Thursday, November 20th, 2003 – Day 275
I have a few options in traveling to Hoi An. I can take either the 6.30am bus or the 6.30pm bus which arrives there at 7.00am, the next day. I was too tired to travel today. After the early starts over the past few days and the 9 hours on buses yesterday in addition to a dodgy stomach, I decided to stay in bed this morning. I hope to get the 6.30am bus tomorrow. I decided to stick around for some R&R.
I did little. I syated in bed until 11.00am. i went to the market, had some nice fruit jiuce and purchased some banasas for the journey tomorrow.
I watched New Zealand dismiss France in the 3rd place playoff in the rugby World Cup. I also wrote up the last 7 days of blog and news stories. I was on the net for about 6 hours today.
I walked down to the Sinh Cafe (where I have prepaid my bus ticket to hoi An) but was told that the morning bus was not now going. the Bastards. My mind was made up for going. I was tempted in going in 1 hour on the night bus but felt I should not push myself. The authories in the Vietnamese Embassey in Cambodia has given me a three month visa instead of the one month Visa I had paid for. There was nothing for me. i will go at 6.30pm tomorrow night. I will miss the great scenery. At least i saw 4 hours of it yesterday. We will travelling north on the same road.
Still, I am still anoyed at how lonely Planet recomemnds public bus over open tour system run by backpacker cafes like Sinh Cafe. It says it cuts you off from the local travelling public. Bullshit. At the end of the day tourist buses are SAFER (Public bus drive like mad men), they are CLEANER, MORE COMFORTABLE and CHEAPER. If you were Vietnamese, it would be cheaper to travel on Public bus, but not for foreigners. Its cheaper by tourist bus as you could be charged 100% more on local buses. So cheap, that locals are beginning to use them. Another reason is AIR-CON (you have to have it)a and finally, you do not get half the bus puking there guts out. Vietnamese are very poor bus travellers. i suppose if you are used to travel on bike and motor bike, its indeed strange to be hurling along at 80 miles an hour swerving all over the place.
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Nha Trang – (20-11-2003)
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Click on the picture to see it in it´s original size
Bha Trang – (20-11-2003)
I see the sailors from the first US Navy ship to visit Vietnam are having a good time in Saigon. U.S. Sailors Shop, Quaff Beer on Saigon Shore Leave .
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (Reuters) – American sailors shopped, drank beer and left Vietnamese bemused in the former Saigon on Wednesday, a bustling neon city with a tinge of its sleazy, wartime past.
But for the sailors, it was about getting off a cramped ship and exploring a city they have only read about or seen in the movies since the war ended in 1975.
They haggled over fake Zippo lighters, joked with other tourists and drew shouts and stares from Vietnamese.
“Hello American,” a bar girl yelled at one group of sailors as they passed by.
The city’s famed “girlie bars,” once packed with GIs on leave from the war, were closed in 1975. But they have made a comeback in recent years, now catering to backpackers and businessmen. “There is still sleaze, but it’s a cleaner, safer city compared to 10 years ago,” said an American businessman who sells oil drilling equipment.
I have a bad habit of looking at people documents before cleaning the computers hisitory file. I clean it to delete my email passwords etc. On a document tonight, it looks like a half Vietnamese son needs help from his English speaking Dad. Interesting!
Dear Dad !
Iam also happy when i heard you are still fine and glad . my jod and my study are normal . As you know ,iam studying English and computer . But i can type computer now . So i don’t need study anymore . Oh, Yes dear Dad ! i also read English books and stories English that Violet Aunt gave me last year in my freetime . Sometime ,i go out with my friends on Sunday nights . Do you know ? The twentieth November in VietNam is The Teachers Day . So the students and the pupils have to visit Teachers’ houses and give presents to them . Such as : Flowers or songs . I often sing a song to give my teacher in that day . The name of song about Teacher is ” BUI PHAN ” . It’s mean ” CHALK DUST “. My teacher is very happy . And i am really happy when i make my teacher happy . Dad ,maybe you know about my job . I work at home from 7 AM TO 4 PM on everyday . I can study although i am really busy with my job and some things else . But i am still trying to get better in English . And in the future ,i will be speak to you influently . and i could be explain what i say but you can’t understand . Dad ! evrerything i do thank to your helps . thanks God gave me a great Father like you .
Dad , i need your help . Could you help me pay for School for next 6 months ? It’s time i have to pay for them . So i hope you can help me . Dad ,do you know ? I really don’t want to bother you . But i can’t do it . Because it’s very difficult for me to pay for school for 6 months . I am always trying to can do it . Dad ! I am really sorry for it . Because i was born in big family . So I have to share with my sisters . I have only you can help me in this problem . Dad ! I have to go ,now . Christmasday is near coming . Iam very happy
Give my best wishes and all my love to you .
Hmm, scam artist!!!! Anyway, I had purchased about 30 bananas for my trip tomorrow (now posponed) so I ate about half of them. I did little the rest of the evening. I walked down to the beach for sun set. Quite nice.
Friday, November 21st, 2003 – Day 276
My bus is at 6.30pm tonight. They said they would collect me from my hotel at 6.00pm. I decided I would do nothing today. I stayed int he hotel until 11.30am. I paid 10 USD for the two nights. nice room but fan ionly. it got very hot ast night. Still fr that price which includes towels, hot water etc. its very good value.
I walked around town and send an hour in a cafe. There are a bit more upscale here. You go into a semi covered enclosure to sit on beach chairs. Pretty young girls bring you ice tea before you order. A ice coffee with milk costs 5000 Dong. You can spend an hour there sipping away. They continue to bring ice tea after your coffee. When you get your change, they bring a free cigareete on a plate!!
A goof thing about the town which was a favourite of American service men during the war is the ice cream factories. They were built for the Americans during the war and remain open. There are a number of ice cream parlours town down that sell great ice cream and milk shakes. Shakes cost about 6000 Dong.
In todays news, EU attacks Vietnam ‘repression’. Religion in Vietnam is controlled by the state and so the European parliament has attacked what it describes as the repression of religious groups in Vietnam.
The parliament accused the Communist authorities in Hanoi of adopting a “deliberate policy” of eliminating non-recognised churches. The parliament said a number of other independent religious groups were being targeted – including the Catholic Church, Montagnard Christians and Hoa Hoa Buddhists.
The resolution called on EU member states to coordinate efforts to promote religious freedom in Vietnam. The United States Congress approved a similar resolution on Wednesday.
I find the national custome worn mainly at dressy occasions like weddings and by secondary school girs very appealing. The Ao Dai – The National Costumes popularity is also spreading well beyond Vietnam’s borders. For years Vietnamese immigrants preferred to adopt Western dress and blend with their new community but now the ao dai is seeing a revival amongst overseas Vietnamese.
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Nha Trang – National Dress Ao Dais (21-11-2003)
A lasting impression for any visitor to Vietnam is the beauty of the women dressed in their ao dais. Girls dressed in white pick their way through muddy streets going home from school or sail by in a graceful chatter on their bikes. The ao dai appears to flatter every figure. Its body-hugging top flows over wide trousers that brush the floor. Splits in the gown extend well above waist height and make it comfortable and easy to move in. Although virtually the whole body is swathed in soft flowing fabric, these splits give the odd glimpse of a bare midriff, making the outfit very sensual.
Pronounced ‘ao yai’ in the south, but ‘ao zai’ in the north, the color is indicative of the wearer’s age and status. Young girls wear pure white, fully lined outfits symbolizing their purity. As they grow older but are still unmarried they move into soft pastel shades. Only married women wear gowns in strong, rich colors, usually over white or black pants.
Every ao dai is custom made, accounting for the fit that creates such a flattering look. Stores specialize in their production and a team of cutters, sewers and fitters ensure that the final product will highlight the figure of the wearer. But most visitors to Vietnam agree that the tailors already have the perfect cut. It is hard to think of a more elegant, demure and yet sexy outfit, that suits Vietnamese women of all ages, than the ao dai.
I agree. Its very elegant and sexy. Its real good seeing the girls all dressed in white wae them while riding a bike. They have an elegant way of riding the bike. You never see a girl whose back isnt certical while riding a bicycle. They are always erect when head and body up while arms outstreched to the bars. You never see them slouching over a bike. They usually wear coverings to to protect them from the sun. They see a tan as common while white skin as beautiful. They usually have a baseball hat, a face cloth and long silk gloves up to the elbow. You are unlikely to see any skin.
Another thing I notice is the hundreds of ways locals ride a simple bicycle. I have seen them pull big carts, carry 5 people, I have seen one person on the back transport seat peddle while the rider puts the feet on the handle bars. I have seen a guy standing on the fulcrum of the back wheel standing up holding a umbrealls over the rider. The ways and means !!!
I see U.S. Sailors got a Glimpse of the Vietnam War at the CU CHI tunnels on Friday.
The bus collected me at the hotel at 6.00pm. It left on time at 6.30pm. It wasnt a pleasnt journey. While the driver was safe, the road was quite bad and the weather terrible. it rained heavily most of the way making the road difficult. It was pleasant driving along the coast (although I would have rather have seen it in daylight) seeing the fishing boats with their lights on. It was like something from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. There were hundreds out fishinga long the coast. The bus while comfortbale was good for sleep. You could not recline the seats or get comfortable. I must have chaged positions a hundred times but still got little to no sleep. At least I had the Qantas blanket!! We stopped once at 9.30pm. Rough night!! There were maybe 8 tourists on the 45 seater so it wasnt people crampled or smelly.