Almost every single house opens a hotpot restaurant and their staff keep annoying people who drive past. The problem is that they are not supposed to do business on the foot path around the lake. When the police come, they try to move their tables, mats... and leave all the rubbish behind. Besides that, Hanoian don't seem to care about the environment as they throw eveything possible into the lake including plastic bags, bottles and food scraps.

Today, I talked to one of the staff of the Hanoi water company on the side of the lake while they were trying to dredge Truc Bach Lake. According to him, " Hanoi water company dredges Truc Bach Lake every two years but they have changed the routine now, as it's getting polluted very quickly due to the habits of the people who live around the lake and their customers. From this year, they will clean up the lake every year to maintain the clean water and the environment for not only the lake but for Hanoi as well". From what I've seen today, these workers are working so hard. Some of them even have to stay overnight in a small floating boat to keep an eye on their machinery. I personally think that the best idea is to educate people about the environment and encourage them to keep the area around their properties tidy.

I hope people pay more attention to the environment to keep Hanoi clean and green, particularly as Hanoi's 1000 year anniversary is not too far away. Please keep the world alive!!!

Mid Autumn Festival

2009-10-03T17:36:00.002+07:00

Yet another mid autumn festival is coming and it makes me feel older. I went to Hang Ma street to try to take some photos last night and I could feel the great atmosphere of it. Many parents had taken their children to shop as the festval is tonight.

I always enjoy going down there to watch people shopping for cakes, lanterns, fake money and many other things. In the old days, I had to make my own lantern with bamboo chop sticks and rubber bands to hold them together. I also used colored paper or notebook paper or newspapers to put around the sticks and glued them on with glue or rice. It was a fun thing to do with friends. Nowadays, parents buy beautiful lanterns which need batteries for music and light. The whole festival has become quite commercial and I personally think that children should do something special for themselve instead of buying from the market. I must be getting old?

Accidents Avoidable!!!!!

2009-10-01T13:02:00.002+07:00

This is not my photo

To reduce traffic accidents in Hanoi, the local council has been investing money in local road infrastructure. Underground tunnels and overpasses are being built to ease traffic congestion and safety for crossing the street but local people don't use these useful and safe ways. It seems they prefer to walk across the chaotic streets even though the dangers are always great.

This is not my photo

I'm glad to see the fast and positive changes in Hanoi in the fast few years. But also I wish people would pay more attention to rules as it not only affects them but other people as well. It's tragic and disappointing to see people die everyday on the roads here for mostly avoidable reasons.

Sapa Rooms Boutique Hotel

2009-09-23T21:14:00.001+07:00

Visiting Sapa in the summer is developing into a bit of a tradition amongst Hanoians largely to escape the heat of the capital. Recently, I joined the throngs of locals and foreign tourists for the overnight train journey up to the hills. Unfortunately, we arrived on a day of heavy rain which did not bode well in our search for a hotel. Looking like drowned rats after a few knock-backs, we found Sapa Rooms Boutique Hotel which is located close to the markets and main road. Offering great views back up to Sapa town as well as a panorama down over the rice paddies and up to the mountains, the hotel is on the road down to Cat Cat village. It is such a brilliant location and we were so glad to have found this hotel completely by chance and luckier still that they had some vacancies.

The Sapa Rooms has been thoughtfully designed with original paintings and artwork, furnished and decorated in contemporary tones with touches of local tribal culture. A feature of the comfortable lounge area is a large golden bust of ‘Uncle Ho’ which strangely did not seem out of place amongst the eclectic mix of art and handicrafts. The rooms themselves all have views – something that is imperative for a stay in the mountains, especially when you’ve come from the city. Each room has some lovely cosy features, including shaggy rugs on the floor, marvelous tall vases and books laying on the beds on arrival.

The hotel restaurant serves excellent interesting food with the menu changing regularly according to whatever seasonal organic and free range produce is available from the local suppliers. I especially loved their grilled green banana and tofu casserole, the grilled Sapa pork fillet marinated in lemon grass and the exotic side dish of grilled pineapple and chilli. Another favourite was the baked fish wrapped in banana leaf. Lunch and breakfast or drinks after a hard day trekking can be enjoyed on the outdoor terrace, perfect for a glass of crisp Australian white or a cold beer. If trekking doesn’t appeal, a lazy day with coffee and a good book can also be spent here.

I highly recommend this hotel as their staff was so helpful and friendly; I also like the fact that the owners are putting something back into the local community. They are committed to improving the living standards of ethnic minority groups by contributing to local development and education projects. The Sapa Rooms proprietors invest all of the profits from trekking for such purposes in addition to providing decent wages to the young girls they employ as guides. These girls are truly delightful and really make the whole Sapa experience worthwhile so the investment made by the hotel is already having positive impacts.

The Sapa Rooms is a winner all round.

123 Run

2009-09-16T23:07:00.003+07:00

My ex-colleagues invited me to join them for dinner at 123 restaurant, which is one of the most popular homemade fast food restaurants in Hanoi. According to my friends, this restaurant located on Pho Hue Street is always busy for both lunch and dinner. In Vietnam, wherever the crowds are generally means the place is good but I did have my doubts about this place.

When we arrived the other night, each of the three storeys at this restaurant was full. The service was pretty efficient I have to say, with each order including a small bowl of broth, some veggies and pickles. I ordered fried boneless lemon chicken but funnily enough I swallowed a small piece of bone which was a worry. People say that chicken bones can be quite dangerous when they get stuck in the throat. I had to eat several full mouthfuls of rice to finally get the small bone down. Oh my gosh, it makes me feel uncomfortable thinking about it now. My friends were laughing at me and I did feel like an idiot but I was so scared. This is a good excuse to refuse an invitation to 123 next time.

Wedding

2009-09-07T22:33:00.005+07:00

There were so many things to prepare for my sister’s wedding and we spent more than just a day to get everything finished. My brother in-law asked his friends to come over to our house to help us to decorate the house. It’s so fun doing it and it reminded me lots about weddings in the past when my other sisters were getting married. My family always celebrated wedding parties at home instead of at hotels or restaurants except for my brother’s wedding. We usually bought a huge piece of carton or foam which we cut into two pigeons, hearts and names then stuck them on the wall. We also went to our neighbors to cut down some coconut leaves to make a happy gate. It’s a lot of work but we just loved it so much and we decided to do the wedding in the same style this time.

Anyway, when the time arrived my brother’s friends came in two taxis to present the groom with trays of fruit, cakes, wine, tea ….they were 6 guys in navy uniforms. It looked great and everyone seemed enjoy that part of the ceremony heaps. I wasn’t in that group as my responsibility was to be the chief photographer. I loved observing the second part of the ceremony when the family and relatives presented their gifts to the bride and groom as I am curious about what they give and what it looks like. I do prefer giving cash to be honest which they can use for whatever purpose. This is the typical way in Asia. The wedding's second party was celebrated on the same day in the evening at Angela restaurant. The celebration included 10 tables of good friends, relatives and colleagues in a private room.

I met lots of my sister’s old friends who I haven’t seen for years. They are all married with kids and successful in their jobs. We also talked about our childhood when I was a little boy chasing them to the beach or to the farm catching insects or fishing. Talking to them brought back so many beautiful memories and it made me sad thinking about those beautiful times. Wish I could turn back time!!!! My sister looked so happy on that day and we were all happy for her especially my mother. It seemed to be her day today as well. She was talking to everyone and really appreciated their appearance at the party.

The restaurant served good food with soup for the starter, chicken, prawns, seafood hotpot, squid and some vegetables. Everyone had a great time eating and drinking beers. I was glad that my family refused the music show because everyone had a chance to really talk and catch up. It would have ruined the evening as it'd be very noisy and noone could have a decent conversation.

Thanks to my family, my relatives and friends who came to celebrate this memorable event, we appreciate your work and love. We all wish my sister Hang and Quang a beautiful life ahead, not 100 years as others say but another 60 years would be great for them.

Happy National Day!!!

2009-09-03T22:59:00.002+07:00

This is the 8th national day that I have spent in Hanoi, which means I have been living here for over 8 years. I love this romantic city, the food and beautuful sunset in the afternoon at West Lake. But the winter is just terrible - something I'll never ever forget for the rest of my life as it's damn cold even when I'm wearing 4 shirts, 3 pants, gloves and a woollen hat on my body. The best time of the year is autumn from September to November.

Yesterday's Independence Day was a good chance for everyone to have a day off to relax or go away with family and friends. Surprisingly Hanoi was a bit quiet as most people took advantage to escape to the countryside or to the north. I love Hanoi during big celebration days as I can drive around easily; no traffic jam, no crazy drivers and so peaceful. I prefer to hang around in Hanoi rather than going away because prices at holiday destinations tend to be inflated and they get really crowded, too. Better to stay home and really relax!

Happy National Day everyone, I hope you guys have a beautiful day.

Chicken in a Coke Can

2009-08-24T22:07:00.002+07:00

Chicken in a Coke can? Sounds weird doesn't it? But in Hanoi nothing is impossible. People serve chicken with chinese herbs in old coke cans and it's very common and famous. Known as ga tan, I love this dish very much.

There are two kinds of ga tan, one is black chicken and the other is normal chicken. The black chicken ga tan is smaller and more expensive. I dont know why it is more expensive as they cook it with the same herbs as the normal chicken, and the black chicken doesn't actually have as much meat compared to the other.

In general this is a healthy snack as it is not too filling. It is full of different medicinal herbs which are supposed to be good for your health. I eat one every week and I think it helps me to sleep very much. I'm not sure if there's any real truth in these theories about certain foods being good for you. I suppose if you hear it often enough, you start to believe it.

Speeding Bush

2009-08-20T07:11:00.000+07:00

It's amazing what you can see on the roads in Hanoi. Lastweekend, while I was driving along the dyke road toward the old quarter for lunch, I saw a huge green pile of vegetation about 5 metres high moving along the road in the distance. From behind, you couldn't even see a vehicle. As I got closer it became clear that it wasn't a moving tree. It was a truck full of tree branches which were kind of sweeping the road sending heaps of dust and leaves into the eyes of everyone behind it.

Finally, I got my photograph and got the hell away from it. I could imagine that somewhere down the road the whole lot would fall off and cause a big traffic accident. There are laws about what can be transported on trucks and motorbikes in Hanoi but there doesn't seem to be much action to control it.

I lost my photos for this article

Hot Hot Hot

2009-08-11T08:09:00.002+07:00

Hanoi these days is so hot plus the high humidity makes the temperature feel even worse. I couldn't be bothered cooking tonight even though I went into the market this afternoon. I decided to go to beer hoi near my place to have a few beers and eat something before going home to do my home work. I have been studying academic English at ACET for a week so far and it takes most of my time at school and at home. It's good to keep updated with the language as I am not a native speaker.

Drinking cold beer on such hot days is great. I can totally feel where the beer goes. It sounds like I am an alcoholic but I do like drinking beer or white wine especially in summer. Food in the beer hoi was ok and reasonable and beer is cheap. We only paid 150,000Vnd for two people.

The beers tasted even sweeter as I just got my visa for Australia and my trip will take place in the second week of October for 5 weeks. Really looking forward to it!

Thai Food Express in Viet Nam

2009-08-05T08:53:00.003+07:00

Thai Express is a new fast food chain in Viet Nam. It's new for us but it's been popular for a long time in a few different countries. It can be called fast food but I think it's more gourmet as it is very tasty and not really expensive.

I tried Thai Express the first time with my friend in Saigon and last week in Hanoi. I was impressed by how busy they were already, by the good food they served and by the helpful staff. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is the coffee which was not the best but the other drinks were fine. They made very nice salads, stick noodles with seafood in Tom Yum soup, Thailand's pineapple rice fried with seafood and quite a few other Thai specialties.

This is a great place for a quick lunch if you don't have lots of time. For those who are vegetarian it's also a good place to pick. It's an air-conditioned restaurant which is vital for the hot summer weather Hanoi has at the moment. If you are in Hanoi, Thai Express is located right at the top end of Hoan Kiem Lake with a view over the lake. In Ho Chi Minh City, they are pretty centrally located in District 3 but have no view. You'll just have to make do with a great smile from the staff.

Nhà hàng ThaiExpress
Địa chỉ: Số 7 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hà Nội
Số điện thoại: 04 62 822 822
Website: http://www.thaiexpress.vn/

Sapa July 09

2009-07-31T09:16:00.006+07:00

We arrived in Sapa on such a heavy rainy day and we finally found a very nice boutique hotel called Sapa Rooms Hotel. We put everything in there, took a quick shower and went out for breakfast and shopping. I suppose it sounds a bit crazy to go shopping in the rain but I quite enjoyed it and I wasn't the only one!

The ethnic minority sellers speak English very well but they do tend to be a bit pushy but I understand why. They followed me for a long way until I bought something from them. I was trying to ignore them but they kept asking me about a million times so I had to talk to them for a while and finally bought some small things from each. This handmade stuff isn't expensive at all and very beautiful. I bought about 6 blankets, a few H'mong hats, wristbands and a necklace.... I hope the sellers were as happy with my purchases as I am.

We had lunch at Mimosa restaurant in Cau May street. It is a very nice, cosy restaurant which I always go to whenever I am in Sapa. It's not very expensive but I love the atmosphere, which is casual and friendly. We ate quite a lot and I love the grilled venison, grilled pork, Sapa veggies and the sour broth. We only paid about 100,000 VND each, which is an amazing price for the amount of food we ate!

My friends wanted to visit the temple in Sapa called Den Mau and we went there for a quick prayer. I hope my prayer for luck, good health and a bit of wealth will come true soon so I can afford many more holidays :)

The next day was a really beautiful day in the afternoon in which we took a long walk down to Cat Cat village to take more photos and do a bit more shopping. After all the rain, it was great to see the blue sky against the white clouds, everything looking very clear and clean. I really appeciate this natural beauty. I think Sapa is a nice place to come for this purpose.

We left later that afternoon and on the way down to the train station at Lao Cai, we saw a bus on fire with only the frame and ashes left. I was a bit worried as on the way up, as we got stuck for almost an hour due to the rain and crazy traffic. Our bus couldn't move as we were bogged in the clay and many people just tried to get around us which was a night mare. Luckily, this road is under construction and a man driving the road digging machine came over and helped us to solve the problem.

Anyway, we arrived at the station on time and had dinner before the journey back to Hanoi and the heat. I hope it's going to rain tomorrow. Thanks to the hotel staff and my friends for giving me a great time to discover Sapa once again.

Visa For Australia Trip

2009-07-19T17:07:00.005+07:00

Going back to Australia is so exciting as there is still so much more to discover. It is such a huge country and it is pointless to go there for just a few weeks. I hope I can see more of the beauty of Australia.

Today I went to IOM, an agency which processes all visa applications in Hanoi, to apply for the visa for my trip. Everything seemed to go well except there was a heavy storm and I didn't bring enough money. Luckily, another applicant lent me the rest to pay the fee before I ran down stairs and down a few blocks to withdraw money to pay her back. I was so thankful for her generosity. Thank god she helped me or I would have had to go back the next day. I hope my visa will be available in two weeks. Wish me luck guys!!!

Sapa July 09

2009-07-16T07:59:00.005+07:00

I am going back to Sapa with some friends to escape the heat of Hanoi for a weekend. It's been a nightmare to get tickets as we wanted to get a whole cabin on the train for six of us. My friend spent a few days trying to buy these train tickets but he found it impossible. He asked his friend to book through an agency to get them and we paid extra for thisspecial service. It's annoying that no legitimate tickets are available but the black market has plenty of different kinds of tickets and they are very expensive.

I called a few hotels in Sapa yesterday but they are full or really expensive. We have decided to stay in a guest house with a good deal. In 2007, we went up there and we also stayed in a guest house and it was fine, clean and only $7. I hope I can get the same deal this time instead of paying $25 or $35 for a double room. One hotel receptionist told me that about 10,000 people went to Sapa last weekend and it would be the same this weekend. Bloody hell, I hope it won't be that crowded or I will have to stay in the hotel the whole weekend. I will get back to Hanoi on Sunday with some news about my trip and would probably share some photos as well.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Mangosteen Restaurant

2009-07-04T17:05:00.001+07:00

The mangosteen is an exotic tropical fruit with luscious segments of white flesh inside. The Movenpick Hotel has taken inspiration from this fruit in the naming of its restaurant, which is located on the second floor with views across some of Hanoi’s fine French Colonial buildings. The space is artfully decked out with walls the colour of mangosteens, splashes of purple in the furniture upholstery and the modern paintings on the walls. The table setting includes a glass cube vase containing a single white gerbera and a green fern frond. The décor promises much.

And the menu offers a range of choices that would satisfy most diner’s palates.

For our starters, we opted for the seared scallops served atop a delicate fresh garden salad of lettuce, herbs and avocado and a swiss chicken salad, rich and sweet with cheese, apple and a mayonnaise dressing. The portions, on teardrop shaped white plates, were perfectly sized which we appreciated later when our main courses arrived. A generous selection of breads, including some great salty pretzels, was served on the side. We probably ate too many of those.

From the grill we selected our main courses, which were served with potatoes and vegetables done to the customer’s liking. Accompanying the salmon was a neat stack of crumbed roasted vegetables and crispy potato rosti along with a ramekin of creamy lemon sauce. The stack of lamb cutlets got delivered on a flat raft of spring beans and came circled with halved new potatoes served face down. A herby mint sauce with a hint of chili finished the dish nicely. The kitchen staff should be commended for the timing, temperature and presentation of these meals, all of which were spot on.

Suitably impressed by this stage, there was little need nor room in the stomach for dessert. So we rested for a while to make room.

Room for big desserts with a distinctively European feel. A king size serve of apple strudel came with homemade vanilla ice-cream and cream while the vanilla soufflé contrasted with the raspberry coulis alongside it. Every single mouthful was savoured even though we were both full to bursting.

The Swiss do hospitality well, with the local staff representing them professionally with service that was warm, efficient and hardly noticeable. Movenpick’s venture in Hanoi appears on the way to success if our meal at their classy Mangosteen restaurant is any indication.

Homemade

2009-06-28T18:56:00.005+07:00

When the word homemade is used it usually refers to delicious food made at home. In Vietnam, this word can be used in many more contexts because we are quite ingenious in making and repairing things at home. I mean, have you ever heard of a homemade car????

Occasionally I see these kinds of cars around Hanoi and it makes me laugh. They look so cute but are definitely not safe for driving. I am not sure if the goverment actually allows them to be driven on the roads or not. To make these cars, Vietnamese people use the machines of different cars or motorbikes and they shape a new body or frame around the engine and turn it into a car somehow. Of course these cars don't have modern features like air-conditioning or CD players but I wouldn't be surprised if someone is thinking about how to include them. I don't know how fast these cars go but the man I saw was driving it quite fast. At least it was keeping up with the motorbikes. I'm not sure how it would cope in an accident but maybe better than modern cars because it's actually made of steal! Cars are becoming a way of life in Hanoi now but I'm not sure if these models are going to catch.

What do you think?

Nha Trang, June 09

2009-06-20T23:35:00.003+07:00

The Sea Festival is one of the biggest events in Nha Trang which happens every two years. It's a really big time and attracts a lot of visitors to Nha Trang. Most hotels put their prices up unbelievely high. That's not the only thing that's high. The weather is a bit too hot for me, hot enough to burn my feet as I walked along the beach. While I was there last week, it was about 37 degrees everyday but luckily there is a sea breeze so that it's not too bad.

My brother's family and I went to the evening fair one night to have a look. It is right on the beach with numerous stalls and activities. The noise are from all the different speakers around with different music, sale girls voices, together with the crowds made it a bit tiring for me. I lost interest after 30 minutes wandering around the fair. I don't think I'll go to these fairs anymore as it's so boring and most of the stuff on sale is old fashioned and ugly.

I missed trying a bowl from the biggest noodle soup show during the festival. This is the first time and a record for Viet Nam for a single shop making a huge pot of pho, enough to serve almost 700 people. Pho Hong is one of the popular noodle shops in Nha Trang. There were also plenty of exhibitions on the beach especially painting and photography shows. I spent over an hour looking at the paintings, which were indeed great stuff.

During the day, I went to the Lousiane Brewhouse for swimming and relaxing, drinking some house-brewed beer and reading a bit. I started trying to read more in English last month and it has opened up my mind heaps, a new world for me and for my imagination.

As usual, I went to eat all of my hometown's local specialties for breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper. I just love these dishes and am amazed that they are so cheap. The most expensive dish I had was only 25,000Vnd, which is the same as what I pay for a bowl of noodles in Hanoi or Saigon. I will write about these dishes in the next post. Hope everyone is having a great weekend !!!

Bargaining Games

2009-06-14T21:46:00.013+07:00

As I'm a man from the south with a southern accent, I have to bargain for most things I want to buy. I think it's a kind of game and I need to be part of that and play the game with the sellers to the best of my ability, if I don't want to get ripped off. I usually start at 50% of the quoted price with the florists near my place. The process is actually quite predictable and normally includes funny stories about how high the price was that they had to pay. After a while, they normally agree to sell for around 60% of their original price.

With ceramic sellers, I usually choose some bowls, plates or vases then ask the total bill. I paid 7,000Vnd for a very nice plate compared to my friends who paid 45,000vnd in the shop. They look exactly the same, no mistake. But when you buy ceremic stuff from street vendors, you need to check each item carefully for flaws which they sometimes try to cover with stamps. Don't worry about taking those stamps off before you pay to check that there is no chip or mark. I normally pay about 45% of the first price when dealing with the pottery sellers.

Going to market is even more challenging for me. Most Vietnamese bargain for every single vegetable. I only bargain for veggies if I'm dealing with a vendor for the first time and I generally stand behind another customer to see what the situation is like. After that I will go back to the same vendor as she knows me. I got terribly ripped off by a chicken seller at my local market, paying 50% more than the normal price. I almost went back to shout at her but she's a damn hard woman and I think I better take it as a lesson and never go to her shop again. One thing that I'm always careful about now is watching what the vendor chooses for me...this is really important. Sometimes, after they agree on a cheap price, they pay you back by giving you the bad produce.

It can be a fun way of shopping in Hanoi and Viet Nam. But I think it's important to remember that "you get what you pay for."

Brasserie Westlake Restaurant

2009-06-05T08:40:00.003+07:00

Recently, I was invited to the Sofitel Plaza Hanoi for a birthday dinner at the Brasserie Westlake Restaurant. Luckily for me it was a Friday evening, when the restaurant hosts lobster at the most popular seafood buffet in town. Originally from the south central coast of Vietnam, where seafood is a daily part of the diet, I have to say that I have rarely looked forward to a meal this much. I see buffets as a great chance to really have large serves of the foods that I love or don’t get to eat that often. I really feel like a child in a candy shop.

Brasserie Westlake is located right next to the lobby of the hotel with sweeping views of the chaotic traffic on the streets below. A table by the window offers a more intimate dining experience but the space can also cater for large parties. Actually getting to the table can be problematic though, as diners have to walk through the actual buffet area to be seated. I defy anyone who can negotiate their way through such a feast without stopping to consider what they will start with!

And the options are immense, not just limited to seafood. Japanese features in the form of sushi and sashimi. Smoked salmon and fresh oysters are located alongside. Salads comprise a large section of the buffet, both those designed by the chefs and ingredients to custom make one’s own, including a nice range of dressings. Hot dishes under shining silver chafing lids vary from night to night and might include Asian inspired curries and stir-fries or dishes from the Mediterranean and other regions of Europe. Carbohydrates in the form of rice, bread and potatoes are available, too. I ignore them as I want to fill up on the fare from the grill.

Here, my seafood cravings are satisfied. Arranged across a big refrigerated display case are a range of creatures from the seas, including red snapper, sardines, flower snails, prawns, squid, mussels…the list goes on. Of course, the star of the show on Fridays is lobster. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven, as I went back again and again to select and watch my seafood being cooked. For those who are allergic to seafood – and I feel sorry for them – there is a good range of lamb, pork, beef and chicken to be grilled up too.

My only problem was that I could not do justice to the dessert buffet. The centerpiece is a fountain, under which pieces of fruit can be drenched in liquid chocolate. Dozens of bite size cakes and little flans in shot glasses lined the dessert trays. A chocolate bread pudding looked delectable and rich. Next time I’m going to leave room.

Executive chef Mike Drew and his very capable team at the Brasserie Westlake can be assured by the crowds present on my visit and on most nights that they know how to put on a good buffet spread.

I’ll be back.

My Sport

2009-05-24T23:05:00.002+07:00

I always dreamt about being a tennis professional. I love playing tennis and it's the only sport I play. I'm lucky to be able to play almost everyday. Thinking back to 20 years ago, Vietnam was very poor and I knew my dream couldn't come true. I was born in a working class family and we couldn't afford to play tennis as the time I was growing up. Tennis was considered a sport only for rich people. I remembered going to the tennis center in Yersin Street in Nha Trang and watching from outside.

I started playing tennis when I was 20 after I started working. It was tough to manage my time as I had to go to school every day in the afternoon, evening classes in the evening and working in the morning. But I promised myself to give tennis a try. I played with my own coach three times a week at noon between my work and school commitments. In fact, before I started working, my father wouldn't allow me to play. He thought that it would reflect badly on the family.

It's now 12 years since the first day I hit a tennis ball. Since then, I have actually played in a few tournaments but never make it past about the third round. The first time I ever played in the Hanoi Open, I couldn't sleep for the whole night and keep going to the bathroom every half hour. By the time I played I was so nervous and exhausted that I could hardly get the ball in the court.

I love watching tennis too and I have stayed up all night long just watching Hingis and Federer playing their matches. Maybe you guys think that I am crazy but I just love them and I was really sad when Hingis retired then happy when she announced her comeback but truly sad when she retired last year. I hope Roger Federer will retain his old form and break the grand slam records of Sampras.

Guess who is going to win Roland Garros? I hope Roger will win this time.

Alez Roger !!!!

Banh Xeo

2009-05-18T23:45:00.004+07:00

Last night, I looked up my Nha Trang food photos and my mouth was watering at the Banh Xeo (steamed rice pancake) photos. I decided to make it tonight for dinner. Huong, my cleaner, went to the market and got some prawns, pork, vegetables and squid and I went to buy rice flour, different kinds of herbs, beanshoots and some more pork.

It's nice to make something different for a change at home. It took 30 minutes to get everything ready and quite easy as the flour had instructions on the bag. I do know how to make this cake as I ate and saw it alot when I was in my city. The dipping sauce is the most important as it determines the taste of the whole dish. Ms Huong made a dipping sauce using the WildRice restaurant recipe. It tasted great but in Nha Trang we make it a little bit different, slightly fruitier with more pineapple and lemon. I will make this sauce next week when I have another go at Banh Xeo next week.

When I'd finished and had more than enough myself, I gave my landlord some cakes and he just loved them, as did my housemate and Huong. This was the first time she's ever made this cake, and even though she thought it was difficult to make, Huong said she's going to try it at home for her family.

It really is a great dish from the south of Vietnam.

Weddings in the countryside

2009-05-06T22:53:00.001+07:00

Weddings in the countryside in Vietnam are common, even if you live in major cities and most of your friends do, too. Most people who reside in urban areas have some ancestry in a rural province. ‘My fatherland’, even ‘my countryside’, is a commonly heard reference, even though they may only visit the place once or twice a year. Getting married often means organizing a countryside wedding, sometimes in two provinces, the bride’s and the groom’s. It can be quite an experience to attend these kinds of weddings.

Getting there is half the fun, though on popular wedding days, the traffic departing Hanoi in the mornings and arriving back in the afternoons can be worse than city traffic jams. Often the travel time is far longer than the time spent at the actual wedding. In my experience, finding the location of the wedding is always quite a challenge. Because maps of rural areas in Vietnam are non-existent, finding the way once the town is reached involves asking directions from half a dozen or more locals – some who may not have a very good sense of direction. I’ve been known to actually phone the bride or groom for some decisive guidance. In several cases, special guides may be sent on motorbike or bicycle to greet guests at a particular landmark. In western weddings I know that it’s common for the ceremony to be delayed because the bride is late. In Vietnam, it is more likely to be the guests!

In the countryside, weddings normally occur in the family home. Sometimes a tent is erected to accommodate the invitees, which commonly include the whole neighbourhood or village population. In almost all cases, relatives and neighbours are recruited to help arrange the event. They cook the wedding meal, erect the tent and decorations and are generally available throughout the day to deliver food, pour drinks, collect and wash dirty dishes. It’s a real group effort and the atmosphere is very warm as a result. The parents of the bride or groom are usually at the gate to welcome all of the guests before tea and candy are served prior to the wedding meal.

There is little ceremony in these weddings, apart from the official welcome and a speech or two, mostly just to thank everyone for attending. Guests toast the couple by wishing that they love each other until they are old, in fact until their teeth and hair are falling out! There is no priest or celebrant on hand, no kissing of the bride or bridal waltz. But there is normally very loud music playing throughout the occasion and sometimes karaoke. Noise is atmosphere at these weddings.

When it seems that all of the guests have arrived, people are seated for the wedding meal. Because there is a tradition to consult a fortune teller about the most auspicious time of the day for the groom to pick up his bride for the wedding, it is not uncommon for everyone to be sitting down to this meal at 9am. Numerous toasts of local rice wine or sometimes Vang DaLat are compulsory, regardless of the time of day. Chicken, beef, goat, pork, veal and dog are the most popular meats served at weddings in rural provinces but in some places they also add their local specialty. In Thai Binh, I ate cat once at my friend's wedding and I didn't know it was cat until I left the party. A range of vegetable dishes are also served and the meal is generally finished with more tea and seasonal fruit.

And then it’s over. With little fanfare, the guests start filing out little more than ninety minutes after arriving, onto buses and into cars for the journey back to town.

Jam?

2009-04-25T14:04:00.002+07:00

My friends and I went to the Jam Club for the first time on a Wednesday a few months ago. It was great as I saw the small hiphop show where customers competed in a dance-off together. The girl who won was a great dancer, looked great and really enjoyed herself. The Jam Club is a new world for me compared to other clubs in Hanoi and is currently one of the most popular clubs for Hanoi's young folk. I wondered whether their parents know where they are, how much they are spending on drink and clothes.

I returned to this club last Friday night with some friends as they wanted to listen to some dance music. 90% of the club's clientele is Vietnamese. My friends had never been to the Jam Club before and they were very surprised about how crowded and crazy it was. This club is kind of a replacement for the New Century Dance Club which used to be in Trang Thi street but was closed down by the police. However, Jam is much much smaller and a bit pricey as well. Beer is 50,000Vnd per bottle, with wine and other liquor over the top as well. But most tables seem to have 2 or 3 different kinds of liquors, from Black Label to Gin.... Where do these kids get the money from? Unluckily for us, the Jam Club has $1 Carlsberg beers every sunday, monday, tuesday and thursday... except on wednesday and weekend!!!

They don't allow anyone to take photos here or bring alcohol in from outside. Damn!

Cooking Class

2009-04-19T21:51:00.004+07:00

I was invited to join a cooking class at The Hanoi Cooking Centre in Chau Long Street to cook Middle Eastern food for the first time. I have to say, cooking is not an easy job unless you desire to cook. Like most Vietnamese men, I can cook some basic Vietnamese food but going to a class about another cuisine is totally different.

It was so interesting to cook something from a part of the world I've never been to and learn some of the basics of cooking, including bread-making. Tracy, the chef instructor showed us her passion for food and her cooking experience. It was very nice meeting her. Anyway, the menu consisted of Cinnamon Braised Lamb, Lemon Cous Cous, Baba Ghanoush, Pita Bread and Semolina, Almond and Rosewater Syrup Cake.

It took us two hours to finish these dishes. All of the members of the class had a great time making the dishes. By the end, though, I was actually quite physically tired and my arms felt like they has a workout after making heaps of Pita Bread. After the class, we all went upstairs to the bar/cafe area where our table was set up and we tried the results of our hard work. I have to say, I cooked really well that night :) The food was really yummy.

Thanks Tracy, thanks to the Hanoi Cooking Centre for giving me a chance to learn and for the nice company on the evening.

Bai Dinh Pagoda

2009-04-15T22:20:00.007+07:00

Two weeks ago, my tennis club arranged a day trip to Ninh Binh to visit the Bai Dinh Pagoda. We'd heard that this new, unfinished structure will be the biggest pagoda in South East Asia. The new structure lies behind the old Bai Dinh Pagoda, a 7-minute walk away. The old pagoda is really interesting with a fantastic view from the top.

Covering an area of around 700 hectares, the exact location of the pagoda is Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District, Ninh Binh Province in front of the lake. The best locations for pagodas are near water and looking over the surrounding countryside, so the Bai Dinh complex is lucky in both respects. Even though it isn't finished yet, thousands of pilgrims are visiting, particularly as it's still early in the new year.Being among the first to visit a new pagoda is also something to be proud of too.

Hundreds of stone statues surround the pagoda in addition to four bronze huge ones, three weighing over 50 tons and one over 100 tons. Another feature is an enormous 36 ton bronze bell. They are all sculpted by Ninh Van, a local craftsman. Bai Dinh Pagoda is predicted to become one of the biggest centres for Buddhists in Vietnam.

Despite the crowds and the fact that the pagoda is unfinished, it was a really pleasant day in a special place in the fresh country air. I'm hoping to return when it's finished.

Hospitality and Service In Greece

2009-04-12T10:15:00.003+07:00

In Greece, I was really surprised that most of the people working restaurants are middle-aged or old men. In Asia and maybe in many other countries, waiters and waitresses are recuited young to attract customers but not in Greece. Most people I talked to said that these men have been working in restaurants since then were very young and love that job and don't bother to try different jobs.

Of course they are very familiar with everything about their restaurants. They know exactly what to do and where things are. Some of them were very funny. I loved talking to them as they always have different stories to tell you even though some times, I didn't really understand at all.

Unfortunately, we experienced some misunderstanding with Greece's tourist information offices, too. The problem was that because we were travelling in the season just after high season, many of the timetables had changed but the office staff were still giving out outdated information. As a result, a few times we missed ferries or buses and this also meant we had to pay for extra accommodation. Oh well, that's something we need to learn and part of the experience for the next trip.

In the shops in Greece, the shop assistants were all interested in Western people but not so interested in me. It was really funny as I was shopping a lot when I was there. A western man or woman would walk past a shop and receive very special greetings but when I walked past these sellers didn't say a thing. Some of them were quite rude but I responded by simply walking out of the shop. They lost my interest but I hope they change their attitude for their future business as Asian people shop alot when they travel as their culture is shopping for souvenirs for their family and friends.

Anyway, been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

Hoi An

2009-04-06T22:20:00.004+07:00

Sorry that I haven't updated my blog for a long time. It's been a combination of being busy and laziness. I was actually considering quitting blogging. After 10 days holiday in Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang, I decided to start blogging again as I have enough energy now to walk around, take some photos and learn more stories to tell you guys.

I went back to Hoi An with my friends for a break to escape Hanoi's awful spring drizzle and dull grey skies. We were greeted in Hoi An by stunning blue skies, a more than warm sun and a really nice hotel.

I spent a few hours relaxing by the hotel pool before hitting the shops. My friends hadn't been to Hoi An, so they were excited to see the tailors and lanterns. It was actually a nice time to be in Hoi An as there were not many tourists around. During our wanders, we passed a small pagoda in Tran Phu street where food was being served in the courtyard. What a fantastic atmosphere to enjoy one of Hoi An's specialties, chicken rice...and one of the local beers, LaRue.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find my old tailor after an hour walking around. I decided to stop at Mac Khai, one of dozens of tailor shops around Hoi An. I had some shirts and shorts copied to be ready for the hot summer in Hanoi. Within 24 hours, my clothes were ready for pick-up, all perfectly sewn and made to order.

The next day we went to the beach for a short time to try some squid, prawns and scallops. They were good but dear compared to Nha Trang. I was looking forward to eating more seafood on my arrival home in Nha Trang. Seafood is always good and cheap down there and that's one of the things I miss most. My friends and I wanted to eat in the night food market which is always full of tourists. It is a good place to try some other local specialties, like the noodle dish cao lau. During our visit, we also ate at one of my favourites, the Bale Well restaurant, which I've written about before.

Really enjoyed the first leg of our trip.

Queuing

2009-02-04T22:47:00.001+07:00

Queuing is a nice idea that is widely practised in many western countries but it is little understood in Vietnam and certainly rare. In Hanoi where I am living now, I don't think I've seen a queue. I seem to get mad easier than 7 years ago when I first arrived. After years and many thousand times that people have pushed in front of me, I've started shouting and telling people to follow the rule.

Shopping in the supermarket is a huge drama especially during weekends, not only because many people shop at this time, but also because there is no queuing system. One popular trick is when ladies come to the cashier and ask to pay first, "I only have one item, would you mind?". It doesn't work that way lady!!! Some of the cashiers allow this practise which really make me wild and angry.

Another queuing nightmare is the Noi Bai Airport. I remember one situation two years ago when I flew to Ho Chi Minh City for Tet. I went to the airport two and a half hours in advance because I knew there would be thousands of people there at the same time. A problem came up when the Vietnam airlines staff gave our seats to their relatives or people they know and they told us that we came late and the plane had no seats left. More than 50 passengers including me shouted at the Vietnam airlines staff. We know this is a bad airline but we had no choice. Two hours later, they announced that our new flight was delayed without any excuse. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City at 1 am, 5 hours later than our plan.

I'm growing very tired of these situations!!!!

Ugly Betty

2009-01-28T11:09:00.007+07:00

This is one of the ugliest monument I've ever seen in my life. It's located in the best location in the beautiful city of Nha Trang. I wonder where all the best architects are? Tell me what do you think.

Nha Trang 2009

2009-01-22T11:52:00.007+07:00

I went back to Nha Trang earlier than usual this year to escape the damn Hanoi cold and to greet the beautiful sunshine in Nha Trang.

I always enjoy the sun here at this time of the year as it's not very hot and quite dry. I can already feel the difference in my breathing and my hair even feels healthier. The quality of the air in Nha Trang is very clean compared to Hanoi and a welcome break from all of the traffic chaos and noise. I love coming back as I can visit my family, good friends and eat my favorite foods.

My good friends from Hanoi are coming down this weekend and they will stay for a week for Tet. For some of them it is the first time and the rest of them not. For my closest friend, it is his sixth time! The main reason they come is to relax, lay on the beach, read and enjoy the seafood and streetfood. At some beaches in Vietnam, the vendors can be quite annoying but in Nha Trang they can be avoided. Well, I am off now to the beach now.

It's a hard life!