Good Morning, Vietnam

It's been a while since I last checked in on the blog, as was the case last time. There is good reason for the lapses, I am always on the go, never resting, never stopping. I love traveling.

The sunset as we made our descent upon Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam..

I am now in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. When I last posted, I was in Cambodia, in Siem Reap, which was lovely to say the least. We stayed in Siem Reap for a week, which is a "long time" for us nowadays.  I had many beautiful experiences there in Siem Reap, and the city in general was just a great place.

We left Siem Reap for Battambang, Cambodia. I was not impressed with Battambang, save a few experiences. It was chaos in your face from the moment we stepped of the bus.
From Battambang we traveled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Wow is really all I can say while describing this place. It isn't in a good way, either. I didn't like Phnom Penh, not really one bit... And for me, this is saying a lot, as I find myself really falling in love with each place we visit. There was an oppressive, depressed vibe in the air. Considering the history, this is completely understandable, however, it is still pervasive, making for a miserable atmosphere. It is HOT, dirty, busy, crowded, and generally not fun. We did the circuit of depressing genocide homages, which was important to me to see on this trip, despite the heaviness of it all, I was willing to accept that as part of the deal to go there.
Happily leaving Phnom Penh, we decided to take a trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malasia, and visit the southern part of Southeast Asia, including Singapore, and then on to Bali, Indonesia! These places were on all of our lists, however, they took a back seat to the "mainland" of Asia, as we weren't sure we would even make it as far as all of this.
I liked KL (Kuala Lumpur) for its ease of transportation, and its amazing sights. We went to the Petronas, "twin towers" here, as well as the Batu caves. Both were amazing. 

 We headed to Singapore via train for a couple of days after we left KL. Singapore really IS nice, and it is also expensive! We treated ourselves, and went to Universal Studios, to be big kids for the day. That was a lot of fun. Singapore has some amazing architecture, and it is also exceedingly simple to maneuver through the city and its outer areas here thanks to the rail system. We went to the Art Museum to see the Salvador Dali exhibit. I enjoyed the architecture of the place as much as seeing the art. There was a "life size" exhibit of Van Gogh showing here too. In this, they had slides of his work which were projected onto the walls, and which moved in time to some lovely classical music. I was mesmerized by this exhibit. They even did a ballet performance to the show on the day we were there. Art is all fine and well, and usually not something that I am awed by, but this was the exception. So happy I decided to go this day. Afterward we headed to the mall next to the art museum with several floors of upscale shopping, a food court at the lower floor, and in the midst of it all, an ice skating rink!! Imagine that! I love the see what things other countries come up with.

this is the Merlion; the symbol of Singapore

We decided to visit Bali since we were so close, and likely wouldn't get this close again during our travels this time around. Bali has weather similar to Hawaii, except it is cooler; at least during this part of the year. Beautiful blue skies, with delightful trade winds, make for the most comfortable climate we have experienced since embarking on this journey. Bali's beaches in the major tourist towns were nothing special if you ask me, but then again, I am a spoiled girl who grew up in Hawaii, so how can that ever compare?! Sorry, Bali. The atmosphere here was interesting at first, but as the days progressed, it became more and more relaxed, and pretty inviting. We did some tourist sights, and traveled to a few different spots across this vast island, and I still think it was only alright. The thing I liked most about Bali (other than its amazing sunsets), and this is also going to sound terrible, was the shopping! Bali has the cutest souvenirs we have seen so far, and some beautiful artwork and craftsmanship; making you want to buy everything. Relative to other travelers, even ones who are on the road longer than I am, my backpack is quite big. The pack is heavy, 23 kilos and counting, however, it is about 1/3 full of my belongings, and the other 2/3 is now souvenirs for others. I LOVE to buy gifts for other people. And being on the road for 5 months, you pick up a few things. We even have to be selective with what we purchase, knowing we will then tote it around for however many months we have left of this trip. 

So that leads me up to here, Ho Chi Minh City. With my first successful purchase (other than ATM withdrawals) with my newly issued debit card, I also re-gained my sense of freedom and independence! Those who know me well know how important this is to me, so this was a huge victory after some setbacks with my card. I hope that whoever stole the money from my account receives the same feelings and inconveniences it brought to my life. But, I digress, we were now on our way to Vietnam. After 2+ months on the road, traveling, and moving around can sometimes get tiresome, and exhausting. Moving places every few days, considering a week in one spot "long", and constantly changing languages, customs, exchange rates, etc., can take its toll on your body. I caught a cold recently. Ryan and I caught it at the same time. It happens.
I came to Vietnam, traveling  with Tuyet, who has some family visiting here in Ho Chi Minh City currently. They have rented an apartment, and have graciously accepted me into their home, and given me a place to stay alongside their family. That is very kind. The location is superb! We are in district one, which is one of the most popular with tourists, and is sort of the "main" area of HCMC. There are a lot of sights and things within walking distance to the apartment, and more are just a short taxi trip away. One of the places we started with was the War Remnants Museum. This place was really biased against Americans, but that's okay. It was another museum of human ugliness, and the horrific things we do to one another. 

 After the museum, we went to a park we just happened upon, which was so peaceful and beautiful. Yes, HCMC is congested, busy, noisy and active, however, there is a lot of beauty here as well. The architecture is kind of amazing, thanks to the French influence, and there is a lot of good food!! If you have ever seen the show "Anthony Bourdane, no reservations", there is a place he visited in HCMC, that is now popular with the "farangs" (a word used to describe foreigners). The "Lunch Lady", is an adorable Vietnamese woman who has set up near the river, and who makes only one specific thing per day, making it her specialty. People who have watched the show make her a destination while in HCMC, and I am no exception... I went to see her yesterday after the museum, only to be told she was done for the day. She starts at 11 am, and by 3, is sold out. So, I decided today, I would go first thing.

The noodle soup was pretty good, but I think the hype is what has made her the popular destination

I was also taken to the busiest, noisiest, most alive place to eat last night. I have no idea what the place was called, the only thing I know is that it was huge, with an enormous outdoor seating area, as well as another enormous indoor area, packed tight with several huge parties of people celebrating birthdays of various ages. This was a family style eatery, and it was very popular with the locals. It is SO nice to be with people who speak the local language honestly. It is a relief. Shame I chose not to bring my camera. This place was a feast for the ears and eyes as well as a delicious eatery. One of the wonderful parts of staying with someones family is that they take you to places such as this, which you may not otherwise ever even know to go to, or attempt to go to on your own. I loved it here, for all the craziness that it was. I was the ONLY "farang" in the entire place. Part of what also amuses me during my travels are the looks I get from the locals. They aren't all used to seeing nearly 6 ft tall robust white ladies, especially in areas such as rural Cambodia, and they will make sure you know it. It's so amusing! I try to learn at least "hello" and "thank you" in the language of every country I go to. This tiny thing will get you pretty far into the hearts of some of the locals. I got lazy in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, because pretty much everyone speaks English there. 
So, now you are all up to speed on what I have been doing. I am sitting in a lovely cafe, drinking coffee, using the internet, surrounded by students with overwhelming amounts of work to do, whilst listening to lovely classical music, and watching the business outside pass me by.
On a disappointing note, Vietnam seems to have blocked Facebook from the websites people are allowed to use here. Darn it all. So, unless it miraculously works one day, I will not be able to load photos until I depart for my next destination, near the end of the month. Should you need to contact me, e-mail me instead.
Take care until next time!
xoxo