As you may have noticed from the somewhat abortive nature of my last blog post, I didn't have much time for blogging while Mum was here with me...instead I was engaged in living a life of veritable luxury and enjoying every second of her company. Now that she has abandoned me, I have to get back to fending for myself and as I am not quite as organised when she is not around I can never quite work out how long I will have in inernet cafes (or whether I will even be able to find one, which was my problem today). I'm going to do the next few posts in bits because of this very reason, otherwise I end up with ones half finished and they are out of date by the time I get a chance to get back to them. So the first will be my (and our) impresion of Ho Chi Minh city, or Saigon, as most people still call it.
Our very first impression of Saigon (which I am going to stick to because it is several less letters to type and the keyboard I am using is awful!) came while we were still in Hanoi. At breakfast one morning we met an older American couple who live in Hong Kong. It was funny actually, as they felt the need to clarify that they were American, even though it was blatantly obvious not only from their accents, but because I am afraid to say that the man, at least, fulfilled the American stereotype and was rather overweight, loud, and as it turns out, a tad ignorant. Now I am not saying that I subscribe to such stereotypes; I have, after all, met some thin, quiet and very intelligent Americans. However, with the accent to cement it, it was clear where they originally came from. Anyway, I digress. We were chatting to them over breakfast and it transpired that they had spent some time in Saigon...and hated it. They were so negative, and kept saying how it felt so unsafe as a city and was overcrowded and just generally horrible. Needless to say this worried us a bit; Mum more than me despite me trying to tell her that you cannot go by what other people think of places. Luckily our first concrete impression of Saigon came when we were on the way to Mui Ne, the beach part of our holiday together. We went through Saigon and had an afternoon exploring a bit and both of us agreed that we liked the feel of it very much. An opinion that was only strengthened once we got back from the beach.
I guess that at this point I should be entirely honest and admit that the Americans were right about one thing and that we did have one very unpleasant experience on our last morning. We had gone for a walk by the river and had just paused while waiting to cross the road (which felt like trying to cross the road in India, ie, as if you are taking your life into your hands/feet every time), when a man on a motorbike on the pavement grabbed Mum's silver necklace and stole it from around her neck. I know you will be thinking 'how on Earth did they not notice the man on a motorbike on the pavement?' but that in itself is not at all unusual; motorbikes (and occassionally tuk-tuks will drive any way necessary to go a bit faster, whether this is on pavements, through petrol stations, through car parks, wherever really. She wasn't hurt, and luckily the necklace held no sentimental value, but obviously we were both very shaken up; it's horrible when someone violates your personal space like that. It made me realise that my policy of not wearing anything that even looks expensive is not overly cautious though; it just isn't worth making yourself a target (not that it was Mum's fault at all of course).
That aside, our four days there were briliant! Our hotel was amazing. We were on Dong Khoi road, the same road as the Caravelle and Sheraton hotels (which apparently I should have heard of) and our hotel had a rooftop pool and jacuzzi, a gym, a doorman and, most wonderfully,...a bath in our room! Unfortunately the staff at reception and on the doors were under the impression that we were clinically insane (or plain daft), for which I cannot blame them. We (and when I say 'we' I mean Mum) did a series of ridiculous things which clearly perplexed the poor staff, but which I plan to put together with some other classic comedy moments from our three weeks to form a sketch show and make my millions. The first thing(in Saigon, there were many, many before) was that the doorman had to intercede when Mum tried to pay the taxi driver 300,000 Vietnamese Dong instead of 30,000, leading to reception very politely informing her that you have to count the number of '0's on the notes before paying, and me confiscating the money to prevent her bankrupting us. The second was that she went down to ask where out bathrobes were located, only she somehow asked in such a way that they thought that we couldn't find the bathroom in our room and so, again very patiently, they explained to her exactly where we could find the bathroom. Of course she didn't feel the need to correct them, but just listened and nodded, so they really thought we couldn't find our bathroom! There was also a mix up with our room number that I never managed to get to the bottom of because when I came down to meet her in the lobby and she told me the others I was laughing so hard that I couldn't stand, a position I found myself in daily. I can't tell you the other sketch material as one of you might get there before me and write the next French and Saunders (if you are wondering who would be which I will just say I wouldn't be French...), but let's just say there are pills, crockery and bananas involved!
One more hilarious moment I simply have to share (because otherwise Mum will try to pretend it didn't happen) was on our second full day. We had woken up at 6am ready for a daytrip along the Mekong river which we had booked on our brief transit through Saigon on the way to the beach. At 6.25 we were all ready to go and doing our last minute check of everything at which point Mum was reading out our ticket details...
Mum: "One ticket for two people."
Me: "Yes."
Mum: "One day trip on the Mekong."
Me: "Yes."
Mum: "Departs at 7am."
Me: "Yes."
Mum: "On 31st January."
Me: ....No Mum, today is 1st February."
Mum: "You're joking."
Me: "No Mum."
Mum: "Oh <insert expletive here>."
I found this absolutely hilarious, as was her attempt at acting when we got to the tourist office and they poliely informed us that we were, in fact, a day late. She turned to me with a pantomime 'shock' expression, and pointed dramatically at the calendar saying "is it?!" at which point the woman calmly said "yes, it is, would you like to buy a new ticket?" The whole situation had me in creases, which I'm not sure Mum apreciated!
Once we eventually got on the trip it was really good. We saw a honey farm (where I was talked into buying a bottle of honey...just what every traveller needs in their back pack), watched coconut candy being made (unfortunately I am now a coconut candy addict), sampled snake wine (which we later found out is mildly poisonous), saw life on the riverside and watched a traditional musical performance; it was fun!
We had long enough in Saigon that we managed to see all the main sights, including the Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, the War Remnant Museum, the Reunification Hall, the Jade Emperor Pagoda and lots more that I am clearly momentarily forgetting. Most of these were enjoyable, but I found the War Remnants Museum harrowing. I'm not saying I regret going - I think it is really important to eduate yourself about horrible things that have happened/ are happening in the world - but it definitely wasn't something I enjoyed. The majority of the museum is made up of photographs of victims during the Vietnam war, and of victims since, victims still suffering from the after effects of the extensive pollution of the land by Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals. I won't go in to details, but will say that I had to run to the toilet at one point because I felt physically sick. The exhibitions were quie propagandist in tone which I actually found detracted from their effect a bit, but some of the captions were very thought-provoking, such as one that described the use of Agent Orange as an 'American experiment,' a claim that I cannot support or refute due to ack of knowlege, but which upset me nonetheless.
The Jade Emperor Pagoda on the other and was a very enjoyable experience. The temple itself was very like the temples we had visited in Hanoi, but what made it so special was the atmosphere there. It must still have been Tet celebrations, because the temple and surrounding grounds were absolutely choc-a-bloc with devotees; it felt more like a temple in India than South East Asia the way we were jostled and carried along by the crowd and were in the way no matter where we went! While we were there a procession of people with two huge Chinese dragons came into the temple accompanied by musicians bearing drums and bells - it was quite a sight to see!
On our last full day we went off the beaten track a little into the Cholon district, otherwise known as China town. We visited lots more temples and pagodas which were quite different to what we had seen previously. These had more intricate carvings on the outside of them and were, well I think the word is 'gaudy' on the inside, but I don't mean that in a negative way! There was just a lot of bright fabric, flashing lights and fake gold/precious gems everywhere; it was very impressive though. At lunch we walked over to the Bin Tay market, a huge market mainly for wholesale goods. The market itself was great and I managed to get Mum to eat street food (or as close to it as she was going to get) but even better was the walk there. It showed Mum local life, which carries on with no discernible links to tourism, complete with the cacophony of smells that I have grown used to in Asia blending seamlessly from food to oil to Chinese herbs to sewage to incense to smells that I have never encountered before and have no idea how to categorise!
So that was Saigon! Throw in some delicious food, plenty of shopping, live jazz, fruits galore, swimming, drinking cocktails, baths and lots of laughs and you might have an idea of how great a time we had :)
Lots more to tell - Angkor Wat for a big one! - as well as Phnom Penh and my brief time in Singapore which is where I am now. However I can't linger as tonight I am flying to South America! Well, to Dubai first and then to Brazil...27 hours after I leave Singapore! Could be interesting. So for now I shall say a fond farewell to you and to Asia, which has treated me very well :)
Hope you are all happy and well!
Lots of love,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Our very first impression of Saigon (which I am going to stick to because it is several less letters to type and the keyboard I am using is awful!) came while we were still in Hanoi. At breakfast one morning we met an older American couple who live in Hong Kong. It was funny actually, as they felt the need to clarify that they were American, even though it was blatantly obvious not only from their accents, but because I am afraid to say that the man, at least, fulfilled the American stereotype and was rather overweight, loud, and as it turns out, a tad ignorant. Now I am not saying that I subscribe to such stereotypes; I have, after all, met some thin, quiet and very intelligent Americans. However, with the accent to cement it, it was clear where they originally came from. Anyway, I digress. We were chatting to them over breakfast and it transpired that they had spent some time in Saigon...and hated it. They were so negative, and kept saying how it felt so unsafe as a city and was overcrowded and just generally horrible. Needless to say this worried us a bit; Mum more than me despite me trying to tell her that you cannot go by what other people think of places. Luckily our first concrete impression of Saigon came when we were on the way to Mui Ne, the beach part of our holiday together. We went through Saigon and had an afternoon exploring a bit and both of us agreed that we liked the feel of it very much. An opinion that was only strengthened once we got back from the beach.
I guess that at this point I should be entirely honest and admit that the Americans were right about one thing and that we did have one very unpleasant experience on our last morning. We had gone for a walk by the river and had just paused while waiting to cross the road (which felt like trying to cross the road in India, ie, as if you are taking your life into your hands/feet every time), when a man on a motorbike on the pavement grabbed Mum's silver necklace and stole it from around her neck. I know you will be thinking 'how on Earth did they not notice the man on a motorbike on the pavement?' but that in itself is not at all unusual; motorbikes (and occassionally tuk-tuks will drive any way necessary to go a bit faster, whether this is on pavements, through petrol stations, through car parks, wherever really. She wasn't hurt, and luckily the necklace held no sentimental value, but obviously we were both very shaken up; it's horrible when someone violates your personal space like that. It made me realise that my policy of not wearing anything that even looks expensive is not overly cautious though; it just isn't worth making yourself a target (not that it was Mum's fault at all of course).
That aside, our four days there were briliant! Our hotel was amazing. We were on Dong Khoi road, the same road as the Caravelle and Sheraton hotels (which apparently I should have heard of) and our hotel had a rooftop pool and jacuzzi, a gym, a doorman and, most wonderfully,...a bath in our room! Unfortunately the staff at reception and on the doors were under the impression that we were clinically insane (or plain daft), for which I cannot blame them. We (and when I say 'we' I mean Mum) did a series of ridiculous things which clearly perplexed the poor staff, but which I plan to put together with some other classic comedy moments from our three weeks to form a sketch show and make my millions. The first thing(in Saigon, there were many, many before) was that the doorman had to intercede when Mum tried to pay the taxi driver 300,000 Vietnamese Dong instead of 30,000, leading to reception very politely informing her that you have to count the number of '0's on the notes before paying, and me confiscating the money to prevent her bankrupting us. The second was that she went down to ask where out bathrobes were located, only she somehow asked in such a way that they thought that we couldn't find the bathroom in our room and so, again very patiently, they explained to her exactly where we could find the bathroom. Of course she didn't feel the need to correct them, but just listened and nodded, so they really thought we couldn't find our bathroom! There was also a mix up with our room number that I never managed to get to the bottom of because when I came down to meet her in the lobby and she told me the others I was laughing so hard that I couldn't stand, a position I found myself in daily. I can't tell you the other sketch material as one of you might get there before me and write the next French and Saunders (if you are wondering who would be which I will just say I wouldn't be French...), but let's just say there are pills, crockery and bananas involved!
One more hilarious moment I simply have to share (because otherwise Mum will try to pretend it didn't happen) was on our second full day. We had woken up at 6am ready for a daytrip along the Mekong river which we had booked on our brief transit through Saigon on the way to the beach. At 6.25 we were all ready to go and doing our last minute check of everything at which point Mum was reading out our ticket details...
Mum: "One ticket for two people."
Me: "Yes."
Mum: "One day trip on the Mekong."
Me: "Yes."
Mum: "Departs at 7am."
Me: "Yes."
Mum: "On 31st January."
Me: ....No Mum, today is 1st February."
Mum: "You're joking."
Me: "No Mum."
Mum: "Oh <insert expletive here>."
I found this absolutely hilarious, as was her attempt at acting when we got to the tourist office and they poliely informed us that we were, in fact, a day late. She turned to me with a pantomime 'shock' expression, and pointed dramatically at the calendar saying "is it?!" at which point the woman calmly said "yes, it is, would you like to buy a new ticket?" The whole situation had me in creases, which I'm not sure Mum apreciated!
Once we eventually got on the trip it was really good. We saw a honey farm (where I was talked into buying a bottle of honey...just what every traveller needs in their back pack), watched coconut candy being made (unfortunately I am now a coconut candy addict), sampled snake wine (which we later found out is mildly poisonous), saw life on the riverside and watched a traditional musical performance; it was fun!
We had long enough in Saigon that we managed to see all the main sights, including the Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, the War Remnant Museum, the Reunification Hall, the Jade Emperor Pagoda and lots more that I am clearly momentarily forgetting. Most of these were enjoyable, but I found the War Remnants Museum harrowing. I'm not saying I regret going - I think it is really important to eduate yourself about horrible things that have happened/ are happening in the world - but it definitely wasn't something I enjoyed. The majority of the museum is made up of photographs of victims during the Vietnam war, and of victims since, victims still suffering from the after effects of the extensive pollution of the land by Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals. I won't go in to details, but will say that I had to run to the toilet at one point because I felt physically sick. The exhibitions were quie propagandist in tone which I actually found detracted from their effect a bit, but some of the captions were very thought-provoking, such as one that described the use of Agent Orange as an 'American experiment,' a claim that I cannot support or refute due to ack of knowlege, but which upset me nonetheless.
The Jade Emperor Pagoda on the other and was a very enjoyable experience. The temple itself was very like the temples we had visited in Hanoi, but what made it so special was the atmosphere there. It must still have been Tet celebrations, because the temple and surrounding grounds were absolutely choc-a-bloc with devotees; it felt more like a temple in India than South East Asia the way we were jostled and carried along by the crowd and were in the way no matter where we went! While we were there a procession of people with two huge Chinese dragons came into the temple accompanied by musicians bearing drums and bells - it was quite a sight to see!
On our last full day we went off the beaten track a little into the Cholon district, otherwise known as China town. We visited lots more temples and pagodas which were quite different to what we had seen previously. These had more intricate carvings on the outside of them and were, well I think the word is 'gaudy' on the inside, but I don't mean that in a negative way! There was just a lot of bright fabric, flashing lights and fake gold/precious gems everywhere; it was very impressive though. At lunch we walked over to the Bin Tay market, a huge market mainly for wholesale goods. The market itself was great and I managed to get Mum to eat street food (or as close to it as she was going to get) but even better was the walk there. It showed Mum local life, which carries on with no discernible links to tourism, complete with the cacophony of smells that I have grown used to in Asia blending seamlessly from food to oil to Chinese herbs to sewage to incense to smells that I have never encountered before and have no idea how to categorise!
So that was Saigon! Throw in some delicious food, plenty of shopping, live jazz, fruits galore, swimming, drinking cocktails, baths and lots of laughs and you might have an idea of how great a time we had :)
Lots more to tell - Angkor Wat for a big one! - as well as Phnom Penh and my brief time in Singapore which is where I am now. However I can't linger as tonight I am flying to South America! Well, to Dubai first and then to Brazil...27 hours after I leave Singapore! Could be interesting. So for now I shall say a fond farewell to you and to Asia, which has treated me very well :)
Hope you are all happy and well!
Lots of love,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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