tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72901163898278514412024-03-13T09:02:53.447-07:00Cuộc Sống Của Tôi Trong đỏHoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-85477193734098385622009-05-28T05:57:00.000-07:002009-06-02T06:24:03.562-07:00Genocide, Ancient Temples, and Peace Corps<div style="text-align: left;">On Monday morning I went to the Thai consulate to apply for my visa, then had lunch and waited for the Khmer Rouge prison S-21 to open at 2:30. Originally a school, S-21 was turned into the main prison used by the KR in the late 70’s to “interrogate” and torture Cambodian’s suspected of unfounded crimes.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqynfrf2x22S8qQ-m8rI85KbfX620uJGbQpeIBYtmYLwsYbBcF9E5FABHOX5Xax5NXDViB_OW8axNx3BPWhwsNDJubt2kUwQqnEjYXiWU0jcbR86kPqeInCcqSwOW8JL6BbF2wrOqYEs/s1600-h/P1020800.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqynfrf2x22S8qQ-m8rI85KbfX620uJGbQpeIBYtmYLwsYbBcF9E5FABHOX5Xax5NXDViB_OW8axNx3BPWhwsNDJubt2kUwQqnEjYXiWU0jcbR86kPqeInCcqSwOW8JL6BbF2wrOqYEs/s320/P1020800.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340860850412291442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">S-21 is located in the middle of Phnom Penh, and I arrived via motorbike taxi at 2:30. I bought my ticket, and while doing so met a pair of girls from Santa Barbara, Brittany and Shanna, with whom I explored the prison. It was strange to walk around the prison knowing what had happened there in the past while seeing life go on as usual outside the prison's walls. The first building we went into had the torture devices still in the rooms, and the second had endless rows of photographs of the victims of the prison.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnR4bN9pEc3V1gxXmpvfoX6Pt7r9y4e8C0S8ARWSZAVKZC0hpUtrExwlGHFU6aQIqW03jRAe3jP0OzZZJfmdizY8zHNZ9oeO8O2X5wuKlmHkwIOZdI2F_qU9GsJtzyJLN5nmGycYCC5E0/s1600-h/P1020795.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnR4bN9pEc3V1gxXmpvfoX6Pt7r9y4e8C0S8ARWSZAVKZC0hpUtrExwlGHFU6aQIqW03jRAe3jP0OzZZJfmdizY8zHNZ9oeO8O2X5wuKlmHkwIOZdI2F_qU9GsJtzyJLN5nmGycYCC5E0/s320/P1020795.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340863858862281106" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">The third building was more of a museum with each room devoted to a group of people with similar stories; one room for prison guards who explained their actions, another for family members of victims recounting the days leading up to their loved ones arrest, etc. There also were a couple rooms that had exhibits of paintings and photographs portraying what had occurred at the prison. It was a hard but necessary experience.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Brittany, Shanna, and I then went to the Russian Market via Tuk Tuk and sampled food from some of the stalls and walked around for a bit. We agreed to meet for dinner at 7, and they went home to shower. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAcZlrHCVQVykJM_-cKpWMzdaU7A29E07XLAWgA0vaxuG2NaiZZAWKH7LerE_HnATPH244HbefTtoLKGUUkBBzA9DO-ICYi-u8Awf25b1bUOF_wyOEo3WDuEK7toTXcJdTztaYq2Ybg8/s1600-h/P1020804.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAcZlrHCVQVykJM_-cKpWMzdaU7A29E07XLAWgA0vaxuG2NaiZZAWKH7LerE_HnATPH244HbefTtoLKGUUkBBzA9DO-ICYi-u8Awf25b1bUOF_wyOEo3WDuEK7toTXcJdTztaYq2Ybg8/s320/P1020804.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340860860648943378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">I walked around the city for a while, checked out what a Cambodian supermarket is like, then went home to shower as well. We met at 7 and went to dinner, then to the FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) for a drink before going home. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwk7FQfQ_lGxrYLWuqi6-DSXSsVD8ImJtffzmV-v3b9IGeohcdRlYXODUAsGm7UfWmR_zEhwA4e0sYRw3snixhX4QawxLPKhog78V-Zvjmyd16onRldWyWPDBpu8EM80jfM8GYJp2WPb4/s1600-h/P1020810.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwk7FQfQ_lGxrYLWuqi6-DSXSsVD8ImJtffzmV-v3b9IGeohcdRlYXODUAsGm7UfWmR_zEhwA4e0sYRw3snixhX4QawxLPKhog78V-Zvjmyd16onRldWyWPDBpu8EM80jfM8GYJp2WPb4/s320/P1020810.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340860855281184642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">The next morning I woke up and went for a walk to a local market to get breakfast. Before finding cooked food I came upon a guy killing and de-feathering chickens- it was crazy, never seen that before. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf0t2CnDy7VmKg5Cd6DdWtgSbfUfr2fWFE7Vfij7vRdH1nqgOHCUatWuaw0boa-KTWWCSF62s9fJ7xblc1QBQnSvLBvgHIE_Fa3dKBavHHIzmHHUejHNu4bJSkq7JoPxQ8bUzSNq3gAo/s1600-h/P1020829.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVf0t2CnDy7VmKg5Cd6DdWtgSbfUfr2fWFE7Vfij7vRdH1nqgOHCUatWuaw0boa-KTWWCSF62s9fJ7xblc1QBQnSvLBvgHIE_Fa3dKBavHHIzmHHUejHNu4bJSkq7JoPxQ8bUzSNq3gAo/s320/P1020829.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340860862011147554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">After watching for a bit I searched and found some quality Cambodian noodles with eggs to have for breakfast.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1nkm4JCBzGwSectY-DiDbW4Kv6oHMgXMl0JRb_WbnhEnIcx7KPfmHC4obrQLpN7goEcnl10vlpBech2YathXp2bhnHbHacYvesmgZZRJv35xLSv5ioXIX38yKSZfYem06KZOAZi8pMo/s1600-h/P1020838.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc1nkm4JCBzGwSectY-DiDbW4Kv6oHMgXMl0JRb_WbnhEnIcx7KPfmHC4obrQLpN7goEcnl10vlpBech2YathXp2bhnHbHacYvesmgZZRJv35xLSv5ioXIX38yKSZfYem06KZOAZi8pMo/s320/P1020838.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340860867549391666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">At 11 I met Brit and Shanna out front of my hotel and we took a Tuk Tuk the 15 km to the Killing fields, the place where the KR took thousands of people to kill in mass graves. Many of the mass graves were exhumed in the past few years, and all the skulls were put into a tall monument where they can be viewed by visitors.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1qALzbWjH6NBF4bjKrhcuvh4YErL9SN-n1xsjLHmZ1agpUHdz7y9YOrrwv0z8QhMf369lRkkDCcLhV4OKCta_eUgAaHzJ0-zHNJ01ElAZoU106YI2aQuOxnAG63Ra0p-3V3qX9jowwk/s1600-h/P1020854.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz1qALzbWjH6NBF4bjKrhcuvh4YErL9SN-n1xsjLHmZ1agpUHdz7y9YOrrwv0z8QhMf369lRkkDCcLhV4OKCta_eUgAaHzJ0-zHNJ01ElAZoU106YI2aQuOxnAG63Ra0p-3V3qX9jowwk/s320/P1020854.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340863865770723346" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">I have never seen, nor imagined, so many skulls being in one place, it was eery, and the smell was really musky.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGUQHsysKH6djbZwy0vYVNunmdcS4GOfOS1EM-FMkwtXZ6tqvF3FmGgxm4X5_mnzzk1Vmjq442CH8m9DuGnb7a-_WkhNv3iBtUFrBmkda6sM0kNip8K62XCUhG6U2dfPWfxGpAoCKlz0/s1600-h/P1020850.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGUQHsysKH6djbZwy0vYVNunmdcS4GOfOS1EM-FMkwtXZ6tqvF3FmGgxm4X5_mnzzk1Vmjq442CH8m9DuGnb7a-_WkhNv3iBtUFrBmkda6sM0kNip8K62XCUhG6U2dfPWfxGpAoCKlz0/s320/P1020850.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340863861593632290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">We walked around the grounds for a while, then went back to the city. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqF3rwQNIBaJRo-BfBskI2ZyXl-JqJTuztVdzHayGguia4_p0UEHo9tR9EbGchWSg2HA-k9LliarMaLZssLYsfOAsvv-HMJGOGlLr11IHfIAcNw6tUPTQ9jsWOwuAE_LBazpI5s-m0-o/s1600-h/P1020859.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqF3rwQNIBaJRo-BfBskI2ZyXl-JqJTuztVdzHayGguia4_p0UEHo9tR9EbGchWSg2HA-k9LliarMaLZssLYsfOAsvv-HMJGOGlLr11IHfIAcNw6tUPTQ9jsWOwuAE_LBazpI5s-m0-o/s320/P1020859.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340863875125129906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">The weather was poor, so instead of doing more sight-seeing we went to a Seeing Hands massage parlor. All of the masseuses are blind, in Cambodia there aren't really any other ways for blind people to support themselves. It was definitely an experience, although it kinda hurt... After I went back to the Thai consulate to pick up my visa, then relaxed for the rest of the day until midnight when I got on a night bus to Siem Reap to see the Angkor Wat temples. </p><p class="MsoNormal">I arrived in Siem Reap at 6 am and checked into my hotel. I met a couple of British girls on the bus, named Eve and Fay, and to minimize the cost of my day decided to share a Tuk Tuk with them to tour the temples. We left the hotel at 10 am, and after stopping at a bakery for breakfast drove the 10 km to the temples.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Angkor Wat is one large temple complex, but the name has been generalized to a large number of temples, large and small, within a close proximity to each it, that all have their own names. The area had been the capital of the region at the time when the temples were built, but none of the other buildings survived till now because they were made of wood. We went to the actual Angkor Wat first, and it was incredible. It had a huge moat around the outside, and the sheer size of it was inspiring.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7Huu1oojBB43HhPm23hK2RCYhx6D-6WcFTciDyEfcxxa0tgd6-BW9iO8Zpogc8Cgfh9LHYNTnyuDDZAdIT0Mc160i9BS486Ggm2B6iQqU5o54XSPOYhZmObdbnGFj73hmrsKGeIoAk4/s1600-h/P1020947.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7Huu1oojBB43HhPm23hK2RCYhx6D-6WcFTciDyEfcxxa0tgd6-BW9iO8Zpogc8Cgfh9LHYNTnyuDDZAdIT0Mc160i9BS486Ggm2B6iQqU5o54XSPOYhZmObdbnGFj73hmrsKGeIoAk4/s320/P1020947.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341581150858390450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74VNHnFI9f0dzhBTQqSiltZgO7Z1ta0b8mooUhVOFaSNLO_GH7BWOuUKM0ycBecMxXGNPsJ5fAKd1ZYzsLeBhSoe9GP8eP5OFGRH0BrtG_OLDkCQhebMXXAfy2TgxULJvt3irExHw1dg/s1600-h/P1020926.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74VNHnFI9f0dzhBTQqSiltZgO7Z1ta0b8mooUhVOFaSNLO_GH7BWOuUKM0ycBecMxXGNPsJ5fAKd1ZYzsLeBhSoe9GP8eP5OFGRH0BrtG_OLDkCQhebMXXAfy2TgxULJvt3irExHw1dg/s320/P1020926.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340863878657091298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">We stopped at 5 other smaller temples as well, including the temple that was used to shoot a scene in the movie Tomb Raider. <br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyC-g8d8HeFs9OriZkwodHniGwWRMP-rWJGR7SWRgcOoYB5Rzs29bq_2Ixq2PtXFEp9gWJ-VdFqAcLyXrLA3Lu_KCTI7OY54SfbJVnTj-J6kUhIAAAgiqay7lgtqU8ioNms0-oHiPWrQ/s1600-h/P1030032.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjyC-g8d8HeFs9OriZkwodHniGwWRMP-rWJGR7SWRgcOoYB5Rzs29bq_2Ixq2PtXFEp9gWJ-VdFqAcLyXrLA3Lu_KCTI7OY54SfbJVnTj-J6kUhIAAAgiqay7lgtqU8ioNms0-oHiPWrQ/s320/P1030032.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341581153611821618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">The weather wasn't great, so we didn't spend as much time at the other temples as we had at Angkor Wat. At one of the temples I overheard a guide explaining about it to a group of Singaporeans. They let me tag along, and in those 30 minutes I learned more about the temples than I did all the rest of they day. As a result, I decided that I wanted to go back to the temples again the next day with a guide, but I couldn't afford to spend 25 dollars on a guide alone, so that evening when we got back I went in search of a group of people that hadn't been to the temples yet and wanted to share a guide with me.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Instead of finding what I was looking for I ran into a few different people I had made friends with in Hanoi and in 4000 Lakes, so I ended up going out with them for the night, then sleeping in and being lazy all the next day. I wish that I had found people to share the guide with, but no regrets, it was good to see those people again. In the afternoon I booked a bus for the following morning to Battambang, the closest city to the village where my friend Eddie is living in while she's in Peace Corps. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">She met me at the bus station midday and we took a Tuk Tuk to her village, arriving around 3 or so. Her village is composed of 300 or so families, and farming is the main industry. She lives with the village chief and his wife, son, and two children that are staying with them while they go to school, and they had an extra bedroom for me to stay in.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">After showering Eddie and I sat on the porch and talked. I told her about my travels since seeing her in Mui Ne, and she filled me in on what has been going on with Peace Corps in Cambodia. At 6 we were called for dinner, which consisted of a meat and vegetable soup, fried beef with vegetables, steamed rice, and fruit for dessert. I asked for chili, so Eddie's homestay-mom, as she calls her, picked some green chilies off a bush next to the table. I later learned that everything we ate, except for the meat, was grown by the family- including the rice. We ate jackfruit and mango for dessert, then sat around and talked for a while. Eddie's Khmer is getting pretty good, and the host family barely speaks a word of english, so Eddie acted as translator. I found out that all of the chiefs brothers were killed by the Khmer Rouge, and that he was forced to marry his wife by the KR as well, although they seemed happy so I guess it turned out alright. Both Eddie and I were exhausted, and when the clock hit 9 pm we got up and went to bed. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Pics: 1. The set dinner table, which was a stump of a tree 2. Eddie sitting on a bamboo swing</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBrPosMUTAoZzSq7xwjrlGZRhW3m_J3AJNXIUHxnMt0gHOkd1iVpL5AJeeR6NGQ_lBri-ookKUwRazrF8YM4_r6hO9vKq8y9oOZjCqYsOaLRVlU8AhMLpfDA5GON6fT1gv6DjeAt8uIw/s1600-h/P1030067.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBrPosMUTAoZzSq7xwjrlGZRhW3m_J3AJNXIUHxnMt0gHOkd1iVpL5AJeeR6NGQ_lBri-ookKUwRazrF8YM4_r6hO9vKq8y9oOZjCqYsOaLRVlU8AhMLpfDA5GON6fT1gv6DjeAt8uIw/s320/P1030067.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342717282156972786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUpHcjtWO7m6T8DRK_xZ-wQQRzkxb4GY7-eG3Xf3hlMnWd7TtD-IctUz18yVLrrh_ebpgX2QvY-wYFBJ7Ih1eS2B4t1kGgET6i1sHGivipKehG4cJfgI2nLKsK-DnpITo_lZodLBiPek/s1600-h/P1030247.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUpHcjtWO7m6T8DRK_xZ-wQQRzkxb4GY7-eG3Xf3hlMnWd7TtD-IctUz18yVLrrh_ebpgX2QvY-wYFBJ7Ih1eS2B4t1kGgET6i1sHGivipKehG4cJfgI2nLKsK-DnpITo_lZodLBiPek/s320/P1030247.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341582214407167442" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">I slept really well and woke up at 8 am. Eddie awoke around the same time, and after she showered (I was too lazy) we went to breakfast with her host-brother, named Kamera. He is in his late 20's and has a job with a micro-finance company in a nearby town but still comes home for weekends. We went to a noodle soup shop where a large number of Cambodian men were eating and watching a Chinese TV station. After breakfast we dropped the bikes back off at the chiefs house and decided to take a walk into the rice fields behind the town. <br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Pic: Kamera holding a starfruit that they grew organically in their backyard</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYKLLnUQ7xbvaGhaIoE6Vem7HjH6GjpqB4NBjzmPQ3zZ5dXYKZcqwfB3Irh9QIQ9akV9iyy6xtp4zJFhLpCY7WVFoXQ-PLD_bqwwibnLQU9w1mQjLa-U1Gw9Dav_xrgjLBl_vBrNeEqY/s1600-h/P1030086.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYKLLnUQ7xbvaGhaIoE6Vem7HjH6GjpqB4NBjzmPQ3zZ5dXYKZcqwfB3Irh9QIQ9akV9iyy6xtp4zJFhLpCY7WVFoXQ-PLD_bqwwibnLQU9w1mQjLa-U1Gw9Dav_xrgjLBl_vBrNeEqY/s320/P1030086.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342717288644723506" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">We walked through a monastery to get to the fields and it was incredible how the view suddenly opened up from houses to greenery. Kamera's families rice plot was one of the first one's we came upon, but he informed us that they had other plots further away as well. In addition to rice they grow various fruits and berries.<br /></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9-l0WSefOHDysOp9-plXUM6X0kLO3HEWFu_6BAyB4ENLtyU8DTse3XX6LPbyOq_TS-VrXuClunRTN8kMrr5G12e7psUxYW7sN3bX55f3iYZtUCPgUeluOPF09seHuJMiJ_jUdiaIeBo/s1600-h/P1030124.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9-l0WSefOHDysOp9-plXUM6X0kLO3HEWFu_6BAyB4ENLtyU8DTse3XX6LPbyOq_TS-VrXuClunRTN8kMrr5G12e7psUxYW7sN3bX55f3iYZtUCPgUeluOPF09seHuJMiJ_jUdiaIeBo/s320/P1030124.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341581161929997042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">We walked for a while and eventually spotted a lotus blossom plot in full bloom. The field was the size of a football field and full of flowering lotuses. I hadn't seen anything like it in the 3 months of traveling I had done, only the occasional blossom here and there. It was really stunning.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3p5PFFxfN2PlqkdPUH-VQmzQjmqW5bwdo4SBXK848kh2GErzfIsPor1rzmK7TD_nRpWHawBcAZDeMIHdZFd3opW4x3O1_Bmh1abTzHnStS_qa2PLrk-tCkzxtxu87TbDoVTLEi8AxrJY/s1600-h/P1030155.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3p5PFFxfN2PlqkdPUH-VQmzQjmqW5bwdo4SBXK848kh2GErzfIsPor1rzmK7TD_nRpWHawBcAZDeMIHdZFd3opW4x3O1_Bmh1abTzHnStS_qa2PLrk-tCkzxtxu87TbDoVTLEi8AxrJY/s320/P1030155.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341581167713851234" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDps-HPvvoh48uVNMdh_CPkF_GzEghgVwzfF5OiXOeNjvqogTbM3M25KCsP5DFqAJnRcNrC69_ahXR1kbq05g7iLd2i6z_n6UHzg60o-tRHXYO5GrNPVlUZHSW74VJHDRerfJHmabtQo/s1600-h/P1030156.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVDps-HPvvoh48uVNMdh_CPkF_GzEghgVwzfF5OiXOeNjvqogTbM3M25KCsP5DFqAJnRcNrC69_ahXR1kbq05g7iLd2i6z_n6UHzg60o-tRHXYO5GrNPVlUZHSW74VJHDRerfJHmabtQo/s320/P1030156.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341581170412157554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">We walked around the fields to the house of a friends of Kamera's so he could pay his respects (they were quite an old couple), and they gave us freshly BBQ'd corn. It had a very different consistency that the corn I'm used to, but was still good. Kamera talked to them for a bit, then we walked back to his house at 11. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Pic: Corn</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqC7Ys7dtAmzjFs9NR4-S0P6JCXlt6kLpuTFdMO_5Qk9f8J0YOd-rrC4aydhhWhqlNLmpU84fQyt89uUVtnqdHZoCdyX-nq_NDjhR4Wjl8GZxNY_arVb2RdlQJfi2GIcKyAeKMs5AOkg/s1600-h/P1030252.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqC7Ys7dtAmzjFs9NR4-S0P6JCXlt6kLpuTFdMO_5Qk9f8J0YOd-rrC4aydhhWhqlNLmpU84fQyt89uUVtnqdHZoCdyX-nq_NDjhR4Wjl8GZxNY_arVb2RdlQJfi2GIcKyAeKMs5AOkg/s320/P1030252.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342717295550582306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">I was meeting Dave and Jeff in Bangkok the following evening, so I decided that instead of staying another night and risk being late into Thailand I hitched a ride in to Battambang with Kamera and boarded a bus to Bangkok at 1 pm. I arrived in Bangkok at 9 pm and found a guest house to stay at off the tourist road, Khao San.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-45298453065657131562009-05-17T00:44:00.001-07:002009-05-19T01:55:41.129-07:00I Could Barely Feel My Pulse In 4000 Islands<div style="text-align: left;">The night bus to Pakse was an experience. Unlike the night buses in Vietnam, which had individual seats that reclined to nearly horizontal, the Laotian bus had actual beds that you share with another person. Fortunately I was with Julia so we shared a bed, however had I been on my own I would have been sharing with a random person- a lot to leave up to fate. Even though we were friends sharing good sleep was still hard to come by and we arrived in Pakse at 7 am still tired. On the bus we met a trio of guys traveling together; Bobby Vegas from Virginia, Chris from London, and Eli from Israel, and together we found accomodation.<br /></div><div><br />After a failed attempt at napping, Julia and I took a stroll around town looking for travel agencies to book a trek with. We didn't find any, however we did manage to get lost, and it was 4 before we found our way back to the hotel. We rested for a bit, then met up with the trio, who had since become a foursome because a German friend of theirs named Lance came in on a later bus, and all went out to dinner. We went home early because we all agreed that we should go straight down to 4000 Islands instead of booking an expensive trek outside of Pakse.<br /><br />We got on the bus at 8, and were dropped off at a small port town on the mainland at 10 to catch a ferry to Don Det, one of the more populated and tourist-friendly of the islands. 4000 Islands is at the southernmost tip of Laos and is where the Mekong river spreads out into a much wider body of water with MANY islands, some a few feet long and the largest, Don Khong, a few miles long. A number of the islands are inhabited, however only the largest three, Don Det, Don Khong, and Don Kon, have guesthouses for tourists. <div><br /></div><div><div>Pic: The port where we got our ferry to Don Det</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6gUG4fUODmDKxY9NpIs_YtGzj5aSHZGqwYtM062FGexz9eqPDT65Kuk4FOFtnGUfs-fZraAAVY4-fSZBvRj0RvBIWrMHTvF08k5os3Z-0eIV5GDjkuIvVgB0CnKtpmer7t5MVg4i26g/s1600-h/P1020766.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6gUG4fUODmDKxY9NpIs_YtGzj5aSHZGqwYtM062FGexz9eqPDT65Kuk4FOFtnGUfs-fZraAAVY4-fSZBvRj0RvBIWrMHTvF08k5os3Z-0eIV5GDjkuIvVgB0CnKtpmer7t5MVg4i26g/s320/P1020766.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337124789437562338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The 6 of us found a row of bamboo bungalows on the sunset side of Don Det- the two roads are called sunset rd and sunrise rd, for obvious reasons... For the rest of the day we relaxed in hammocks, went swimming in the Mekong, and went to the beach for sunset. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: From Left: Bobby V, Julia, and Lance on the porch of our bungalow</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunYdMyoP6ZotxvMxM1UN4T8FFu8Eis8Ayu_GQNC_AqAgVF-gDMCbmP5ZSO7h7okwXd8On0S9Z75KXkeLDaQaEmHn6_jD3j_NRG-EX38SE2nVn71dxmiF_Sco8-fTjh2rGS1VlriRBRM8/s1600-h/P1020739.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjunYdMyoP6ZotxvMxM1UN4T8FFu8Eis8Ayu_GQNC_AqAgVF-gDMCbmP5ZSO7h7okwXd8On0S9Z75KXkeLDaQaEmHn6_jD3j_NRG-EX38SE2nVn71dxmiF_Sco8-fTjh2rGS1VlriRBRM8/s320/P1020739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336726293237679922" border="0" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>While we were on the beach a water buffalo wandered down and sat down next to us. At first we were apprehensive, but after a while we slowly moved closer, and eventually were petting it- one guy even sat on its back!</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. the water buffalo in the sunset 2. The water buffalo and I 3. Julia and the water buffalo</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtmxZfyGL3kQVjibv2l0ZiFsnJFfAM4xz13WgbjyoshD9eRo3Rfvhxfwagx9JoXfcHEE7GXBjz_QzSBUDBrhVVGrb5mrh9zyfuHbiVmjykxeUgknWxAYdJ4XdNiIBLFgRzvPP8ltdIV8/s1600-h/P1020658.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtmxZfyGL3kQVjibv2l0ZiFsnJFfAM4xz13WgbjyoshD9eRo3Rfvhxfwagx9JoXfcHEE7GXBjz_QzSBUDBrhVVGrb5mrh9zyfuHbiVmjykxeUgknWxAYdJ4XdNiIBLFgRzvPP8ltdIV8/s320/P1020658.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337124799089432994" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKuUbZqJ6ocPl_aAIy_9kO8XW3Vttunzmfw99fseT27-sa59UOv5ccyRMA9UCsGBz_y-gXv7r8SHatB999a1FNrgSsH1oBW93kBcgoSvzuqCxG8i6Isz3QtD6FbOdFlMHWjNUSQInt8M/s1600-h/P1020636.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKuUbZqJ6ocPl_aAIy_9kO8XW3Vttunzmfw99fseT27-sa59UOv5ccyRMA9UCsGBz_y-gXv7r8SHatB999a1FNrgSsH1oBW93kBcgoSvzuqCxG8i6Isz3QtD6FbOdFlMHWjNUSQInt8M/s320/P1020636.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337124794770170882" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwgkiNYVwmeVXXrMgMD-UaGlm0XgkkIui_VXVWFhB3-9FNhGm3h5yRTcFKHW-57db7UuVhoIOhHDKBht7HwMyQwUgRWc-n4J_2dbTpZsPUoODE_gbhwGSptAZCxaox8gGQeBRjRn5sIU/s1600-h/P1020644.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwgkiNYVwmeVXXrMgMD-UaGlm0XgkkIui_VXVWFhB3-9FNhGm3h5yRTcFKHW-57db7UuVhoIOhHDKBht7HwMyQwUgRWc-n4J_2dbTpZsPUoODE_gbhwGSptAZCxaox8gGQeBRjRn5sIU/s320/P1020644.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337124790796695522" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We went to dinner at an Indian restaurant and played cards there for a while, then went to a bar until the electricity on the whole island was cut off at 11. We heard that people were making a bonfire on the beach and went to join, then went home fairly early and crashed.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Julia and I woke up early the next morning to the call of the roosters and went to the main street to make travel plans for our next destinations, mine being Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Other than a few raging waterfalls and some rare freshwater dolphins there isn't a whole to do on the islands, so we rented bicycles and met up with the other guys. We rode for about an hour and crossed a bridge to Don Kon and found a beach to relax on. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Julia and I on the beach</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPV9RvH-_pSN7_7W7t5W3HXOudYH5mgxpogZ037F4JCW3tY8mUwYLl9FRhhGRgDQRcXw_5x_aQZAWMHRnhySGvroaZHaleDRoD6JZeXpSsPM9fj38N97tdMte2e-f0dHprXsyLXuvpMGo/s1600-h/P1020692.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPV9RvH-_pSN7_7W7t5W3HXOudYH5mgxpogZ037F4JCW3tY8mUwYLl9FRhhGRgDQRcXw_5x_aQZAWMHRnhySGvroaZHaleDRoD6JZeXpSsPM9fj38N97tdMte2e-f0dHprXsyLXuvpMGo/s320/P1020692.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337124804821845426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>After a few hours we got bored and rode to one of the many waterfalls. Because of the way the rocks are formed, a lot of water is funneled into a very small opening to get to the lower stream, so unlike the picturesque waterfalls in Laos or Vietnam this waterfall was more of a raging rapid than anything.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDtm6_rEKjYbwYOg1XgKuetG3s1_UQMqxmnvkWvaFsQIxkP_1ivtzgM4dfBciLezlkKkm66O7aPK4YFO0jkrddBpxG7sTi_scX3laXi1ItgdIVZB3kut6dpfjI-VSlm8IZ1fK4D3MgTk/s1600-h/P1020704.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDtm6_rEKjYbwYOg1XgKuetG3s1_UQMqxmnvkWvaFsQIxkP_1ivtzgM4dfBciLezlkKkm66O7aPK4YFO0jkrddBpxG7sTi_scX3laXi1ItgdIVZB3kut6dpfjI-VSlm8IZ1fK4D3MgTk/s320/P1020704.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337370685428740082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDBtYFfhjo98Lk_MvgY4FsvCGwvJQDa-aXHjgCXGCg5vEZsnU8lWF9ZNyK1ajIxrQOsplxvk8xsQTC-sMxax_ZoDiQ7kJkdyleSbEHg_3vOlevoyLaieFJ1Hiijinv9ZoXrPf6-Hf-Sg/s1600-h/P1020712.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKDBtYFfhjo98Lk_MvgY4FsvCGwvJQDa-aXHjgCXGCg5vEZsnU8lWF9ZNyK1ajIxrQOsplxvk8xsQTC-sMxax_ZoDiQ7kJkdyleSbEHg_3vOlevoyLaieFJ1Hiijinv9ZoXrPf6-Hf-Sg/s320/P1020712.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336726295312102978" border="0" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We rode back to town after a while to watch the sunset from our balcony. And, I'll say it again, what a sunset it was.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrZXkZWc8BivSal9E_b9GG2YkTStWsu7h3dCLfVt_I1TRtKGftKg1RZoyIZt24v0Y_rPW6g9cFGdHlns6ooORfJe_7Vn4iYojEcfEh2XrJRsuj_vQQ0TkUFu2324eSEEqW6D-Nt7hJGc/s1600-h/P1020757.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrZXkZWc8BivSal9E_b9GG2YkTStWsu7h3dCLfVt_I1TRtKGftKg1RZoyIZt24v0Y_rPW6g9cFGdHlns6ooORfJe_7Vn4iYojEcfEh2XrJRsuj_vQQ0TkUFu2324eSEEqW6D-Nt7hJGc/s320/P1020757.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336726287872624610" border="0" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuhfCV8K9B5r0ZJdnnPcWGJMZP0K0nGQxRxe_DoyREIr4_7UXsYBX1OXmwvSkxZHWfTKphmts1B5xMKD53eWh19_BVxwZv3I4SkOBOHQUKeun_Mm0mS6g7l1qI1KKWcL5zWva0tizbdw/s1600-h/P1020746.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIuhfCV8K9B5r0ZJdnnPcWGJMZP0K0nGQxRxe_DoyREIr4_7UXsYBX1OXmwvSkxZHWfTKphmts1B5xMKD53eWh19_BVxwZv3I4SkOBOHQUKeun_Mm0mS6g7l1qI1KKWcL5zWva0tizbdw/s320/P1020746.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336726280568461394" border="0" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>There was a big tropical storm in the evening so we went to a restaurant that had a covered porch for dinner and drinks so we could watch the lightening, then went home early again because I was leaving for Cambodia at 8 the next morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>I woke up with the sunrise and the rooster again, and after packing my stuff up and saying bye to Julia was on my way in a boat back to the mainland. It took an hour to get to the border crossing to Cambodia, and the visa checkpoint was tiny. Literally just a shack.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The Cambodian border crossing</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtP5ZuevaWHbvP1fFJHXlE929Ip9IF4Y6qa-7q_eNoNSo3e6vN0X3Kp5qcTtGZv6TsBmcUnau7VjcSuedj7x_XQLxZNTnMhU2gFR3BfHnc642QK02BLvVuQzS5muXIxlhGI2qccqYt_6I/s1600-h/P1020769.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtP5ZuevaWHbvP1fFJHXlE929Ip9IF4Y6qa-7q_eNoNSo3e6vN0X3Kp5qcTtGZv6TsBmcUnau7VjcSuedj7x_XQLxZNTnMhU2gFR3BfHnc642QK02BLvVuQzS5muXIxlhGI2qccqYt_6I/s320/P1020769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336726282492477538" border="0" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>After crossing the border everyone got onto a different bus that took us the rest of the 8 hours to Phnom Penh. Rachel, one of the girls I met in Vietnam that is doing Peace Corps in Cambodia, told me that her and her friends were staying at the Top Banana Guesthouse near to the Independence monument so I went there and checked into a room. </div><div><br /></div><div>The past week happened to be Gay Pride week in Cambodia and Rachel is gay so she helped organize it. That night her and her friends took me to a bar on a docked boat called Pontoon for a big party, complete with an array of drag queens that performed songs and danced. It was a pretty wild night. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday morning Rachel and I woke up early and went to meet a professor of hers, named Roman, from Temple University for breakfast. He is a professor of Geographical History and is writing a book about cities building over ecological features of the landscape and how the melting pot international style of new construction all over the world is diminishing the local and unique feeling of each city. In Phnom Penh there is a huge central lake that is being filled in with dirt taken from outside the city so that developers can build condo developments and high-rise buildings. He took us to the lake after breakfast to explain what was going on there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The lake being filled in with sand</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkHLlNymHh8lFiXzAJroqkVBSqGxbkSEEWr5WFxdDtismDt_nyzOr4YM4BrNpkc7W8mtsmcddhLh1hp3D42MhXBJBIOFlryC4ZzQrkuE3GjLxLOmqnL44YXushUewWzChvtgYqsJMNvc/s1600-h/P1020775.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkHLlNymHh8lFiXzAJroqkVBSqGxbkSEEWr5WFxdDtismDt_nyzOr4YM4BrNpkc7W8mtsmcddhLh1hp3D42MhXBJBIOFlryC4ZzQrkuE3GjLxLOmqnL44YXushUewWzChvtgYqsJMNvc/s320/P1020775.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337379930355806514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We got into the Tuk Tuk that the professor hires every time he visits Phnom Penh (the driver literally wait outside the hotel all night until he comes out and chauffeurs him around all day) and went to Wat Phnom (on the only hill in the city, the temple from which the city got its name) at the base of which lives a family that he kind of adopted and has been supporting for years. He left that evening for Tokyo to work more on his book, so he went to say goodbye and we tagged along.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Rachel talking with the family.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7AZo3RhIWUwAOvHA_YFygaqnfHkxsNW0vbIdnBN5iqEJAgj-JF3caXkJe4TfPapivd8wjR3MUQvvTsH3q-pMH5wSSf5EMqDFAuJZuL3c3nVcki5JSdlQfw7TlmtV33REm6TKqMGssEk/s1600-h/P1020784.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7AZo3RhIWUwAOvHA_YFygaqnfHkxsNW0vbIdnBN5iqEJAgj-JF3caXkJe4TfPapivd8wjR3MUQvvTsH3q-pMH5wSSf5EMqDFAuJZuL3c3nVcki5JSdlQfw7TlmtV33REm6TKqMGssEk/s320/P1020784.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337379916830566258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>In the afternoon I relaxed and did some work on my itinerary for the rest of Cambodia, went to dinner, then home and watched a movie.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will be in Phnom Penh until Wednesday, when I head to Siam Reap and Angkor Wat.</div><div><br /></div></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-81289522478350936492009-05-11T23:58:00.000-07:002009-05-12T05:07:30.526-07:00Moving On To Laos...<div style="text-align: left;">Although Laos has been amazing, getting here was not. The bus left Hanoi at 7 (it was supposed to leave at 5:30). They oversold the bus, as usual, so the aisle was crammed with people. I was sitting in the back with a group of Danish guys and we were all uncomfortable. The ride was supposed to take about 20 hours, however after 2 hours one of the rear tires blew out and we stopped for an hour to put on the spare, and in the middle of the night the engine overheated so the driver pulled over to a guesthouse and went inside for a nap- meanwhile we were still on the bus. No engine = no air conditioning. It was like a sauna. 4 hours later, at 5 am, the driver came back out and we kept going to the Laos border.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ieS6iQLSKzXaEB9D5RmGvM-Iekef17fXrR4kFdv49OAtS9zRYWIYjNZ0hvlQWBq25p0wPNntq7yCqqzA35CvHAyKSbt0DVnwu34WiqJcq8cZOUuXjk8F5IMmWc6osDqRgY-PkHwTc9Y/s1600-h/P1020045.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ieS6iQLSKzXaEB9D5RmGvM-Iekef17fXrR4kFdv49OAtS9zRYWIYjNZ0hvlQWBq25p0wPNntq7yCqqzA35CvHAyKSbt0DVnwu34WiqJcq8cZOUuXjk8F5IMmWc6osDqRgY-PkHwTc9Y/s320/P1020045.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334835688985232082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><div><div>The drive in the morning was beautiful. It took 2 more hours to get to the border, which was at the crest of the highest mountain. It took an hour for everyone to get exit-processed on the Vietnamese side and admitted to Laos, then we continued down the mountains and into the flatlands where Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is located. We arrived at 6 pm, and the Danes and I went in search of a cheap hotel. After checking in we went to and Indian dinner, then went back and crashed because we barely slept the night before.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Pic: the Laotian border post</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAtsmkItQKsNbRnlKk2PZgurFAk-hMiBkyx1seHxqz7yNZE5YOYF1wNXnHcAIdOp7wBzlmybiEEkoygAHVmg6u9_dRTo4VhElYMqNgeNe06mO2skAZoeHAWyabQ6h0_1Weg3ELP17eeg/s1600-h/P1020030.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAtsmkItQKsNbRnlKk2PZgurFAk-hMiBkyx1seHxqz7yNZE5YOYF1wNXnHcAIdOp7wBzlmybiEEkoygAHVmg6u9_dRTo4VhElYMqNgeNe06mO2skAZoeHAWyabQ6h0_1Weg3ELP17eeg/s320/P1020030.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334835686197821650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I woke up at 7 am and went to the bus stop to find a bus to Luang Prabang, a UNESCO world heritage site and the old capital of Laos, located in the middle of the northern of Laos. I lucked out, one was about to leave just as I arrived, so I hopped on and settled in for the 10 hour ride. Again, however, the bus broke down twice, and the 10 hour ride turned into 13 hours. I arrived just after sunset and checked into a guesthouse, then walked through the night market. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: a monk looking at something in the night market</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuzszU__tHU20D7dPQquv63z3N30lQwcHXINIsNNGfRVbI_Zl8mc16Y3OmPJWGLJhVBK0NVck4YOS-k93fVBDO2gubhj9ztB0_GizgXUXuUBNrjFkq1WfxYP77ATumG13Jdyp75B_7mc/s1600-h/P1020089.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuzszU__tHU20D7dPQquv63z3N30lQwcHXINIsNNGfRVbI_Zl8mc16Y3OmPJWGLJhVBK0NVck4YOS-k93fVBDO2gubhj9ztB0_GizgXUXuUBNrjFkq1WfxYP77ATumG13Jdyp75B_7mc/s320/P1020089.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334835694718304114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>Luang Prabang is located on a peninsula where the Kahn river flows into the Mekong and although it is the capital of its province it is still a very small town. It is packed with Wats and Monasteries, making it feel rich in culture, hence the UNESCO selection. The night market is located at the main intersection, which is blocked for traffic starting at sunset. The main street was packed with stalls of local women selling woven products, paintings, drawings, jewelry, and other cultural wares whereas the side streets had food vendors. Luang Prabang is known for have BBQ'd skewers of fish and meats, grilled sticks of sticky rice, and all-you-can-fit-on-a-plate-for-5000 kip (75 cents) buffets. I tried the sticky rice and the buffet; both were excellent. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. The grilled sticky rice 2. The main street of Luang Prabang during the day</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK55CvhRuMaYwLUXVICAMxil053sXfzq2SYqYJCF4Qx0aueHxpz_sNYgp7hK_KJmP6NvYIE-9UR1UmUDF1C4jbXEY5kg-NdW-b47a5q7-zDU52heAGJcyMEVopVna_o0MsSFjYKWcqIHc/s1600-h/P1020085.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK55CvhRuMaYwLUXVICAMxil053sXfzq2SYqYJCF4Qx0aueHxpz_sNYgp7hK_KJmP6NvYIE-9UR1UmUDF1C4jbXEY5kg-NdW-b47a5q7-zDU52heAGJcyMEVopVna_o0MsSFjYKWcqIHc/s320/P1020085.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334865840186623794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpwBwlNqI4FYCvWIZRgYv0lRuoLcVF6AvOgO2h0-NAeLzQ4NmNa2vK-lZqvoN30zfBawEGuk8DCQIZR6jWFPe2VPSNddMjhNJy4RWCE6hLp7vsyJL-fuRSsCvDWIKtz2z4BgvHanrYnU/s1600-h/P1020173.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpwBwlNqI4FYCvWIZRgYv0lRuoLcVF6AvOgO2h0-NAeLzQ4NmNa2vK-lZqvoN30zfBawEGuk8DCQIZR6jWFPe2VPSNddMjhNJy4RWCE6hLp7vsyJL-fuRSsCvDWIKtz2z4BgvHanrYnU/s320/P1020173.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334839173685090098" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I planned on going home to sleep off the 40 hours on a bus exhaustion but ran into some friends I met in Hanoi and got convinced to go out with them. We went to a beer garden first, but Luang Prabang has a curfew of 11:30 so it shut down. We heard that a bowling alley (random, I know) stayed open past curfew, so we ventured there until 2 am, when I went home.</div><div><br /></div><div>I woke up at noon, then wandered around town trying to sniff out some choice food. Before I found anything, however, a Tuk Tuk driver offered for me to join a group of British people headed to a famous waterfall called Kouang Si. I ignored my stomach and jumped in. Although an exploited tourist attraction, the waterfall was beautiful. It had 5 levels of pools below the large waterfall, all of which an opaque turquoise blue color. The Brits staid at the pools to swim but I climbed up the 30 minutes to the waterfall. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayveeZmjTOaot4VA6On5Z80fBnO04NLyk6_kjzMyHaJDGiDZWWaDsdETDVXSNofCMSvBjSB6xF9H72-tIB0_q4IVbmG2ib65M2EP5UDy7TPQcdemUK_C0VBKIqVGxDZzCrEfk0DFNPGs/s1600-h/P1020131.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgayveeZmjTOaot4VA6On5Z80fBnO04NLyk6_kjzMyHaJDGiDZWWaDsdETDVXSNofCMSvBjSB6xF9H72-tIB0_q4IVbmG2ib65M2EP5UDy7TPQcdemUK_C0VBKIqVGxDZzCrEfk0DFNPGs/s320/P1020131.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334835704654980498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>It was amazing at the top, partially because there weren't many people due to the steep climb. The pool underneath the main waterfall ended at the edge of the cliff with an infinity line (meaning you didn't see any rock edge, just a line of water), and you could jump off higher ledges into the pool. I also walk underneath the waterfall and let it hammer down on my back- it was like a massage. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: I awkwardly took a picture of other people in the falls...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVvYH9wqXsfb5Bq4vBxiuLsYPWaeA46eKG4Y4L_bXem0Jm5xBKsLzIXqO_tAQaZ0jNVKrF8tukgLzDEhzNouucrPemZhLr-JL3EADSPwyP3z927f4gsabmrrqeinXJCCjPdkRDlCSWAo/s1600-h/P1020151.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHVvYH9wqXsfb5Bq4vBxiuLsYPWaeA46eKG4Y4L_bXem0Jm5xBKsLzIXqO_tAQaZ0jNVKrF8tukgLzDEhzNouucrPemZhLr-JL3EADSPwyP3z927f4gsabmrrqeinXJCCjPdkRDlCSWAo/s320/P1020151.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334874455285130514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>There were also crevices in the cliff that were big enough to sit behind and watch the water drip in front of.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldk4g5LGLc86kR_o2eRs9SQXUF0yN_I6zUwO2e4Wx38WZT4FTA7tqt5DKbaGBfUFMG-Y85qH9pysDvpOl4-wHjeQ-HPfLiGvvmMiJLnZJkj7aIBGV0W4gjiheGqyr_BUA8ScYqBnPeb4/s1600-h/P1020149.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhldk4g5LGLc86kR_o2eRs9SQXUF0yN_I6zUwO2e4Wx38WZT4FTA7tqt5DKbaGBfUFMG-Y85qH9pysDvpOl4-wHjeQ-HPfLiGvvmMiJLnZJkj7aIBGV0W4gjiheGqyr_BUA8ScYqBnPeb4/s320/P1020149.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334835707565885890" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I returned to town at 4 and looked around for a good tour company to take me trekking in the mountains for a couple days. I booked a 2 day trip where you sleep in a Hmong (hill people) village with White Elephant tours for the next day. Then I walked to the Mekong to see the sunset.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbB1aCV2I902_TpoAMsUAteksuYhZE_LN8F_15y8JzPWkQ1GqrydX9gooBQnEpLaQUJGccPf1RU6PPDbknPxXEMj1HLNjDuH9tu0Vxgn42ytu7Ml212470NP2pU0iFXyipTttVsKSElo/s1600-h/P1020204.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbB1aCV2I902_TpoAMsUAteksuYhZE_LN8F_15y8JzPWkQ1GqrydX9gooBQnEpLaQUJGccPf1RU6PPDbknPxXEMj1HLNjDuH9tu0Vxgn42ytu7Ml212470NP2pU0iFXyipTttVsKSElo/s320/P1020204.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334839179030968386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>In the evening I ran into the British people again and convinced them to come with me to a restaurant I heard about from a guy I met while traveling in Vietnam. He said it had the best sausages he ever had and was in a great location- on the other side of a bamboo bridge spanning the Kahn river. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDN5Okr6JVB_khjMIB4zq_ywzkGKY_HZWcmxKfVskr7dqHdvVrQKsYBdKbOeazb3hyphenhyphendcz-ZSBTs-AKGwYU75KDWmMv0-Oafmzs79uwAQhuI5JXYDvk6uLBlQFnTvGfMgYqYgUlf_iksQ/s1600-h/P1020163.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDN5Okr6JVB_khjMIB4zq_ywzkGKY_HZWcmxKfVskr7dqHdvVrQKsYBdKbOeazb3hyphenhyphendcz-ZSBTs-AKGwYU75KDWmMv0-Oafmzs79uwAQhuI5JXYDvk6uLBlQFnTvGfMgYqYgUlf_iksQ/s320/P1020163.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334839170008504818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The place was really chill, we sat on the balcony where there were low tables and cushions on the ground to sit on. We ate the sausage as well as the Lao variation on a hot pot- a grill for meat with a trough around the outside to cook vegetables, noodles, and eggs in broth. So good.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Lounging about 2. The Laotian hotpot</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKnwO_M7npclXtHCSZCTnlhfaBbv8a9n-A2HbbF5D8HcGFoO7S8sNTFYXBfxSdjWuHqRtU1aUwjSS6sa0wU4xN0WZnGHo5jwTYFkX1SmAdRRjxeFhz_0di9_8RwBnLFFCXYN2MgjP5vs/s1600-h/P1020224.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKnwO_M7npclXtHCSZCTnlhfaBbv8a9n-A2HbbF5D8HcGFoO7S8sNTFYXBfxSdjWuHqRtU1aUwjSS6sa0wU4xN0WZnGHo5jwTYFkX1SmAdRRjxeFhz_0di9_8RwBnLFFCXYN2MgjP5vs/s320/P1020224.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334875895405142914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OFKOkDMnPqizDSZzXXMWVJu4skUdyXWyAWHBSZin7xors-cYeVXcWoWcXR0ud1LkKsD2gok2pOd_tMjG7XgYyOpUS-L6t1RZGGALov-VE44VIOHgzwOJDzADR9LoYboYQMZiAzwkAwE/s1600-h/P1020220.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2OFKOkDMnPqizDSZzXXMWVJu4skUdyXWyAWHBSZin7xors-cYeVXcWoWcXR0ud1LkKsD2gok2pOd_tMjG7XgYyOpUS-L6t1RZGGALov-VE44VIOHgzwOJDzADR9LoYboYQMZiAzwkAwE/s320/P1020220.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334875892693902066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /></div><div>My tour left at 8:30 am on Friday, but I woke up at 5 to see the monks procession down the main street collecting alms from Buddhists. There were many, many monks in bright orange, and the atmosphere was really light and pleasant (although the monks were solemn, of course). There was one kid who kept accidentally dropping sticky rice intended for the monks basket and laughing at himself; he was really cute.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFzDkg8Cuk3wY0W-IEEs_WQuJvEkcebOLFr8zZ636ttcTaGpEWWOfHhaEx9oEf3foNxC3Umbp7sBo3jHWbGNjFASwtfbtdEowgstZfEmt8ZGI8g1dbvHboFsxJ9HzsDSJCpniuzM82Ec/s1600-h/P1020257.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEFzDkg8Cuk3wY0W-IEEs_WQuJvEkcebOLFr8zZ636ttcTaGpEWWOfHhaEx9oEf3foNxC3Umbp7sBo3jHWbGNjFASwtfbtdEowgstZfEmt8ZGI8g1dbvHboFsxJ9HzsDSJCpniuzM82Ec/s320/P1020257.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334839185249590930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBNZ_aSI-EWg0QFcPWxdHPbKUwkEvl9QwoFTc4vgNwygIWhPmNgW_623opgXAmCLbzGgJz5snFyrUylsfUB4czwmwnI0N_NwunYzgNjpDOXLOXwO6AdJ4Rk8nMqi9hPEFFgM3quBEPyg/s1600-h/P1020246.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifBNZ_aSI-EWg0QFcPWxdHPbKUwkEvl9QwoFTc4vgNwygIWhPmNgW_623opgXAmCLbzGgJz5snFyrUylsfUB4czwmwnI0N_NwunYzgNjpDOXLOXwO6AdJ4Rk8nMqi9hPEFFgM3quBEPyg/s320/P1020246.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334839181354684226" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div></div><div>I went back to the hotel to pack my stuff and made my way to the White Elephant office. There was one person on the trek, Paula of England, and our leader was Kai, currently a university student but raised in a remote Hmong village. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Kai waving hello</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqpHGM25AZMwfmklyDKq9hsegTdtrlkUPR7WE-7bBPIJOBfPx4dWtzmIWTfhkS2FCH0i-sF_5sWhWr4zUgyMrncd5wqcHv8fzwAFdgWZRDNniJMyK67eoPldVIZRVK_3USBgFJ7wbmJ8/s1600-h/P1020288.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqpHGM25AZMwfmklyDKq9hsegTdtrlkUPR7WE-7bBPIJOBfPx4dWtzmIWTfhkS2FCH0i-sF_5sWhWr4zUgyMrncd5wqcHv8fzwAFdgWZRDNniJMyK67eoPldVIZRVK_3USBgFJ7wbmJ8/s320/P1020288.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334848356091807202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>A truck took us an hour east of Luang Probang and dropped us off just off the highway. We hiked up into the mountains for 5 hours, all the while asking Kai questions about the various Lao cultures. In Lao there are 3 main ethnicities: native Laotian, Khmer (migrated from Cambodia), and Hmong (migrated from China). The Lao people generally live in the flatlands and close to rivers, the Khmer in the foothills, and the Hmong on the highlands. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the way up to the Khmer village where we stayed we passed by many small huts built on a parcels of farmland; all slash and burn style agriculture. Nobody lives in the huts normally, but the farmers use them as a shelter from rain or particularly hot days. We stopped briefly in a Hmong village to rest, then continued up the mountain to the Khmer village. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXD_wF6yRDcTXlnGw0TiU9-7U9Jrd-c7M5NbbPCg4yW0_SR7Lc7V1khKk5Zz9q3U-_0o3Ff4aDWbwNqvigKLqNkQkXMGgnqkWjhskVj8t9woO6GLEeYQh3oBqwY5NYuBEQZLbFc1Zt_qk/s1600-h/P1020352.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXD_wF6yRDcTXlnGw0TiU9-7U9Jrd-c7M5NbbPCg4yW0_SR7Lc7V1khKk5Zz9q3U-_0o3Ff4aDWbwNqvigKLqNkQkXMGgnqkWjhskVj8t9woO6GLEeYQh3oBqwY5NYuBEQZLbFc1Zt_qk/s320/P1020352.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334848346405881842" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The Khmer village is located just next to a Hmong village, which was unusual for it to be A. so high up and B. so close to another village. There are 60 families living there, which is pretty average according to Kai. We walked through the village, which was full of dust and farm animals, to the chief of the village's hut, where we spent the night. As we walked around the children were shy and stared at us from behind various objects.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Me standing by the totally out of place sign at the entrance to the village. It was the only thing with writing on it in the whole town 2. Village children staring at us from behind a wagon</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoEp7jPe1Hii2P92Irk7tqTGyyvBA6zefLtFPbdoSGi5pmfXjvLWvG0tJZ0D8ZWWetoPKyFsljlcBaIBJo1maO9zhKLRKczWivmRE7sRxcHA2rqqgtSM0j3VAOpL9i6wvkGIpBl6O5cM/s1600-h/P1020376.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcoEp7jPe1Hii2P92Irk7tqTGyyvBA6zefLtFPbdoSGi5pmfXjvLWvG0tJZ0D8ZWWetoPKyFsljlcBaIBJo1maO9zhKLRKczWivmRE7sRxcHA2rqqgtSM0j3VAOpL9i6wvkGIpBl6O5cM/s320/P1020376.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334848361410270210" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSe1eWa4LIidVJRrz2fs5-DQ7mBXtAK6Osx2PHrV-XO1SbvdisEkrYv0fSjNz-vn1AY8EtUfD9rdQEypoHRCw_JgegQihxkf1TdZsMnfihMZI6O2hWMBRvTOlrwOjPxNAfjSzPiFR74M/s1600-h/P1020385.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjSe1eWa4LIidVJRrz2fs5-DQ7mBXtAK6Osx2PHrV-XO1SbvdisEkrYv0fSjNz-vn1AY8EtUfD9rdQEypoHRCw_JgegQihxkf1TdZsMnfihMZI6O2hWMBRvTOlrwOjPxNAfjSzPiFR74M/s320/P1020385.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334848361822387938" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>After putting down our stuff we went to the spring to wash ourselves, then walked over the hill to the other village. Kai explained to us the differences in construction techniques, trades, and living styles between the Khmer and Hmong people. In the Hmong village the children were much less aloof and immediately came up to us with big smiles. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANfLcijQJqCvv61V6wRAqDhERwZ8tdrtbG6e-rbGshHLTicgsyujmnRersVluhtdm2GtrCZTX9wxVsBLEYoPuihxvo6tclDfVMV9LtP-HVN5wmWyJ_x5Pxvl-8G4Q-nrP-D2HAM42hgM/s1600-h/P1020477.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANfLcijQJqCvv61V6wRAqDhERwZ8tdrtbG6e-rbGshHLTicgsyujmnRersVluhtdm2GtrCZTX9wxVsBLEYoPuihxvo6tclDfVMV9LtP-HVN5wmWyJ_x5Pxvl-8G4Q-nrP-D2HAM42hgM/s320/P1020477.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334852327745336402" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMFpezu6oksEma48YrpLqJcSfwb7zYx4QhQebFwgZIe1sP6342P7n268atzrhDO_Hkawzu4mfOmVW1WmdzbgdCBydZsMsyq0hNmH-H3A3U7ENuKBboNY8pAFsIppeFGGank-Pot-zbQ8/s1600-h/P1020464.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMFpezu6oksEma48YrpLqJcSfwb7zYx4QhQebFwgZIe1sP6342P7n268atzrhDO_Hkawzu4mfOmVW1WmdzbgdCBydZsMsyq0hNmH-H3A3U7ENuKBboNY8pAFsIppeFGGank-Pot-zbQ8/s320/P1020464.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334852325431049026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>When we got back to the Khmer village the sun was setting and the wife and daughter of the chief were making dinner and Kai set to helping them, me being nosy and in the way all the while. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The wife and daughter of the chief in their kitchen</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxIJctcUrWb-PkE2TsWX7gwdCB2tNnmcFcK_JdguAXZEJ6DEF0i5V1aycMMvtvUTAc3GlqVCzC1zwQQ1fOJH9_gwUWXn3eBuyvpM3HIvvrauTCa5H02jsbANtCfE08bmU_fnHimnAQ5w/s1600-h/P1020394.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxIJctcUrWb-PkE2TsWX7gwdCB2tNnmcFcK_JdguAXZEJ6DEF0i5V1aycMMvtvUTAc3GlqVCzC1zwQQ1fOJH9_gwUWXn3eBuyvpM3HIvvrauTCa5H02jsbANtCfE08bmU_fnHimnAQ5w/s320/P1020394.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334848363098939474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>It was dark after dinner, and because there was no electricity in almost all the village we lit candles and hung out around the table outside. One of the families had bought a generator and a TV and charged admission to the rest of the village to watch at night, so the children and parents who couldn't afford it came to the table where we were sitting. We played games with the children for a while, then Kai bought a bottle of Lau Lau (Lao whisky made from rice), which we drank with all present. In their culture only one person drinks at a time, and the guest of honor gives out the drinks but must drink himself first. Even the children were given Lau Lau, although very small sips. We went to bed at around 8 or so because we were tired from the long hike, and woke up the next morning just before dawn to the roosters. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Huddled around the candle with the children.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ng3F8ELMAyf45gYTHvIG7Vf0f4KpTMPsTMGm1GB-pSwahiHPgp9zXJ8QcOEXOoA9I-JsSkePb97EMsDaBOWPJa0yu_c0S9u23hwqtT4sWAQ5iZzrzQxy3bj9a3cxJFPra2dgbneX7zY/s1600-h/P1020506.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ng3F8ELMAyf45gYTHvIG7Vf0f4KpTMPsTMGm1GB-pSwahiHPgp9zXJ8QcOEXOoA9I-JsSkePb97EMsDaBOWPJa0yu_c0S9u23hwqtT4sWAQ5iZzrzQxy3bj9a3cxJFPra2dgbneX7zY/s320/P1020506.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334852333414581826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We packed up, ate breakfast, and left at around 7 am to walk back around the the pick up point. The driver took us to the Kahn river about 40 km up from Luang Prabang and we unloaded the kayaks and got in to the water. We kayaked for 2 hours before stopping for lunch. The scenery was beautiful, although kayaking for that long in basically still water took a toll on my back. An hour after stopping for lunch we passed by a village where all the people were by the water. I asked Kai what they were doing, and he told me they were panning for gold. I asked if we could stop, so we pulled over to a beach. He offered to show me how it's done, so I learned how to pan for gold. I got a tiny little fleck on my first try...</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. The scenery from my kayak 2. Panning for gold</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNGuhrWHerDVNgig5fLhZbEUW98HUquvTdGs3DyXAKxM43x9Zoar_0_ZzmICLFYlWPXXiOLZMRY_SyxZVAtXnHsZ9BC1w6wuFH5tK9p3mH9YHi3xvGZ4ifoVuZTAcdZbqK8zMNDYXy1c/s1600-h/P1020548.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNGuhrWHerDVNgig5fLhZbEUW98HUquvTdGs3DyXAKxM43x9Zoar_0_ZzmICLFYlWPXXiOLZMRY_SyxZVAtXnHsZ9BC1w6wuFH5tK9p3mH9YHi3xvGZ4ifoVuZTAcdZbqK8zMNDYXy1c/s320/P1020548.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334852337365426178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center; "><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTseI0pue7hz7Qxutv-AaoKbZZamcsQzs-0BKa_Q5lI5P-76LXfVMreKU9QaM9xo72ZR6nq3fcaYRv3lRB1HkE7UTXIOysqcU7UI3F9gNCRAEj_2GVCUAcHdCRjA9By2H0P566R16pWE/s1600-h/P1020538.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHTseI0pue7hz7Qxutv-AaoKbZZamcsQzs-0BKa_Q5lI5P-76LXfVMreKU9QaM9xo72ZR6nq3fcaYRv3lRB1HkE7UTXIOysqcU7UI3F9gNCRAEj_2GVCUAcHdCRjA9By2H0P566R16pWE/s320/P1020538.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334852332127901602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;">We got back to town at 4, and the owner of White Elephant invited us to the have dinner at his restaurant, called Utopia. After showering, etc, I made my way there at 8 pm. It was a really cool space, it even had a fully lit beach volleyball court and a large bamboo terrace. The next morning I woke up and booked a bus for later in the morning back to Vientiane, where I met Julia, a New Yorker who I went bowling with and spent time with in Hanoi, in the evening and we shared a hotel room. Today I worked on my blog and walked around Vientiane, and tonight Julia and I are getting on and overnight bus to Pakse, which is in the far south of Laos. <br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Luang Prabang, especially the trek in the mountians, was definitely a highlight of my trip thus far. </div></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-46508006383378406102009-05-04T06:50:00.000-07:002009-05-05T01:34:55.941-07:00A Lot To Catch Up On...<div style="text-align: left;">I woke up on the night bus as it arrived in Hoi An, where people get off an on, and I stayed awake for the two hour trip to Da Nang. I only planned on stopping in Da Nang to break up the trip to Hanoi (from Nha Trang to Hanoi is 28 hours) and to see the Marble Mountains- a group of large mountains of solid rock that were formed by the ocean and that have large caves that buddhists turned into temples. The buses stop approximately every 4 hours, however, and the routine stop from Hoi An to Da Nang happened to be the Marble Mountains. It was really cool, I climbed all the way to the top of the mountain through caves and tunnels, all the while passing by Buddhist shrines and statues. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. A view of one of the other mountains from the top of the mountain I climbed 2. Ascending to the light.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uNTEzuIrXIdSLEJiIrqaB4a8-p-RME2oQ8Ay1wR1AK2JNycVwKUkhuUgefSBKW2DMPV4O8MhKVa99ry6G4xo433N7rN5nEy3BzRK4xh6uCkAji27-XMYqHPk9JY9L-cU8Szq9l3L_68/s1600-h/P1010661.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_uNTEzuIrXIdSLEJiIrqaB4a8-p-RME2oQ8Ay1wR1AK2JNycVwKUkhuUgefSBKW2DMPV4O8MhKVa99ry6G4xo433N7rN5nEy3BzRK4xh6uCkAji27-XMYqHPk9JY9L-cU8Szq9l3L_68/s320/P1010661.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331970002456784450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT5qup3SFpd2KuP_BqkyfQJoGg-CWM75X3S8prnEMJp-4qH9tpto_oNA-uP4wplw3QPcdRRqYVuYZ93ILrct7aJbM3GmEpc3RYN4Qi52OFVEJtb1lCv711VYVj2m8l9zzWlBbhCVcmnk/s1600-h/P1010656.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT5qup3SFpd2KuP_BqkyfQJoGg-CWM75X3S8prnEMJp-4qH9tpto_oNA-uP4wplw3QPcdRRqYVuYZ93ILrct7aJbM3GmEpc3RYN4Qi52OFVEJtb1lCv711VYVj2m8l9zzWlBbhCVcmnk/s320/P1010656.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331969999472059714" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Because I already saw the Marble Mountains, I decided en route that I would skip Da Nang and keep on going to Hue, the capital of the former Vietnamese monarchy. The Batina, the Austrian woman from Jungle Beach, told me that the train ride from Da Nang to Hue was really nice, so in Da Nang I got off the bus and found my way to the train station. I waited about an hour until noon when the train departed. Although the sky was overcast, the view from the train was still gorgeous. The train mainly went up the coast but also went inland for a bit and passed by lots of rice paddies and dense jungles. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZNMo18uIlF7uGhFWN7hxn5vIltg6NlKs0EuXgOSrL3U74ysWU1NDk2WO4aKq0CXH6EWlnDayzR4mUihoBdeXnP97COI25_I_vHSqkQOwNVS5zGuOoRbFMfbMC3UC6Uh4PHRcCunwJ8w/s1600-h/P1010668.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZNMo18uIlF7uGhFWN7hxn5vIltg6NlKs0EuXgOSrL3U74ysWU1NDk2WO4aKq0CXH6EWlnDayzR4mUihoBdeXnP97COI25_I_vHSqkQOwNVS5zGuOoRbFMfbMC3UC6Uh4PHRcCunwJ8w/s320/P1010668.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331970008018958306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>On the train I met a girl from Denmark named Mia, and we decided to share a room in Hue to save money. We arrived at 5 and checked into a cheap hotel. There was no food on the train so we were both really hungry. After dinner we went back to the room and watched a movie, and that's where I started sneezing. At first I thought I was just allergic to something, but even the next morning my nose was running and my throat began to hurt. Also, the overcast skies turned into a drizzle and then into a rain. Undeterred, Mia and I made our way to the Imperial Citadel, the former capital of Vietnam. The entrance was very intimidating, and it had a moat on either side of the walls.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAETB3eV5fVv3kzHboZPtgfBgSkrYclMOdDspZzvBvyGd-rqLKWgj633SkYa9QjLErxTzQGS_iNUpmdmdO9z_EvIVtINPHXWnOQKldWtYpSWrvw3neYxHOXrwFYO8H0T7v5Ljmy1K1xM/s1600-h/P1010709.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYAETB3eV5fVv3kzHboZPtgfBgSkrYclMOdDspZzvBvyGd-rqLKWgj633SkYa9QjLErxTzQGS_iNUpmdmdO9z_EvIVtINPHXWnOQKldWtYpSWrvw3neYxHOXrwFYO8H0T7v5Ljmy1K1xM/s320/P1010709.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331970010235905202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>The central building of the large complex was in good shape because it had been restored. That was where the Emperor's throne and court were. A few other buildings near it had also been restored, however the rest of the 3 square kilometers was in shambles-mainly due to American bombing. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Mia walking ahead of me by the ruined palace.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPWrvu8S-WL_jv5sZdhUwFlwxdvqQdEayu7gdjd54pjpdeYCydU1azuSE7dMW0uxIw9HNdFeFRkFF9Pb9gBQgRCKSFyNeZ8kWsrwN2NzuY-yOViZuGqbKC5RGXWczF0LjXuS5-5yms_Y/s1600-h/P1010721.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPWrvu8S-WL_jv5sZdhUwFlwxdvqQdEayu7gdjd54pjpdeYCydU1azuSE7dMW0uxIw9HNdFeFRkFF9Pb9gBQgRCKSFyNeZ8kWsrwN2NzuY-yOViZuGqbKC5RGXWczF0LjXuS5-5yms_Y/s320/P1010721.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331973078394069426" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We did happen upon an archway that was still totally intact. It had mosaics all over it, and not just 2 dimensional tiling but really cool mosaics that protruded from the wall. Many kinds of glass and ceramic were used in it's making, I was blown away by the size of it.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdIvD1LFFE4s5hkYyur38QYB32QmQZe5n036oCZem1mRLRO53FKwsalI9K8uhEVqPKjUfBd7n0zmE_isr1lGCI95mcJC_NDANgDwnIGm6faOsllG1RJ7IZ8Rm1JxSQEo5mOFaZi5Qop0/s1600-h/P1010743.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigdIvD1LFFE4s5hkYyur38QYB32QmQZe5n036oCZem1mRLRO53FKwsalI9K8uhEVqPKjUfBd7n0zmE_isr1lGCI95mcJC_NDANgDwnIGm6faOsllG1RJ7IZ8Rm1JxSQEo5mOFaZi5Qop0/s320/P1010743.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331970016130440338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrRONnYVXUNW7noCz1Cz1hUf50ZIHszEEjhH3CqLJ_wTQZdb_TgGJlxjtlKkH5BqTyupzgO15-0KGnvcYCaU33NAWnoWUNcUtzHmjL4mZyxf8MHMeqoMEalpZga8QP1EXzzvGzlEJSN4/s1600-h/P1010741.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrRONnYVXUNW7noCz1Cz1hUf50ZIHszEEjhH3CqLJ_wTQZdb_TgGJlxjtlKkH5BqTyupzgO15-0KGnvcYCaU33NAWnoWUNcUtzHmjL4mZyxf8MHMeqoMEalpZga8QP1EXzzvGzlEJSN4/s320/P1010741.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331973073541279666" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We spent a few hours wandering around the Citadel and the surrounding city, then stopped for lunch. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: A woman moving her food stand to another location</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj0eox_3Fjuw_7nk6X18wxgG_YwnouG9ahPLuwx1X0reM50HkbVFZHEIk-6vWnr6UpiPDA62gWlPFenb9tgQjeMcnEqxyOUcIuddKcEBz4Hzi-rrZHcQxrkFtT7tIvUQrIgFhDWtjsLo/s1600-h/P1010754.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFj0eox_3Fjuw_7nk6X18wxgG_YwnouG9ahPLuwx1X0reM50HkbVFZHEIk-6vWnr6UpiPDA62gWlPFenb9tgQjeMcnEqxyOUcIuddKcEBz4Hzi-rrZHcQxrkFtT7tIvUQrIgFhDWtjsLo/s320/P1010754.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331973082684119506" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>In the afternoon we booked our bus tickets for our next destinations- Hanoi for me and Ninh Binh for Mia. Ninh Binh is on the way to Hanoi from Hue so we bought tickets on the same bus. We had the choice between paying 10 dollars for a sleeper bus or 6 dollars for a sitter bus, and this is where I made a huge error of judgement. I knew I was getting sick and should take the more comfortable option, but I let Mia convince me to take the cheaper option. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There were only locals on the sitting bus, and it was nearly packed before we left the station. Then the driver started picking up random people on the side of the road and having them sit in the aisle. They also pumped the AC to a very low temperature- I was uncomfortable the entire trip. We left Hue at 5 pm and got to Ninh Binh at 5 am. Mia got off, and at least for the final 100 km of the trip I was somewhat comfortable. But the bus ride put the final nail in my coffin. When I got to Hanoi I felt terrible. After checking into the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel I went back to sleep. I slept on and off all day, going out occasionally for food and tea. In the evening I met an interesting British woman and we went to the first of the 3 street food vendors recommended in the NY Times article "36 Hours in Hanoi". It was pretty good, but ended up being my least favorite of the 3...</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 22px; font-size:15px;">"bun cha, grilled pork patties served with crispy crab spring rolls and fresh herbs at 1 Hang Manh Street." It was really good, but the portion was ridiculously big. Between the British girl and myself we couldn't even finish half. We did watch a Vietnamese couple down theirs though, between them they couldn't have weighed more than 250 lbs...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 22px; font-size:15px;"> </span><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8Dt5xbwE-4yEAaMqq9gukyIStLMtOIF_aybeE8snmPfoBxGQyNKJT-LuSZknK8xAHa3pvb5xB-wk7E97z0xxncdgsgyrM2tKPxElt1brTCVu1ll5jR93YL3vZYyfO-QrISCIk2t4J7k/s1600-h/P1010975.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8Dt5xbwE-4yEAaMqq9gukyIStLMtOIF_aybeE8snmPfoBxGQyNKJT-LuSZknK8xAHa3pvb5xB-wk7E97z0xxncdgsgyrM2tKPxElt1brTCVu1ll5jR93YL3vZYyfO-QrISCIk2t4J7k/s320/P1010975.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331980191131834002" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>Many of the 15 or so people staying in my room at the hostel were young Europeans, and all went out that night. I was awakened many times, so the next morning (Monday) I moved to another hotel recommended to me by Fin and Tina (from Jungle Beach, I ran into them when I was out with the British girl). There were only 3 other beds in the room, and only 1 was filled, so it was much quieter. I watched movies and slept the entire day. And the next day. And the next. Every day I went out to get food and to the Backpackers Hostel to use the free wifi, and one of the days I met a girl from Seattle named Chelsea. She invited me to go with her to the prison where McCain was held during the war, which was pretty interesting. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was built by the French, and they descriptions on the walls described how terrible the Vietnamese prisoners were treated. When we go to the section about the American war, however, the pictures on the walls showed the POWs like McCain playing volleyball and watching movies... talk about propaganda. Afterwards I felt really bad again, so I went back to bed. On Thursday I finally felt a bit better, so I got restless. I walked around the city for a bit because I really hadn't seen that much of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: An average street in Hanoi. There were many more trees than in HCMC, and every street was unique and had lots of character and history. It felt much nicer than HCMC.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfntQjbaeDxp-Z610WJTzn2GBWz6Rw6TVfEpq02rJdHuy9w8F3F7an-prxJQKRSVJG3SsVa2MIsNucpwLVVmGyOyL5N5q5ywIw22rWu_IGg3hP0bADSRMneuStmSlGAp0nKEDD4VAtnM/s1600-h/P1010955.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBfntQjbaeDxp-Z610WJTzn2GBWz6Rw6TVfEpq02rJdHuy9w8F3F7an-prxJQKRSVJG3SsVa2MIsNucpwLVVmGyOyL5N5q5ywIw22rWu_IGg3hP0bADSRMneuStmSlGAp0nKEDD4VAtnM/s320/P1010955.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331982766540851378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I went to the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel and signed up for the same trip to Halong Bay as Chelsea and her friends, which left Friday morning. In retrospect, not the best decision. After I signed up I ran into them and they convinced me to go to another water puppet show. It was, literally, the exact same show as I saw in HCMC.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The musicians at the show</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1niMsI0HPbxM5Lffbed0MpTnWVfdpONEj0U4jBbNr20zl1LSXnkn7Bki5ZSWzDsrEwBZcDKHHmLCWpS2CvdNfZz5UnqDVghQY8BfzCb8Pt-46MUcruDwJBYBpc0ezFIwJPUAlV0yU7E/s1600-h/P1010791.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1niMsI0HPbxM5Lffbed0MpTnWVfdpONEj0U4jBbNr20zl1LSXnkn7Bki5ZSWzDsrEwBZcDKHHmLCWpS2CvdNfZz5UnqDVghQY8BfzCb8Pt-46MUcruDwJBYBpc0ezFIwJPUAlV0yU7E/s320/P1010791.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331973084357727330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>After the show we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant. On the way we passed by a rally for the Vietnamese Independence day. Compared to what we do on our independence day it was pretty small, but I was happy to see it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The singing was surprisingly good...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3Gzthdvr-WBvCfk_faSjA1fY6iPHWbaCPxdFC1kSWM2xx82R0BzYtscB_RJgncA6gIS0VlR77ZDv4yeu4LiM7PjPGAJdfHaNt-kpTCUxgTG-FpQPTeC1e6gIPrK9An-aUEcMCPIAO0I/s1600-h/P1010818.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3Gzthdvr-WBvCfk_faSjA1fY6iPHWbaCPxdFC1kSWM2xx82R0BzYtscB_RJgncA6gIS0VlR77ZDv4yeu4LiM7PjPGAJdfHaNt-kpTCUxgTG-FpQPTeC1e6gIPrK9An-aUEcMCPIAO0I/s320/P1010818.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331973091011671650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwcv4IUovvZ7f5hR4nrzjfb-dPPCLW-s8C9glc-GWx3EbqonNA_J82TXP9kUcdqJj774RwqStgQ8sYO6KmIGw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><div>The trip we booked to Halong bay was with the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel, which pretty much guaranteed it to be all young people. The 25 people going on the trip met at the hostel at 8 am Friday morning and we took a chartered bus the 3 hours to Halong bay. We got on the boat, which was really nice- made all of wood, 3 stories, a big dining room, bathrooms in the bed rooms, a large deck with lawn chairs- and cruised for an hour out to the bay while we ate lunch. The food was great and the portions generous, and the weather finally turned pleasant in the afternoon; it had been raining all week. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like the Marble Mountains, the islands were made when the ocean receded after the last ice age. I don't know how many islands there are, but the kept going into the horizon as far as we could see. Vietnam is trying to get Halong Bay named one of the new 7 Natural Wonders of the World. The 3rd pic is of a site where the Russians met with the Vietnamese about space travel and satellites... random.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSij4-Fc3u3fiW5ySq5Gcso8DaVD3bXoMqPbdXk_nzpon_lgxCxNtcwfpenpHXJxqjHoCpmv93yfU2HbPv3RbkYAbBcin3sE8sUigNVDX0zMDhRZZW0wn1w_qTvq061x-caJogDbTmSU/s1600-h/P1010848.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSij4-Fc3u3fiW5ySq5Gcso8DaVD3bXoMqPbdXk_nzpon_lgxCxNtcwfpenpHXJxqjHoCpmv93yfU2HbPv3RbkYAbBcin3sE8sUigNVDX0zMDhRZZW0wn1w_qTvq061x-caJogDbTmSU/s320/P1010848.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331978294909996594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFTgP-MaYxlF4MDgge-23ECOfRpSBuKRdOqZM2sREVQ7QybD_rzSWO_QFsO6q-repTCrcE17cfGw0jn06JBVz09h2mH8u1KifKHkkd-YARFjuWW9WW-IPAha2J_OmUvLb09qnitKkHX0/s1600-h/P1010855.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFTgP-MaYxlF4MDgge-23ECOfRpSBuKRdOqZM2sREVQ7QybD_rzSWO_QFsO6q-repTCrcE17cfGw0jn06JBVz09h2mH8u1KifKHkkd-YARFjuWW9WW-IPAha2J_OmUvLb09qnitKkHX0/s320/P1010855.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331978304985010114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs21Aap_YVmKhcKtAWZbMYGqZDdkCm1RXM6_rD4na3vAbQA4iw0t5se8KMTLJ8uzn71ZSQH77MpIVl1gFO9agkHz6TXOs_MiVuQtw2do4TSV7xiLx9CVAqwrCyHxsLyxsPlBt53giOUqc/s1600-h/P1010844.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs21Aap_YVmKhcKtAWZbMYGqZDdkCm1RXM6_rD4na3vAbQA4iw0t5se8KMTLJ8uzn71ZSQH77MpIVl1gFO9agkHz6TXOs_MiVuQtw2do4TSV7xiLx9CVAqwrCyHxsLyxsPlBt53giOUqc/s320/P1010844.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331978297880809186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7wnIlWW36YixsMS-mif3sulfQ6KJgolhwArVeAjoBfoJouZusO4ApzgikPWudmVNic9lkyk4KtkLPwDq4YRnJmk7-ioywv6KQuw1CM6LHAJZmyAgCjfRPM_1UJbF31NEqBiGYm9pq5E/s1600-h/P1010863.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7wnIlWW36YixsMS-mif3sulfQ6KJgolhwArVeAjoBfoJouZusO4ApzgikPWudmVNic9lkyk4KtkLPwDq4YRnJmk7-ioywv6KQuw1CM6LHAJZmyAgCjfRPM_1UJbF31NEqBiGYm9pq5E/s320/P1010863.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331978308160343490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>We finally stopped at a floating market where our tour leader rented kayaks. We kayaked for an hour until coming to a cave/tunnel that was the entrance to a beautiful cove, where we relaxed and looked at the mountains for a while, then went back out through the tunnel. We kayaked through a hole in one of the rocky islands that the guide named after the female genitalia, then headed back to the boat to swim for a while until sunset and then dinner.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We swam and jumped off the top deck of the boat for a while (about a 30 ft drop), then the boat cruised out to open water for sunset. It was an amazing sunset, the water and sky waere a pastel orange color. The pictures don't do it justice.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKuv0OPMThI3IF2yEjVZPjOr564V7qa67zwnvodTmDqS-Lm5_tiT9gHY7ios0kfvVxSQ5CLl5hEHJJiK1GwnUl7QQ0y_0dqj9g_iDRWsWhNOdHnTFiXdo2ER82yMLSODr3W5S5j5hVmQ/s1600-h/P1010911.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKuv0OPMThI3IF2yEjVZPjOr564V7qa67zwnvodTmDqS-Lm5_tiT9gHY7ios0kfvVxSQ5CLl5hEHJJiK1GwnUl7QQ0y_0dqj9g_iDRWsWhNOdHnTFiXdo2ER82yMLSODr3W5S5j5hVmQ/s320/P1010911.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331978310643971490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBO30bj05Q5DT02o41aCbZmAbl9d9luEoRvFbuKHMZ2wghu-VmI0H6sp3VCHPUqMZEduVddWlk90wymY0-vweIteCrktl9cf8YR7uFXvAZCWIETLYaToosRmjhJHEkqG19zxJvwj_H60/s1600-h/P1010906.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBO30bj05Q5DT02o41aCbZmAbl9d9luEoRvFbuKHMZ2wghu-VmI0H6sp3VCHPUqMZEduVddWlk90wymY0-vweIteCrktl9cf8YR7uFXvAZCWIETLYaToosRmjhJHEkqG19zxJvwj_H60/s320/P1010906.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331980175380062706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Everyone partied in the evening, although I tried to take it easy. I didn't feel bad anymore, but the congestion in my nose was getting worse, not better- all my other symptoms were gone. In the morning I woke up and my ears and sinuses hurt like hell. I decided it was best to go back to Hanoi early and get treated for my self diagnosed sinus/ear infection. I got back to Hanoi at 5 pm and checked into another hostel, then went to search for the antibiotics and ear drops that I needed. I found them, after calling my mom Carol and freaking her out, then went to sleep. She contacted the brother of one of her friends that used to be a doctor and is living in Hanoi, and the next day I went to his gallery of tribal art and artifacts to meet him and let him check me out and make sure that I have the right meds. On the way to his gallery I stopped at a Vietnamese "mall". It was a 3 story building full of individual vendors- there weren't any actual stores. Vendors selling similar products were grouped together; it was a mad house and really hot- I couldn't stay there long.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFaK7QOSpa611XSskedCSvlwt0_YhhPpJBmb_tq5NpvjGyc9MLdmMSR9gER-anyl7t53l4DtV4o5vlS17efjJWMxLJsBQZmdcZANtScUCPKqw-JwfoSLK3brxZp3cjil1vvRxCNm7jRU/s1600-h/P1010959.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFaK7QOSpa611XSskedCSvlwt0_YhhPpJBmb_tq5NpvjGyc9MLdmMSR9gER-anyl7t53l4DtV4o5vlS17efjJWMxLJsBQZmdcZANtScUCPKqw-JwfoSLK3brxZp3cjil1vvRxCNm7jRU/s320/P1010959.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331982762157464082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>On the walk home I stopped at the 2nd NY Times recommended street vendor but it was closed, so I went home and slept. Monday I woke up feeling much better, the antibiotics worked really fast. Because all the museums are closed on Mondays I rented a motorbike, bought a map, and rode around the city for the day. I went North of the old quarter to the large lake called West Lake, where I stopped at a pagoda, but it was closed. I took a picture anyway...</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2JKDInKqu6ZZPREwC2nyKUPtsmuaBT3OwUU5g0TPCF6BeTuf6cdFHHRKYl9z-bLA22DYxT3hFU3TAKymKNLJKdHRSEdI92LgdQQwAJAwWPYzgiM_a_SoSp8H_LGSkqHEpLjfkVItigs/s1600-h/P1010985.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2JKDInKqu6ZZPREwC2nyKUPtsmuaBT3OwUU5g0TPCF6BeTuf6cdFHHRKYl9z-bLA22DYxT3hFU3TAKymKNLJKdHRSEdI92LgdQQwAJAwWPYzgiM_a_SoSp8H_LGSkqHEpLjfkVItigs/s320/P1010985.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331980197806758754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I kept going around the lake, and on the west side I came across a large residential development. It wasn't one developer making cookie cutter houses like you see in suburban US, but rather many individual houses all going up at the same time. They all looked very high end and modern, a true sign that Vietnam is prospering.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXK3WS0FtA3-xhYHVem5sQ7PjebMI0vlgBo0_Hmp1AnTZiuD5-Hj9lwBA5V4csYVaPgk4bkolLcuu812jZHs5k4K2WRcNHNsZyH3fJE8unDpcnu1m8GuwWmusjAPPooTe4lVgRc33-U0/s1600-h/P1010995.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXK3WS0FtA3-xhYHVem5sQ7PjebMI0vlgBo0_Hmp1AnTZiuD5-Hj9lwBA5V4csYVaPgk4bkolLcuu812jZHs5k4K2WRcNHNsZyH3fJE8unDpcnu1m8GuwWmusjAPPooTe4lVgRc33-U0/s320/P1010995.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331982777323331458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxM66qoPpnxTWLpYyFnQVou-UnowiorevgmgVqzRwQKqwIn1PXLBTskzv0Y8BSwkA86etZRZQhiSUjYMOlxOC4w1EKuvZAsYjrEZFxXBgCKM4ZEkIEHKVloD82kjlbnYizUcf9ndE4-fk/s1600-h/P1010997.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxM66qoPpnxTWLpYyFnQVou-UnowiorevgmgVqzRwQKqwIn1PXLBTskzv0Y8BSwkA86etZRZQhiSUjYMOlxOC4w1EKuvZAsYjrEZFxXBgCKM4ZEkIEHKVloD82kjlbnYizUcf9ndE4-fk/s320/P1010997.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331982769859201650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>In the afternoon and in the evening I hit up the other 2 street food vendors recommended by the NY Times.</div><div><br /></div><div>http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/05/travel/05hours.html?partner=rss&emc=rss<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 22px; font-size:15px;">"bun bo nam bo, grilled strips of beef served over rice noodles, fresh herbs and peanuts at 67 Hang Dieu Street." It was really filling, I could barely finish the bowl, but the flavors were great, and the beef was tender and tasty.</span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaANV9he8qGEY66mx03mBYcq_1JsTJcNmzfjk_uiguMY4wGJYtAQROtnBbi4XfWyLrHJAYAovmxLrlbWWHNkbJV5sQhiBwWWoVFtDilg58L8FwdtrtPHjKsiawEa3sIS_9qW3swB4MHjs/s1600-h/P1010761.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaANV9he8qGEY66mx03mBYcq_1JsTJcNmzfjk_uiguMY4wGJYtAQROtnBbi4XfWyLrHJAYAovmxLrlbWWHNkbJV5sQhiBwWWoVFtDilg58L8FwdtrtPHjKsiawEa3sIS_9qW3swB4MHjs/s320/P1010761.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331980181918938642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 22px; font-size:15px;">"Don't-miss items include banh cuon, soft rice crepes filled with minced pork and mushrooms at 14 Hang Ga Street..."</span><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1awcGfT3bQdyAmtSX9SWGYPJ9dRxwpoRct0quT9rs-RG3SMkDRWHgOL97uT71cvMcKRMHDlmoA6zq94a7TNlelpPlCj-n1_fK-2Ajk0nStSXcb8HGmhidPIJV7bL0Hnsfp2QLDgsa1Yk/s1600-h/P1020011.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1awcGfT3bQdyAmtSX9SWGYPJ9dRxwpoRct0quT9rs-RG3SMkDRWHgOL97uT71cvMcKRMHDlmoA6zq94a7TNlelpPlCj-n1_fK-2Ajk0nStSXcb8HGmhidPIJV7bL0Hnsfp2QLDgsa1Yk/s320/P1020011.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331980195174136930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The last one was my favorite, the dipping sauce in the upper right corner of the picture was sweet, tangy, and spicy; the pork and mushrooms were really flavorful; the rice flour crepes were soft and hot; and the whole dish was sprinkled with dried shrimp and fried onions and garnished with basil and mint. It was so good I had to get a second portion... Each place only served the one dish, and you just sat down and they brought it to you, no ordering involved. All three dishes cost under 3 USD, the last one was only 1 USD. Incredible. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Pho in Hanoi was also better than anywhere else in Vietnam. Here are a couple pictures of my favorite bowls:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8cT9Ar37Qxenp7dqRrKPnmGQnr5f4Ehd75uKuMwdRFUgPUvl1TCRmxvY_hUubIrv-oeLkgWzt3x8aZL_L2gC34bDJQcT3RPtIJ8QDMpaWovJ9avWEF5ySQcVnnAo6EWKJ8-FyCjVm_M/s1600-h/P1010764.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8cT9Ar37Qxenp7dqRrKPnmGQnr5f4Ehd75uKuMwdRFUgPUvl1TCRmxvY_hUubIrv-oeLkgWzt3x8aZL_L2gC34bDJQcT3RPtIJ8QDMpaWovJ9avWEF5ySQcVnnAo6EWKJ8-FyCjVm_M/s320/P1010764.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332225306243619794" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjye4iZSVqsJWhS2A5FhJB2XMFliYkCrsWnyLcQBl_VExtb57BcHE-7MXRVChAY6y9uq6TL5cEQDzd3tR1VHwfvMjzik0RULJA9E3ifEtNKEdxH6HDYxa47vM3RBv2E75uhOvK1_t2CIaE/s1600-h/P1020025.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjye4iZSVqsJWhS2A5FhJB2XMFliYkCrsWnyLcQBl_VExtb57BcHE-7MXRVChAY6y9uq6TL5cEQDzd3tR1VHwfvMjzik0RULJA9E3ifEtNKEdxH6HDYxa47vM3RBv2E75uhOvK1_t2CIaE/s320/P1020025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332225312245884290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a>Today, Tuesday, May 5th, I went to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum and to the Ho Chi Minh museum in the morning, and now am writing my post before getting on a bus to Laos at 5 pm. Because I was sick I didn't make it to Sapa, a minority village in the highlands in northwest Vietnam. I am really disappointed that I didn't make it because many people have said it is the highlight of their trip, but I have to meet Dave and Jeff in Bangkok on May 24th, so I only have 18 days for both Laos and Cambodia. The trip must go on!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8cT9Ar37Qxenp7dqRrKPnmGQnr5f4Ehd75uKuMwdRFUgPUvl1TCRmxvY_hUubIrv-oeLkgWzt3x8aZL_L2gC34bDJQcT3RPtIJ8QDMpaWovJ9avWEF5ySQcVnnAo6EWKJ8-FyCjVm_M/s1600-h/P1010764.JPG"></a></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-69909128830295487252009-04-24T16:25:00.000-07:002009-04-26T03:00:45.689-07:00Nha Trang and Jungle Beach... Again... With Emma and Mikaela<div style="text-align: left;">I arrived in Nha Trang (again) at 6 am. Emma and Mikaela's bus arrived at about the same time, and after checking into our hotel we walked to the Rainbow Diver's office to book a snorkeling trip for the day. We had a quick breakfast then piled into a van with a dozen other people and headed to the docks.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We cruised for 30 minutes before arriving at the first dive spot. Of the 15 or so people on the trip 10 were scuba diving and the rest of us were snorkeling. We had an hour at the first spot, and although the waves were big we still enjoyed ourselves. We saw many more types of fish than in Phu Quoc, however the water was deeper so the colors were more muted. There also weren't sea urchins, which I had found really cool in Phu Quoc.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: 1. First dive location 2. Emma and I on the boat</div><div> </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrucrLjxK4mVRNs-CbKADw-uubAzkno78G6ZU3U3Frm3gPwFSTpPont6GCBZblvz_ALWmQfPbqal_ho8g-YFKexE_K4Dn7i1VWhctgyNlME0JpLR5QNSNtSNUO-DVczWFH7AOCGoK1BKc/s1600-h/P1010341.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrucrLjxK4mVRNs-CbKADw-uubAzkno78G6ZU3U3Frm3gPwFSTpPont6GCBZblvz_ALWmQfPbqal_ho8g-YFKexE_K4Dn7i1VWhctgyNlME0JpLR5QNSNtSNUO-DVczWFH7AOCGoK1BKc/s320/P1010341.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328586398611480162" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CLaBIX_iKibUNtp3i2GSclnq90XZo2-kAcBSRW4cMML-CUcC4GjqNKJR6MPJ0I1Sapb04W2d_FKTf62_H-xsiZVyh4YubBdEaR5ehEzQw-LNnq3uiJ2ttpkwcmZjIK5grO9ObjdlvRI/s1600-h/P1030564.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8CLaBIX_iKibUNtp3i2GSclnq90XZo2-kAcBSRW4cMML-CUcC4GjqNKJR6MPJ0I1Sapb04W2d_FKTf62_H-xsiZVyh4YubBdEaR5ehEzQw-LNnq3uiJ2ttpkwcmZjIK5grO9ObjdlvRI/s320/P1030564.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328405215877668146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div>The divers came back up after 45 minutes and 15 minutes later we left for the second spot. The second spot was a little more shallow and the water a lighter turquoise color (maybe because the sun was higher in the sky), however the long overnight bus rides caught up to us so after 30 minutes of snorkeling we went back to the boat. We jumped off the roof into the ocean for a while, then settled down to some cards and sunbathing.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: Snorkeling at the second spot 2. Me sprawled out on the roof sleeping</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNSa8TMqPXGd7n3JLQ92W8BdzY9IRk_I-BwtsdLBbB9GZ68TDj9ugsh4gTrwS3_T4rP6WURB7Tv8F7Uqbffx-zR1i15UWTbZe-dcisv3N0cwLX9R0W3s3FbgCe79QZP5h3Ca-JwD-eHQ/s1600-h/P1030573.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNSa8TMqPXGd7n3JLQ92W8BdzY9IRk_I-BwtsdLBbB9GZ68TDj9ugsh4gTrwS3_T4rP6WURB7Tv8F7Uqbffx-zR1i15UWTbZe-dcisv3N0cwLX9R0W3s3FbgCe79QZP5h3Ca-JwD-eHQ/s320/P1030573.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328405224691481058" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWJgo-EHEEyFmfKI9NSltqTCeBh75C5U6bguHDcNFhrdMhAXqmT16Vl6VOVjvcl1uWVqsX9_6MmVqEUW7CHk8e6QGH-4gkzNm5xI5W5EDNxSs5cdeFhwb_4rx9lLqETUEaI5KQXud5hU/s1600-h/P1030572.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWJgo-EHEEyFmfKI9NSltqTCeBh75C5U6bguHDcNFhrdMhAXqmT16Vl6VOVjvcl1uWVqsX9_6MmVqEUW7CHk8e6QGH-4gkzNm5xI5W5EDNxSs5cdeFhwb_4rx9lLqETUEaI5KQXud5hU/s320/P1030572.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328405223898183922" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>We got back to port around 1 and got dropped back in town. We had lunch, then went to the beach. In the evening we went to dinner at the Swiss- Italian place that I had gone to with Annika, then went to Why Not? bar for some drinks. We met a pair of British guys and played some cards, then met a group of German girls who came with us to a big party on a beach behind the Sailing Club. There was a large stage set up with a dj performing; it was a really good time. We danced the night away and got home late.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Miki, Emma, the other German girls, and I at Why Not?</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRyySakSpG9Gxore_QMvY9HmNiCF1WpcPuDHQlno8PTmchA3DZSWTXyDAx4xjkOlrcA6MfJ1pgRGOZzQKRbqaIvr_xfvp_4VJCFIIa6vI0qSspaAqZoCqlz3gf0zUiZXYpYybQdyuZSI/s1600-h/P1030591.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRyySakSpG9Gxore_QMvY9HmNiCF1WpcPuDHQlno8PTmchA3DZSWTXyDAx4xjkOlrcA6MfJ1pgRGOZzQKRbqaIvr_xfvp_4VJCFIIa6vI0qSspaAqZoCqlz3gf0zUiZXYpYybQdyuZSI/s320/P1030591.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328405229887632290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>On Sunday morning we woke up early and were picked up by the shuttle bus to Jungle Beach (again). 2 German girls, Ani and Jana, were picked up at the same time. We arrived at Jungle Beach in the early afternoon and relaxed on the beach for the rest of the day. We managed to get the same bungalow as I had with Annika, which was really cool. Fin and Tina, a German couple who was at Jungle Beach the prior weekend, were still there but everyone else had cleared out. Fin and Tina had only planned on staying for a couple days and ended up staying 10. Sylvio said that he had long awaited the slow season, which apparently started then, because it had been a busy year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Jungle Beach 2. Fin and Tina looking at the ocean during the final hour of daylight</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiycpUVsXoIUNBSPkJ83OTGdqOX3RpcQHLiRIYAAVSxbySh_mj4GqB_gR15B3eViAfYUWBkuq3iYykeIKtIm7TI6Te84RqBiXrEKk7ZIOgQ33F31nFn5Y5SDeoBiz_XfTOH6sJpZzHHjo/s1600-h/P1010636.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiycpUVsXoIUNBSPkJ83OTGdqOX3RpcQHLiRIYAAVSxbySh_mj4GqB_gR15B3eViAfYUWBkuq3iYykeIKtIm7TI6Te84RqBiXrEKk7ZIOgQ33F31nFn5Y5SDeoBiz_XfTOH6sJpZzHHjo/s320/P1010636.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328412446824300962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpEYuzYHq1OtcEV34ITBZ-DgxF47llKyrfWWEsOrTrXiAaM4qcEF4aRzhTS7DHN8x6iHLijOvDn62a0jUYOcyUXeZqwrRWxOfCatHUqq5QHE0bii1E8yhS9I9yuNQj1YcUgnxCrl8yvc/s1600-h/P1010376.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpEYuzYHq1OtcEV34ITBZ-DgxF47llKyrfWWEsOrTrXiAaM4qcEF4aRzhTS7DHN8x6iHLijOvDn62a0jUYOcyUXeZqwrRWxOfCatHUqq5QHE0bii1E8yhS9I9yuNQj1YcUgnxCrl8yvc/s320/P1010376.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328405233016161410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>In the late afternoon the monkeys in the mountain were being really active so I watched them through the telescope. Then I went to the beach and watched the sunset until dinner. After dinner we played a rousing game of Jenga, which Fin and Tina said became a tradition since Annika and I left, and had a bonfire on the beach and looked at the starlit sky.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Watching the monkeys 2. JENGA</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07hSFLR1bQKwcpCkgdbcWkUqgpUjmfcC89pJbN-uwmLIzNJ6lu2EEjhezYf6pf-gAV2KV7XhYa58rMpm05oSfwi4uml4ukrRbWRCR81Rj57l_wVyJMvjxEk7287mUirZQaUWj2VUIqCI/s1600-h/P1030644.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07hSFLR1bQKwcpCkgdbcWkUqgpUjmfcC89pJbN-uwmLIzNJ6lu2EEjhezYf6pf-gAV2KV7XhYa58rMpm05oSfwi4uml4ukrRbWRCR81Rj57l_wVyJMvjxEk7287mUirZQaUWj2VUIqCI/s320/P1030644.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328409400436095010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4QQsvedBwRcL6Gp4OajKDHPkhV7JKl4W-1SbD8ui_WwElPftCsz_ZAb07m5XSGWNlfibOkO-JF7L2DwA5fHsClpsPaNl7EZIhsZaUrrjbYIl3rzqn9HE6jEx6IH4gE4Ox7TMfeuS5KE/s1600-h/P1010578.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT4QQsvedBwRcL6Gp4OajKDHPkhV7JKl4W-1SbD8ui_WwElPftCsz_ZAb07m5XSGWNlfibOkO-JF7L2DwA5fHsClpsPaNl7EZIhsZaUrrjbYIl3rzqn9HE6jEx6IH4gE4Ox7TMfeuS5KE/s320/P1010578.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328409409090459074" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>Monday we did almost nothing. I started reading White Fang and we alternated between laying on the beach, swimming, and laying in the shade in the recreation area inside the resort. Emma and I got Fin and Jana to play volleyball with us, we got a little sandy...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqYPdFU0TQAkhhBRSAQgWTsBOGim_D9wH5ObYWLswkuNiQmgrk8veNKp0ZxdW3Q1cOjszMNv32zYPHZYM3p1D7jiCMWVYNTfozkZO4OxdPJQlVUUP7L3Gm_cfL9bLzQR8mMnyRwtsUdY/s1600-h/P1030682.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqYPdFU0TQAkhhBRSAQgWTsBOGim_D9wH5ObYWLswkuNiQmgrk8veNKp0ZxdW3Q1cOjszMNv32zYPHZYM3p1D7jiCMWVYNTfozkZO4OxdPJQlVUUP7L3Gm_cfL9bLzQR8mMnyRwtsUdY/s320/P1030682.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328412429853200674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><div>In the afternoon while we were sitting in our hammocks we heard a crack then a thud. I went to investigate and saw that a coconut fell out of a palm tree. I was thirsty, so I took it over to our bungalow and slammed it on the concrete lip of our patio until it cracked and the juice started flowing...</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmjZ7pmO9x7HTCZIvgKALKkTjuIHKZC2XK4l5KcihklEp0BChw6fyUJhyphenhyphen6ptQjmqGjn7ZTrisr5ZgNXS3olUjPbyXDcmwx75q6k4hp3FkqapO87bSgmmLRBrq7T11YysZqHJWLmsQbeE/s1600-h/P1030681.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvmjZ7pmO9x7HTCZIvgKALKkTjuIHKZC2XK4l5KcihklEp0BChw6fyUJhyphenhyphen6ptQjmqGjn7ZTrisr5ZgNXS3olUjPbyXDcmwx75q6k4hp3FkqapO87bSgmmLRBrq7T11YysZqHJWLmsQbeE/s320/P1030681.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328412441063499298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div>In the evening a storm started to come in right around sunset. It was coming from the North, so it was a little bit cooler than other nights. For a while though half the sky was blue with a few scattered pink clouds and the other half was dark storm clouds made an orange-pink from the setting sun; it looked really cool. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uHo9o1P_wE7LAg9ULKGTyrgUsBB-CqNYhGJt8Qp8oX_8LdW3aYq2ABYXFjXRar3iRMdyaLaDsQ6afm8nNjF68xFAJnWDktstweAP_Omm4Skel6RjegLZiF4dOz07izL87hmyXHYWylQ/s1600-h/P1010449.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-uHo9o1P_wE7LAg9ULKGTyrgUsBB-CqNYhGJt8Qp8oX_8LdW3aYq2ABYXFjXRar3iRMdyaLaDsQ6afm8nNjF68xFAJnWDktstweAP_Omm4Skel6RjegLZiF4dOz07izL87hmyXHYWylQ/s320/P1010449.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328409394475725762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">A couple of local guys saw me taking pictures and yelled for me to come over while holding up a watermelon. I obliged, and shared the watermelon with them. Then they whipped out a shot glass and asked me to take a shot of rice wine. I hesitantly agreed, and they pulled out a plastic bag full of the clear liquid. Never before have I seen liquor poured from a plastic bag, so I was a little worried, but felt like I couldn't walk away from it because it would be insulting. It actually tasted pretty good, so I ended up doing a few rounds with them. We always toasted: Mot, Hai, Ba, YO!!! which means 1, 2, 3 CHEERS!!! <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgTpk2vm2yWV5NjXSOIZJt8Ha8C7hiymr5U9us7UI-cFg_ocJkzFmXdui3Zp8Ks6ZOPeJYDHYGviOYiVKIDroiI7-7aTjo3bXkzpUMzfTLKUQIQaeBNYQe5dY5tktQ2GfRu6s6e88z3c/s1600-h/P1010423.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgTpk2vm2yWV5NjXSOIZJt8Ha8C7hiymr5U9us7UI-cFg_ocJkzFmXdui3Zp8Ks6ZOPeJYDHYGviOYiVKIDroiI7-7aTjo3bXkzpUMzfTLKUQIQaeBNYQe5dY5tktQ2GfRu6s6e88z3c/s320/P1010423.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328409394771841602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left; ">We played Jenga again after dinner, followed by a card game that we taught everyone. Then we had a small ping pong tournament. We also made plans to hike up to the waterfall the next morning.</div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; ">On Tuesday we woke up early to have breakfast so that we would be hiking while it was still somewhat cool out. This plan backfired a little as that it was already 85 F at 9 am. We arrived at the waterfall at 10, and I immediately climbed up to jump (so that I wouldn't chicken out like last time). Emma, Fin, and Tina all jumped as well, each of us about 3 times. Then Fin discovered a scorpion in the water and we decided it was time to go... </div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOCqv-qGd4_7ow1SSIjemYXZD21HlQA3A-rhbcWscpmmkxpFHKtyFcc_y2WGgKGLdTE8NrGjUFTz8RoLe4NDc0Irm0C5o77HkWnBfl6lqEgYAqDlZMbA_doRFFY-l48HeutMXfJOTZmc/s1600-h/P1010621.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOCqv-qGd4_7ow1SSIjemYXZD21HlQA3A-rhbcWscpmmkxpFHKtyFcc_y2WGgKGLdTE8NrGjUFTz8RoLe4NDc0Irm0C5o77HkWnBfl6lqEgYAqDlZMbA_doRFFY-l48HeutMXfJOTZmc/s320/P1010621.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328409405219344962" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left; ">Wednesday we laid on the beach until leaving Jungle Beach at 2. We got a room in a cheap hotel, and an Austrian woman named Betina, who left Jungle Beach with us, shared it with us because the room had 4 beds. We went out to an INCREDIBLE Indian dinner, then walked around for a little before going to bed. </div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; ">Pics: 1. Batina, Emma, Miki, and I at the Omar's Indian Cafe 2. Final picture of our trio</div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQ8mYH15H74fqUA-38eIa7aglJBsK02jX3XAHeZLNict6VrVhpyla9J5WQJn3X3R4wvVRTW_mc9XlaHsA-XGLJN4oZIEFu-Nw21pjQ46-lPRt_OIHMFIz51H9PnOipEXfAlkNMasJSi4/s1600-h/P1030741.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQ8mYH15H74fqUA-38eIa7aglJBsK02jX3XAHeZLNict6VrVhpyla9J5WQJn3X3R4wvVRTW_mc9XlaHsA-XGLJN4oZIEFu-Nw21pjQ46-lPRt_OIHMFIz51H9PnOipEXfAlkNMasJSi4/s320/P1030741.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328412437766609938" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQ8mYH15H74fqUA-38eIa7aglJBsK02jX3XAHeZLNict6VrVhpyla9J5WQJn3X3R4wvVRTW_mc9XlaHsA-XGLJN4oZIEFu-Nw21pjQ46-lPRt_OIHMFIz51H9PnOipEXfAlkNMasJSi4/s1600-h/P1030741.JPG"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwWfwrK1F6EaXIZ8BZxFZD1M7ZFQfZi0EiFVsVQtul_F6ySNYtUlkCawDwiG2F2ssqQfAWD1lGbV0jU5G1c_IwuJVfrtZLwBRUyhHkOwAsSlz70zZEAVC4RMIk44ekP5eI6y_SugaPNg/s1600-h/P1030745.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggwWfwrK1F6EaXIZ8BZxFZD1M7ZFQfZi0EiFVsVQtul_F6ySNYtUlkCawDwiG2F2ssqQfAWD1lGbV0jU5G1c_IwuJVfrtZLwBRUyhHkOwAsSlz70zZEAVC4RMIk44ekP5eI6y_SugaPNg/s320/P1030745.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328412432507097506" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left; ">Thursday we sat on the beach all day long and didn't do much of anything. My bus to Da Nang wasn't leaving until 7, so in the evening we had a final dinner together... but at the last second before the bus was going to leave the girls, who had all along planned on staying for Thursday night, convinced me to stay as well. I changed my ticket to the following day and we went out. We went to a bar that was promoting itself with free mojitos, then to Why Not? bar where on the way we met another Swedish guy who had lived in Santa Rosa for a couple years. He joined us for Why Not? as well as the Sailing Club, which we went to later to dance. </div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; ">We slept in the next morning, then went to the beach for one last time. The Swedes and I took a picture on the beach to remember the peak of our tans...</div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WxKe4tdssri-_aoU9rMDEhyx0Voy8fSlgFCGodgJaZXwUpdCQSXDKeJ3dYpID-b1Sd9CCJmpy2T4EFVqLlAAgu9gyasgePxlnK3h6ZQUGvmOEclIkTYkZRhyDYAf9n18UuZRqXSHp4I/s1600-h/P1030751.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WxKe4tdssri-_aoU9rMDEhyx0Voy8fSlgFCGodgJaZXwUpdCQSXDKeJ3dYpID-b1Sd9CCJmpy2T4EFVqLlAAgu9gyasgePxlnK3h6ZQUGvmOEclIkTYkZRhyDYAf9n18UuZRqXSHp4I/s320/P1030751.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328569702845205650" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; ">In the evening we had Indian food again (because it was just that good and we're a bit tired of Vietnamese) and at 7 I went to the bus stop to catch the bus to Da Nang. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; "><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-71407817030423799672009-04-17T00:17:00.000-07:002009-04-17T02:57:45.979-07:00Hoi An, Town of a Thousand Poses<div style="text-align: left;">We arrived in Hoi An at 6 am Tuesday morning more tired than when we left Jungle Beach. The sleeper buses definitely were not made for westerners: all of the seats were set in a reclined position 10 degrees from horizontal and my feet were supposed to go underneath the seat in front of me, however my legs are longer than a vietnamese person's torso so I ended up with my knees in a very uncomfortable position for most of the night. At some point Annika moved to the floor in the aisle.<br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2MUnJH5QpN1aNWjvIcGAmYvX0toNShwt9K5n5FuUCcSPg_8ZILr0F4gZ8-jg8Vu4UxXaxPNdIcNoVfK2OppAGmIymDnBLD8q3zs22cGvQUYZOWWOBUFTw-e5rlUFcBlt1XzMZMLcxeM/s1600-h/P1010210.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2MUnJH5QpN1aNWjvIcGAmYvX0toNShwt9K5n5FuUCcSPg_8ZILr0F4gZ8-jg8Vu4UxXaxPNdIcNoVfK2OppAGmIymDnBLD8q3zs22cGvQUYZOWWOBUFTw-e5rlUFcBlt1XzMZMLcxeM/s320/P1010210.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325565282014250626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We checked in to our budget hotel, Hop Yen, and went back to sleep until lunch time. A restaurant along the brown river caught our eye and we stopped in for a bite. We explored the town all afternoon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Hoi An is essentially a small town that had been occupied by the Chinese, Japanese, and French at different times, and absorbed some of each of those cultures. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage site some years back, which made it a tourist hot spot, but without the hurried development of other places, such as Nha Trang, because of the UNESCO requirements. All of the signs in the historic part of town are uniformly made of wood with yellow lettering and no new building is permitted, giving old Hoi An a very pleasant vibe. There is a river that flows through the center of the old town that is a very odd brown color, most likely from rain runoff from the rice paddies nearby. We posed for many a photograph...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx4ArU3MLZGegvtGNkrYnNdOUf9IqXj8UqoG_tUzsgEdPezRuO7jKPSbiKLjwO8gDBvM12YO1gOt6UpzUoH2LXgRhgoZmQuBMFmQse1plT23hCTtNwgE9iw6nJrvFNmorOe9ZusBZh8w/s1600-h/P1010246.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx4ArU3MLZGegvtGNkrYnNdOUf9IqXj8UqoG_tUzsgEdPezRuO7jKPSbiKLjwO8gDBvM12YO1gOt6UpzUoH2LXgRhgoZmQuBMFmQse1plT23hCTtNwgE9iw6nJrvFNmorOe9ZusBZh8w/s320/P1010246.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325561953368082818" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p5l_kVVzWIgLNaUmVCsfdIuqtA7ZDb7JhePH-z5-I6RlCv1CsaAWEs-qCVUmXXL59W6bRIlA5sAsCLVSqRd3JO06NSqVR0QYEj8rVqjVnEW5a_JhWjxvejNQHOJiud6CXmaT7eRG5ho/s1600-h/P1010296.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p5l_kVVzWIgLNaUmVCsfdIuqtA7ZDb7JhePH-z5-I6RlCv1CsaAWEs-qCVUmXXL59W6bRIlA5sAsCLVSqRd3JO06NSqVR0QYEj8rVqjVnEW5a_JhWjxvejNQHOJiud6CXmaT7eRG5ho/s320/P1010296.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325565277465791106" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L4y0t45OqrCrTa9E5MtYuHu82shteOOVahknptgmm1Niz1eFvv66EZD21-tL7Mt3FBJp2SHz5F0X4rRS0SzUWkmRRi0bajJhJ04LPjPjobizZnVRsqTbCJ8Ej4zb0vy-TdzWaIErTBo/s1600-h/P1010258.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L4y0t45OqrCrTa9E5MtYuHu82shteOOVahknptgmm1Niz1eFvv66EZD21-tL7Mt3FBJp2SHz5F0X4rRS0SzUWkmRRi0bajJhJ04LPjPjobizZnVRsqTbCJ8Ej4zb0vy-TdzWaIErTBo/s320/P1010258.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325561951321131218" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckmKQRLB913waBRdjqbRyrZ29XrGuJtghhv9NiCTEV022tmtKciT73AK1HTKRf_32hQz8tJhxLdnc39gwOSPatLQAXit-lhGEizQJjdCirxZnG0ICgPWwOnnc3u1432ythT5WgEoMhbk/s1600-h/P1010264.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckmKQRLB913waBRdjqbRyrZ29XrGuJtghhv9NiCTEV022tmtKciT73AK1HTKRf_32hQz8tJhxLdnc39gwOSPatLQAXit-lhGEizQJjdCirxZnG0ICgPWwOnnc3u1432ythT5WgEoMhbk/s320/P1010264.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325561959537859938" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Tourism has become the main industry in the city, so every other storefront is a restaurant or shop. It is also THE place to get clothes tailored in Vietnam. I have never seen so many tailors in one place before, not even in NYC. A 3 piece suit made of nice wool costs about 100 bucks, or only 40 for polyester. I got a winter jacket, 2 pairs of pants, and 1 shirt tailored for me for only 60 bucks. Not bad. The reason I did it now is because Emma and Mikaela are headed back to Ho Chi Minh after Jungle Beach so they can bring the clothes there for me to pick up at the end of my adventure. There also were a lot of shops where tradesmen were making their products out front for people to watch. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: A guy making lanterns in front of his shop</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_xGT9wF_93iGnC1OK2N3km68_BZ649JZqrIU_P4Y0Y1A0B-n0m8Q1vKXCjrAsRVsGX81jkH6GxR9rKQckBqaRPt6qviG_pn_4MAODh10ftYD4wplESra5J1KH91kCE-cvQvLNevi9_U/s1600-h/P1010287.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_xGT9wF_93iGnC1OK2N3km68_BZ649JZqrIU_P4Y0Y1A0B-n0m8Q1vKXCjrAsRVsGX81jkH6GxR9rKQckBqaRPt6qviG_pn_4MAODh10ftYD4wplESra5J1KH91kCE-cvQvLNevi9_U/s320/P1010287.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325561965680392050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>At night all of the lantern shops were lit up, they looked really cool.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ub73z75yYvsqZTv7hEY-2tNFliH61juWxFxkEwuRiQqIEvIEs7d6uYxW308CqW0xZ5yJpFbCckVCnrHj4IUhjQaQINmlhwV5AZGD6hyzdRPg13OFaqxJhvEg3Rg7sfR1KSROci0kwhk/s1600-h/P1010315.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ub73z75yYvsqZTv7hEY-2tNFliH61juWxFxkEwuRiQqIEvIEs7d6uYxW308CqW0xZ5yJpFbCckVCnrHj4IUhjQaQINmlhwV5AZGD6hyzdRPg13OFaqxJhvEg3Rg7sfR1KSROci0kwhk/s320/P1010315.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325590374624886178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizG8mlkyDZ8L_QZO0v3x0K9kurZsh4KK14U70940nv8l0W5kG9rEAlJ2mNRjdSQTRisTMZiHisXWuXD7ooZdhDOfM7Zofhnpr96WvSCRdV0K6cRspLKLWy7xnAOrvtSDlg2n-x5nEHhX0/s1600-h/P1010317.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizG8mlkyDZ8L_QZO0v3x0K9kurZsh4KK14U70940nv8l0W5kG9rEAlJ2mNRjdSQTRisTMZiHisXWuXD7ooZdhDOfM7Zofhnpr96WvSCRdV0K6cRspLKLWy7xnAOrvtSDlg2n-x5nEHhX0/s320/P1010317.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325565280882621570" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Annika had been in Vietnam for nearly 9 months and not yet bought any presents, so much of Wednesday was spent shopping, which I didn't mind. The overcast weather wasn't very conducive for the beach anyway. We also walked through a food market. There was a very, very large variety of eggs.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcc5QK-qs6SO7803c3nHOAXDPOjr4Q8aYGJdjNhXtyA56TWz0z5Us2sp9g7MOEwRYN4yQZJ3Kw_rWvLBqdqdpatrjw2LjBxXpcktxBmLeZXMuuqkLEJH41ZccNq8FxPSg2cOS10317f0/s1600-h/P1010234.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcc5QK-qs6SO7803c3nHOAXDPOjr4Q8aYGJdjNhXtyA56TWz0z5Us2sp9g7MOEwRYN4yQZJ3Kw_rWvLBqdqdpatrjw2LjBxXpcktxBmLeZXMuuqkLEJH41ZccNq8FxPSg2cOS10317f0/s320/P1010234.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325565289881630114" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>For Lunch we had some fantastic "street meat". It was 5 marinated chicken skewers that were barbecued then stuffed into a baguette along with cucumbers, tomatoes, mint, basil, peanut sauce, and chili. Incredible. Some Australian guys saw me devouring my sandwich and came to have one too. They agreed that it was the best thing they had since being in Vietnam. SO GOOD.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Street meat lady. And yes, Vietnamese people really do wear the conical hat all the time. I would have guessed it was just a tourist thing too...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqpGIdWMGFsshsuCyJO07B-a97HpJbjQkoaE-JsnXhZn9I0rdbi4UJU3iZmEIMpCN3ZLE0HT-xLD5Gas6-iWqRHeVaje58fQmRQabmyn4Umm4cz16u234MDuL-YrWDAMLarZ0ZqZ-Vs4/s1600-h/P1010293.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqpGIdWMGFsshsuCyJO07B-a97HpJbjQkoaE-JsnXhZn9I0rdbi4UJU3iZmEIMpCN3ZLE0HT-xLD5Gas6-iWqRHeVaje58fQmRQabmyn4Umm4cz16u234MDuL-YrWDAMLarZ0ZqZ-Vs4/s320/P1010293.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325592404251856178" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>Note the stool I was sitting on... I felt very Vietnamese</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZF7T86sMEdkfBgTyEAAT8qt4JMhEEuoBPxQSHLnSKTLD9DU82yfE9aSwVDghvtD5wipg1UhVgW4jyDXtqr8nAOEQ6UWd35L0Nc6wqzioOLFiJBtjKf4shhplFQr2I4R0ZFnzr8PBvb4/s1600-h/P1010292.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZF7T86sMEdkfBgTyEAAT8qt4JMhEEuoBPxQSHLnSKTLD9DU82yfE9aSwVDghvtD5wipg1UhVgW4jyDXtqr8nAOEQ6UWd35L0Nc6wqzioOLFiJBtjKf4shhplFQr2I4R0ZFnzr8PBvb4/s320/P1010292.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325561960313735602" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday we rented bicycles and rode the 5 kilometers to Cua Dai beach. It was still overcast, but the beach was really pleasant anyway. The ocean this far north is much cooler than at Jungle Beach, but the cooler temperature was a nice change- in Mui Ne and Phu Quoc entering the water was like getting into a lukewarm bathtub. When we got back we booked our buses for the following day. Annika is continuing up the coast to Hue, and I am going back down to Nha Trang to meet Emma and Mikaela and head back to Jungle Beach.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: A perfect mango enjoyed on Cua Dai beach</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpcCp37TjSo2LyNVJDplTNzRt7CDTXn1sk9oSv-urm58N6p_ggQyCAzlq4PCjLG83qw1rvWoThLpQfQa10HO_lYf43Suvx8D95oCBNu50SjJ65yFMhu4hgo-sHGlX2skMbn-Dz8tvygc/s1600-h/P1010331.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpcCp37TjSo2LyNVJDplTNzRt7CDTXn1sk9oSv-urm58N6p_ggQyCAzlq4PCjLG83qw1rvWoThLpQfQa10HO_lYf43Suvx8D95oCBNu50SjJ65yFMhu4hgo-sHGlX2skMbn-Dz8tvygc/s320/P1010331.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325565275255743378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>Friday Annika did some last minute shopping in the morning, then we relaxed and read our books during the hot hours of the day. I finished the book I was reading, The Quiet American, which takes place in Saigon during the French war in the 50's and is about a British journalist who recounts the events leading up to an American diplomat getting killed (the murder happens in the first two pages, I didn't ruin it for you). It was really good, Greene is a great writer and I now understand why so many of his books have been made into movies- The Quiet American read like a script. I rushed to finish so I could give it to Annika next.</div><div><br /></div><div>Annika left at 2, and I am now writing my blog entry to kill time until my bus leaves at 7. As opposed to in Ho Chi Minh where I posted almost every day, I am now only writing an entry when I leave a city. This allows me to A. enjoy my time, which is less structured than when I was volunteering, and B. to give a good overview and final opinion of each city instead of my day to day sentiments. </div><div><br /></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-45515525762886723532009-04-14T03:21:00.000-07:002009-04-15T03:47:17.846-07:00Nha Trang is to Disneyland as Jungle Beach is to Santa Barbara<div style="text-align: left;">I arrived in Nha Trang at 6 Thursday evening and Annika met me at the bus stop. I got settled in the hotel room, which was clean and had lots of windows, then we had dinner at an Italian restaurant. I got gnocchi for the first time in a long while and it was delicious- a nice change from Vietnamese food. We went back to the hotel room and watched a movie before going to bed early.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div>The next morning we ran a few errands, then rented a motorbike with the intention of getting out of the tourist area and finding a remote beach. We cruised up the coast for 10 kilometers and came across a resort that was only half finished, although nobody was doing any work on it. We decided to go exploring, hoping that there might be a nice beach in front of it. The weeds and trees growing in and around the resort made it feel eerie, and we were disappointed to discover that the beach was composed of large rocks, concrete, and rebar. </div><div><br /></div><div>We went through a small village because we saw a beach that looked nice on the other side of it, however it started to rain so we stopped at a small Pho vendor for some noodle soup. The family that ran it were really nice, and the Pho was delicious- they even grated green mango into it, so it had a tangy and sour flavor. We hopped back on the bike and kept going North.</div><div><br /></div><div>10 km later we caught sight of an island that looked like it had a nice beach, and a few minutes later saw a small dock that had boats. We stopped bought two tickets to the island, and 20 minutes later we arrived on Monkey Island, named for its large population of, you guessed it, monkeys. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. A shack on the structure of a series of lobster traps that we passed while on the boat 2. Monkey Island</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_MxTf0lAQ5X-cu0EwcLDCqLgXJdyI1_m6Abi6UQx1Qc4_RQWt1qm6Ju-2cqrL3KJg27ItWTn8nhO1Kfj7MyX8wePfnsA1Mm5ViI1Qp3Yolxo4AHQqHy-I6abdySD8BpeNsTO2N_ZE5o/s320/P1000936.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324503097201244370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmZ0167HvfwFLc5hQQpyIuYl002RQar4EvvY4hTm31mvixWIWeKH20Z1MO8SiHKgOJ1I1KJrn7AqoIHT0-ybORluODLtcEumyQUZuLbBbeMNdODtlcOqrQBXYLWUAcY53tUMkp6Qjz9M/s1600-h/P1000947.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmZ0167HvfwFLc5hQQpyIuYl002RQar4EvvY4hTm31mvixWIWeKH20Z1MO8SiHKgOJ1I1KJrn7AqoIHT0-ybORluODLtcEumyQUZuLbBbeMNdODtlcOqrQBXYLWUAcY53tUMkp6Qjz9M/s320/P1000947.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324503091913683666" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>We relaxed on the beach for an hour, then were informed that a dog and monkey show was set to begin shortly in the middle of the island. The show was really disturbing. One male and one female trainer forced the animals to do tricks. The dogs were first, and they sat on their hind legs with their front paws up on miniature school desks and were forced to do simple math problems using the number of times they barked to answer. When they did things wrong they were slapped on their nose, and when they did things right they were given a small treat.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fv1GZyL4uHY6G8YsBDOa18tqLDbvlS0JPN1GY2JMIxdni12cpkMcVKk1OMPruNc61oSJKgjrSN7gtOTzcIdtzgUbLjXQViSR778gf75PNyY2JQGyHF8cT95dzBj5EjWexmxtTbTwZ3A/s1600-h/P1000961.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fv1GZyL4uHY6G8YsBDOa18tqLDbvlS0JPN1GY2JMIxdni12cpkMcVKk1OMPruNc61oSJKgjrSN7gtOTzcIdtzgUbLjXQViSR778gf75PNyY2JQGyHF8cT95dzBj5EjWexmxtTbTwZ3A/s320/P1000961.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324503103722282482" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The monkeys were next. They were dressed in ridiculous outfits and kept on short leashes. They did a variety of balancing acts, all the while the trainers throwing them around as if they were stuffed animals, not live creatures. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOquSjFSDUKxUq_PtDd2dfSeLcqnIYUq_CI40gPmy5b1KeRN4aiATg-4rtxWhkDPOiQInP0mlJkrvEvvhtYh7iPeI4ju0Oa9QRoWcKJsotAkcL8XV3Zh7oIKnRr1sqPTzy7DgdXgR63UU/s320/P1000981.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324503103024570674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div>In their final act they rode small bicycles around, and one monkey stole food from another which started a brawl. They really went at it, and all the while the crowd watching just laughed. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwbkjuKLTmhcjXUBz1ns9H1ce0HGRo7nWMdCvQ7oNR8pvt5qiySVN0gKudRQXGjJwV3BDsoOo7MOR3uAxqZPQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><div>I was disturbed by it, however Annika was appalled. We walked around for a bit after the show to wind down, then returned to the dock and went back to the mainland. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the way home we passed a sign for a hot spring and mud bath spa and took a detour. It took almost an hour to find it because the signs were irregular and it was far inland, but we eventually got there. It only cost 6 dollars for full spa access, so we splurged and did it- it was my first mud bath.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD6OwpmNcinsiY9FfNTGLdnxzk849LcGiWtWsfX4lcOZX9jOjXFJ8Mndcrs-q3LUTVRmagcmwfu8UjHPTuPVdHH1Vpg2EYBa7NY3oAX2rt7VumyBs2SFe6vD7PJ776vvAeFl4toeqUlX8/s320/P1010010.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324503111348760290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div>We had Indian food for dinner, then wandered around for a while and eventually booked a "4 island boat tour" for the following day. We had a couple drinks at a bar called Why Not?, then went home.</div><div><br /></div><div>The tour company picked us up at 8 on Friday morning and took us to the docks. We were soon to find out how much of a tourist trap the tour was. At the docks there were uncountable other tours unloading from buses and getting on boats. There were 50 or so people on our tour, and we all crammed on to the boat. The tour leader then gave us the schedule for the day: 1st stop an aquarium, next a good site for snorkeling, third stop lunch on the boat next to an island with live music and a floating bar, and finally relaxing at a beach resort.</div><div><br /></div><div>Disclaimer: I apologize in advance for over-using cynical quotation marks in the following description of the day, and I omitted pictures to spare you the boring visuals-</div><div><br /></div><div>The "aquarium" was a bit disturbing. It was a formed concrete structure meant to look like a 18th century sail boat, and inside was a small assortment of fish, turtles, and sharks- all stuffed into tanks much too small for them. It took about 5 minutes to walk through it, although the asian tourists took much longer because they took pictures in front of EVERY SINGLE fish tank.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next stop "snorkeling". We arrived at the dive spot in 30 minutes and the crew passed out the snorkels and masks, which were essentially toy snorkels for children, and half of them were broken. There were a number of other tour boats in the same spot and many smaller boats with see through bottoms that entrepreneurs were trying to sell us as being "as good as snorkeling without getting wet". Annika, however, had never been snorkeling before so she still enjoyed seeing the coral and fish in their natural habitat. </div><div><br /></div><div>We cruised along for another 30 minutes before stopping for lunch next to an island. The lunch wasn't too bad, which was surprising, then the "band" started to play. Two of the crew members played guitar and drums, which looked home made, and the tour leader sang an assortment of Vietnamese songs. I didn't think that it could get worse than Vietnamese singing karaoke, however when a mediocre band replaces the recorded music it gets much, much worse. I found it amusing that all the Vietnamese people on the tour enjoyed it, whereas all of us westerners climbed up to the roof to minimize the sound polluting our ears. </div><div><br /></div><div>The band wrapped up after 45 minutes and we jumped in the water and enjoyed the floating bar, which served complimentary mulberry wine. For those that haven't enjoyed mulberry wine, it is similar to Manischewitz but sweeter...</div><div><br /></div><div>The last stop was a resort on a "beach". It actually was a concrete slab 8 ft above the water with chairs and umbrellas- you had to climb down a ladder to get in the water, and there was absolutely no beach to speak of.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will never do a similar tour again. Ever. Annika and I decided that we needed to get out of Nha Trang; it was just too touristic and fake. I remembered hearing about a small resort north of Nha Trang called Jungle Beach that was supposed to be really laid back, so we looked it up on the internet. It looked appealing, so we made a reservation for the following night. Afterwards we had dinner and drinks at Why Not? bar again. We met some interesting people and stayed there till 1, then went home and packed for Jungle Beach.</div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at Jungle Beach just before lunch the following day- it took an hour and a half in a van to get there. The owner, a Canadian expat named Sylvio, greeted us upon arrival with glasses of lemon juice, and gave us a tour of his resort. It was a group of maybe 15 bungalows in no real organized pattern, in between of which were gardens and trees, and in the middle of all of them a climbing structure for kids and a makeshift ping pong table- a piece of plywood on cinder blocks. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Sunset over Jungle Beach. 2. Jungle Beach</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFe_0ZCiSPok5p-HGXApaBCjlGXQvs9t4fJxK-VHpEf9TnjfdIl30B9px-Bs_PXFBxZgViDUNvL37ztRmxEO8303rlwDGhbgqdo9D19kBuUlFU-VdLjqP6Zuse6qvgvRQwWlMsN6ZZHs/s1600-h/P1010099.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFe_0ZCiSPok5p-HGXApaBCjlGXQvs9t4fJxK-VHpEf9TnjfdIl30B9px-Bs_PXFBxZgViDUNvL37ztRmxEO8303rlwDGhbgqdo9D19kBuUlFU-VdLjqP6Zuse6qvgvRQwWlMsN6ZZHs/s320/P1010099.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324507667444949618" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TTfRqeIcZBj719AN198HuXMbxNfKs2OwI9ciPk8wkDjTHq5Q1ZK_378m6v2PhLWKa6KiHbFmm_w1qldekAijRnkfQZAUZEmXkaqNmVSUTThwc8-StAh3WJjq2SGals7iyEq5NR139Tc/s1600-h/P1010183.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TTfRqeIcZBj719AN198HuXMbxNfKs2OwI9ciPk8wkDjTHq5Q1ZK_378m6v2PhLWKa6KiHbFmm_w1qldekAijRnkfQZAUZEmXkaqNmVSUTThwc8-StAh3WJjq2SGals7iyEq5NR139Tc/s320/P1010183.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324509252997138626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sylvio showed us the different types of available bungalows, then told us to choose the one we wanted. We chose one right on the beach so that we could best hear the waves crashing at night and see the sun rise. He then explained to us the way the resort works: 22 dollars a day, including all 3 meals, which are family style at a set time, unlimited lemon juice and water, and guitars, books, games, and boogie and surf boards available for use. Guests never need to carry money.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: 1. View from the doorway of our bungalow 2. Annika on the beach</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxjenyw-Xd7lsuVx-5PZAiT1mET9RepeM0F-TTaLSozEPm3EHLyIa5Ejc3a_SaYe0gOgai1Cc0cKDsqVChjhB0-6cPbbtjySHM5cAyzsePEWDHCespPycmNsiD1KUT4Lx8uq4uHE4qVg/s1600-h/P1010034.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUxjenyw-Xd7lsuVx-5PZAiT1mET9RepeM0F-TTaLSozEPm3EHLyIa5Ejc3a_SaYe0gOgai1Cc0cKDsqVChjhB0-6cPbbtjySHM5cAyzsePEWDHCespPycmNsiD1KUT4Lx8uq4uHE4qVg/s320/P1010034.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324507657642055874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCe4a6z9JBZr4rb275h7zIU2lWZ-pIWtKpWEnng59olw2aFlJ-41s3o-1AqR7XMKBUx-JCu3hoNwbkF4U7UKWktTCigxDFbf0W4WL-GHKv5CBQErKkbaNCAC8pQN8z7D1M76p6k2I8wI/s1600-h/P1010081.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMCe4a6z9JBZr4rb275h7zIU2lWZ-pIWtKpWEnng59olw2aFlJ-41s3o-1AqR7XMKBUx-JCu3hoNwbkF4U7UKWktTCigxDFbf0W4WL-GHKv5CBQErKkbaNCAC8pQN8z7D1M76p6k2I8wI/s320/P1010081.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324507663234774658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I immediately fell in love with the place. The other guests were really nice and down to earth, the scenery was beautiful, and lunch was excellent. We relaxed on the beach all afternoon, then had dinner with everyone at 6:30. In the evening we played Jenga and cards with the other guests, then went to the beach to have a bon fire. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Family style dinner</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6kf_FC2ZvOekyIbTbYoHZLq7l8XDAHa4It97-esKGK5PPEJi-JTfrIIPWbtS-0B5VC8oYvxvCnDRKN0ameWIhZy9QhJqCTnsNCeHTY4ImrkItEjjbZMO2RqYmvnGndva0oeSB1M2wl4/s1600-h/P1010117.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6kf_FC2ZvOekyIbTbYoHZLq7l8XDAHa4It97-esKGK5PPEJi-JTfrIIPWbtS-0B5VC8oYvxvCnDRKN0ameWIhZy9QhJqCTnsNCeHTY4ImrkItEjjbZMO2RqYmvnGndva0oeSB1M2wl4/s320/P1010117.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324507670002713298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>I enjoyed my day at Jungle Beach so much that I called Emma and Mikaela, who were set to go to Nha Trang on Friday the 17th, and told them that they should go to Jungle Beach instead of Nha Trang. I had originally planned to keep going north to Hanoi, but decided I wanted more time at Jungle Beach; 1 night wasn't enough. Because I had 5 days until Emma and Mikaela would arrive, I decided to go north to Hoi An with Annika, then go back down to Jungle Beach on Friday.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next day I woke up for sunrise, it was really nice, then went back to bed till 9.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Sunrise from the doorway of my bungalow 2. Sunrise from the beach</div><div><br /></div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xQYsSO3kjArXAic0MP2i15W2EWCh9dq4hw6HsAGdU2LqzydqmvhjCBop3N_XGn-_4hqmJXzovzDvvOB3j_Dip8xPMwE67eR9CgZw-9al7ldmIK4dNptofN5WPACYAAi-VEPstAoQ5HY/s1600-h/P1010144.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xQYsSO3kjArXAic0MP2i15W2EWCh9dq4hw6HsAGdU2LqzydqmvhjCBop3N_XGn-_4hqmJXzovzDvvOB3j_Dip8xPMwE67eR9CgZw-9al7ldmIK4dNptofN5WPACYAAi-VEPstAoQ5HY/s320/P1010144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324509234381968466" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhruuN6LjH0zznpPivSFDrxPV1iPbILZ-4gM6vVlF1XCTf6_pLrhMB6lJ24UMSp8rMjzaeDp8djWoCNsqf-9LblnH0XB4koRkKZBIIiNRK4i11TJg4klNAJts80gSXA7uEMEwRPfrigpwE/s320/P1010139.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324507672451423170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Annika and I had breakfast then laid around the beach till lunch. I had seen a couple puppies in a shed next to the front gate, so after lunch I went to check them out. There were 4 pups in all, one a runt that looked really pathetic and small and could barely open his eyes, even though they were 4 months old. Their mother was really sweet too. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzKB1t4QpTTuHX3oQTogl45tDoV3dBjqvZBDhbh5p36mqO2uSSQdvGCtsL4N6WD7IEidZZee4o1Z0dcPaPnLxldk5QEtYE8IKGMGUqV56GwqeN2eGPturfQ1TsYRvJDKqSFM679VT3No/s1600-h/P1010160.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzKB1t4QpTTuHX3oQTogl45tDoV3dBjqvZBDhbh5p36mqO2uSSQdvGCtsL4N6WD7IEidZZee4o1Z0dcPaPnLxldk5QEtYE8IKGMGUqV56GwqeN2eGPturfQ1TsYRvJDKqSFM679VT3No/s320/P1010160.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324509239354086642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoOlBLoy3qalyYpoGBKIPhof01e4APJgV4MfpxtOWA5K1VXXstCwHBcDJCDueylvYiDtCkJG3kvfXaqCO0yx2UyzR9mPqCFcMx8qaeyckUVzVwA-czvkblIrE1dQ9x3dV75e3QbVo_t0/s1600-h/P1010155.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzoOlBLoy3qalyYpoGBKIPhof01e4APJgV4MfpxtOWA5K1VXXstCwHBcDJCDueylvYiDtCkJG3kvfXaqCO0yx2UyzR9mPqCFcMx8qaeyckUVzVwA-czvkblIrE1dQ9x3dV75e3QbVo_t0/s320/P1010155.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324509254414154786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>After another couple hours on the beach a German couple, an Italian girl, and I took a hike up the mountain to a waterfall Sylvio told us about. He told us we could jump off it, although it was 30+ ft high, so we declined...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FSi5Db00DhL9fJteWkumUyXHhLv8MSe4p_nFEgZ5YG2TGmCzy3mUapt18qzL-Fw-vFCrI9J7IIPnluAhBMBuYgeVrWBJG_ziI_eGlWCbxd3IgC-twBvzoQr0O7cYpRpnNoXF_mySRAY/s1600-h/P1010193.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8FSi5Db00DhL9fJteWkumUyXHhLv8MSe4p_nFEgZ5YG2TGmCzy3mUapt18qzL-Fw-vFCrI9J7IIPnluAhBMBuYgeVrWBJG_ziI_eGlWCbxd3IgC-twBvzoQr0O7cYpRpnNoXF_mySRAY/s320/P1010193.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324509244149496338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>After dinner Annika and I were picked up by 2 Xe Om who took us to a gas station where the overnight bus to Hoi An picked us up. </div><div><br /></div><div>The walk from my bungalow to the beach:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwC2Ob4ok7dSIvWaNWAER1vHf0I4IntSNvKyajcoRKSkWUEvMLtzNwcobFX39QttswNRClGNhsJNEb45UtjNA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-87162567310845747512009-04-09T06:18:00.000-07:002009-04-09T08:19:01.631-07:00Last Days In Ho Chi Minh City and Mui Ne<div style="text-align: left;">Friday night we arrived in HCMC airport at 6 pm. We went to Pizza Hut, which was actually really good after so much Vietnamese food, then went home and relaxed for the night. Saturday I woke up a man on a mission: to write my blog entry for Phu Quoc, which took me a good part of the day. I also went shopping for food, because in the evening we had my farewell BBQ (again); it was just Emma, Mikaela, Ludvig, Gus, Jay, and I. The burgers and chicken were even better than last time. We were gonna go out, but I was so tired I decided to go to bed instead. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">On Sunday we went into District 1 to do a little shopping and for me to buy my ticket to Mui Ne for the following morning. I was going to be by myself, but while in D1 we ran into a new volunteer named Nam, and after having lunch with him found out that he had 3 friends who were traveling to Mui Ne for the same time as me, and he gave me their phone number. In the evening the girls and I went to a local coffee house for some ice cream, then went home and watched a movie.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Monday I woke up at 5 am and went to the bus stop in D1. It took 5 hours to get to Mui Ne, and when we got in at 1 pm I checked into my guest house, Hai Yen. It only cost 7 a night, and was pretty nice, complete with a pool and everything. The only bad thing was the communal bathroom, which was kinda far from my room</div><div><br /></div><div>The Hai Yen Guesthouse:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTjM9Wtyogjv7ScYA9J4sUBOS5KjjiAK0mpZ-yZnXYuRfvftgZLGHGernKeovOq4FJ3jrMZdfDNv5MEeaS1kx4e32JgZAnRCK6i1h6sPCh49ObyQZuIn5H0Ugt2KnF53EWhyphenhyphenfl6Etsxk/s1600-h/P1000846.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTjM9Wtyogjv7ScYA9J4sUBOS5KjjiAK0mpZ-yZnXYuRfvftgZLGHGernKeovOq4FJ3jrMZdfDNv5MEeaS1kx4e32JgZAnRCK6i1h6sPCh49ObyQZuIn5H0Ugt2KnF53EWhyphenhyphenfl6Etsxk/s320/P1000846.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322688611836095474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>Mui Ne is a small beach town that has a fishing village but has become overrun with resorts and tourism. The main attractions are a couple of sand dunes and the beaches- not a cultural center of Vietnam, to be sure. </div><div><br /></div><div>The sunset from my guesthouse:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb7TIGOvV5WNa4vzcNjyP3_z9uqjFZ_NKqTvboQm7hyKJzKoT8AaxzQoczxTN_SuXmL6EIHQidOYfskDSO0hEbiU-qD2v4Ii79BDlHSn8DlZBX8574B08JQknJbQdC_T0iAI4-KTsk8U/s1600-h/P1000747.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb7TIGOvV5WNa4vzcNjyP3_z9uqjFZ_NKqTvboQm7hyKJzKoT8AaxzQoczxTN_SuXmL6EIHQidOYfskDSO0hEbiU-qD2v4Ii79BDlHSn8DlZBX8574B08JQknJbQdC_T0iAI4-KTsk8U/s320/P1000747.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322686221386660018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>After eating lunch I laid by the pool for a few hours, then went to my room to call Nam's friend, Emily. She answered when I called and asked where I was staying. I told her Hai Yen, and after a pause to laugh she told me to come out to the pool- they were staying at the same place. She turned out to be really cool; she's in been in the Peace Corps in Cambodia for the past 9 months, and had a week vacation so was relaxing in Vietnam. She was traveling with 2 friends, Rachel and Eddie, who are in Peace Corps as well. The 4 of us went to dinner, and we got along well so we made plans to go on the tour of the sand dunes the following day. </div><div><br /></div><div>We booked the tour for 2 pm, so had the morning and early afternoon to relax. I woke up at 6 and went running with Eddie, but after a few kilometers had to stop because my knee was hurting again. I hate being hurt, it's such a bummer... We sat by the pool until lunch, then waited for the jeep to pick us up.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first stop on the tour was the Red Creek. It is called this because a hillside composed of red dirt has been eroding from water seeping through it, and now it has made a creek with cool sandstone formations on the side. We hiked up it for 30 minutes, then went back to the jeep.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. the Red Creek 2. Rachel posing</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtclkpMf0r3gOAU_2rhnk-rMtRSgRa8MivCATNrOQJgkl5g2PNmBjdx8F1pgdRusZv7Nv_0vQmI1GY_QWzRTQzKj-ss1D_ud6sc7YLkYyBeah7aR2PwM1cM4WClnyKri7YiRZBB3NSwM/s1600-h/P1000763.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtclkpMf0r3gOAU_2rhnk-rMtRSgRa8MivCATNrOQJgkl5g2PNmBjdx8F1pgdRusZv7Nv_0vQmI1GY_QWzRTQzKj-ss1D_ud6sc7YLkYyBeah7aR2PwM1cM4WClnyKri7YiRZBB3NSwM/s320/P1000763.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322686234571700274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUESm9X_I_W4forPxoq8yvpuoCYiovS0don-PW_oF-oqq4MFX_5kZI50EUZPaRoRp7IVhaTWsq1tZ8vtEiuywFzJd1y7bFMfb8yuoopl-TdLEPz50Iu6stIhf38-pESDx2iq4bEq9R7gU/s1600-h/P1000766.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUESm9X_I_W4forPxoq8yvpuoCYiovS0don-PW_oF-oqq4MFX_5kZI50EUZPaRoRp7IVhaTWsq1tZ8vtEiuywFzJd1y7bFMfb8yuoopl-TdLEPz50Iu6stIhf38-pESDx2iq4bEq9R7gU/s320/P1000766.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322686229823836338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Next stop was a small canyon formed by creek that no longer exists. It was no Grand Canyon, but still cool.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7gIBAu8SKFBsa8dPONdPo-AeKTi85NEgJ0lkcZNIEIAb1QPim6Dk7w5e98OLGbLD7KJzew5u_1mdpRpKtyrb4DXrNCj9nPLHzOOGVmwhmH3o_VuqWy0FfCxNif5vndtDAlUfw6cFdrY/s1600-h/P1000778.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7gIBAu8SKFBsa8dPONdPo-AeKTi85NEgJ0lkcZNIEIAb1QPim6Dk7w5e98OLGbLD7KJzew5u_1mdpRpKtyrb4DXrNCj9nPLHzOOGVmwhmH3o_VuqWy0FfCxNif5vndtDAlUfw6cFdrY/s320/P1000778.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322688612357871154" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The 3rd stop was the white sand dunes. The dunes were maybe 2 square kilometers, but cool because they seemed to appear out of nowhere. There were green hills and a lake next to it; it looked like someone trucked a bunch of sand there and dumped it, that's how out of place it felt. We hiked around on the dunes for an hour, then went back to the jeep.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. from left, Emily, Eddie, me, and Rachel 2. The white sand dunes</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fX4VEYvYXhgbg-Ca5tOOrl_YmO7sOkvU8oixzdPbMG4EsW9a8xplislTt-5vhnVp0AwKMAmApnVUrFE5D2EYOihG7ghIjpFlWQraKA9nGsC-9EZ8-SQSjab8I1SRbSNkg6sZCneS_VI/s1600-h/P1000799.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fX4VEYvYXhgbg-Ca5tOOrl_YmO7sOkvU8oixzdPbMG4EsW9a8xplislTt-5vhnVp0AwKMAmApnVUrFE5D2EYOihG7ghIjpFlWQraKA9nGsC-9EZ8-SQSjab8I1SRbSNkg6sZCneS_VI/s320/P1000799.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322686240110876322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tpJBr06DTkj6MMGFXO3Mptw9LVGqHXNzo51_5P2aoPqGk3qH-d93jb5adoAkwgA4Kjv5pimBmk3YC3M7SAAa6bbCBZVH84bzkeTOQVV_sqDqatYr44GhZIhND6oNHLEVjaBwCvc42w0/s1600-h/P1000796.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7tpJBr06DTkj6MMGFXO3Mptw9LVGqHXNzo51_5P2aoPqGk3qH-d93jb5adoAkwgA4Kjv5pimBmk3YC3M7SAAa6bbCBZVH84bzkeTOQVV_sqDqatYr44GhZIhND6oNHLEVjaBwCvc42w0/s320/P1000796.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322686236977403874" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The last stop was the red sand dunes, which is where we were supposed to watch the sunset, however it was overcast so there wasn't one. In the evening we went out to and Indian restaurant, which was surprisingly good, and for a drink before going to bed early.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday I slept in till 10, then sat by the pool until lunch. The girls decided that they wanted to go to Dalat for a couple days and booked a bus for 1 pm. Then I received a big surprise: Ludvig and Gus had taken the bus up the night before, however I didn't have my phone on me so didn't receive their calls or texts, but when I happened to glance at my phone at 12 I saw that they were in Mui Ne. I called them, and they came and met us for lunch. </div><div><br /></div><div>After saying goodbye to the girls we took a taxi to a remote beach and hiked around for a couple hours. I realized that we were close to the red sand dunes, and it wasn't overcast, so I convinced Gus and Luda to go there and have a beer while we watched the sun set. It was really beautiful to see the sun set behind the red dunes with the blue ocean behind us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: </div><div>1. walking down the beach </div><div>2. the sunset at the red sand dunes </div><div>3. Ludvig jumping of a dune</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53QkCL3pcr4WvNCC2CGDvqPFZ9C8E11bjxk2sHaycEG-zP8lIuz81HWzmq_CIAqhbEKS0DgnLCfbzZFdP8MYbncNt404Pq8L3QJnTDm9uZRGbTrtaL6_Q6CCjSmhHg-sYv87YXPZdQGE/s1600-h/P1000863.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg53QkCL3pcr4WvNCC2CGDvqPFZ9C8E11bjxk2sHaycEG-zP8lIuz81HWzmq_CIAqhbEKS0DgnLCfbzZFdP8MYbncNt404Pq8L3QJnTDm9uZRGbTrtaL6_Q6CCjSmhHg-sYv87YXPZdQGE/s320/P1000863.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322688599782207010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0aru4QWogK8XTusAmoWlSYXYhXSzHPOAJ4IuxRv8vumV1TpDBz4XNWViKpxMn2N4Eb51mHcSeMHt87meLwT50txYom5erbbc-KRBdaNvkEZuUiR3RbQDikAt1ZkB83b-cJOSx1rpcxw/s1600-h/P1000868.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0aru4QWogK8XTusAmoWlSYXYhXSzHPOAJ4IuxRv8vumV1TpDBz4XNWViKpxMn2N4Eb51mHcSeMHt87meLwT50txYom5erbbc-KRBdaNvkEZuUiR3RbQDikAt1ZkB83b-cJOSx1rpcxw/s320/P1000868.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322688597536282082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKa-ItqzLxnXcKIaf6BoQYIewQmmcUWNoJ7pVDmCuDYrXkl2AUiFmoJKB2BDIlkSklb5_PfnTKz2Gym102wT_fEWvuMzeaUwE1zZoatfHB_5t7-m2-lbBKbiFFfVCwj8kZfMVl9OBtgE/s1600-h/P1000910.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKa-ItqzLxnXcKIaf6BoQYIewQmmcUWNoJ7pVDmCuDYrXkl2AUiFmoJKB2BDIlkSklb5_PfnTKz2Gym102wT_fEWvuMzeaUwE1zZoatfHB_5t7-m2-lbBKbiFFfVCwj8kZfMVl9OBtgE/s320/P1000910.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322688607053009458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>In the evening we went out for burgers at Phat burger, which was cheap and delicious, then went to a bar with a French guy and British girl Luda and Gus met the previous night. We got home around 12 then crashed. Thursday I woke up at ten and had lunch with the guys before heading to the bus stop at 12:45 to catch a bus to Ne Trang to meet up with Annika.<br /></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-42255404093405555652009-04-04T00:09:00.000-07:002009-04-05T06:12:55.595-07:00Phu Quoc Island = Paradise<div style="text-align: left;">I don't even know how to begin this entry. I will say this now so that I don't keep repeating it: Phu Quoc Island is absolutely amazing. Here is why: It is still mainly undeveloped. It is a part of Vietnam but was historically controlled by Cambodia, and during the decades of unrest in Cambodia the Vietnamese established an army base there, as that it is only 50 or 60 km off shore from Cambodia. <br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>The main industries of the island are fishing, fish sauce, pearls, and black pepper. 80,000 people live on Phu Quoc, concentrated in two towns: Duong Dong, which is located halfway up the island on the west side, and An Thoi, which is at the southern tip. The roads in both towns are paved, however everywhere else are red dirt and uneven. Also, there are no central power or water sources, and the airport is only domestic.</div><div><br /></div><div>The dirt roads looked like this:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G1ZXHtrc9k-KtS6n54A1VhI7mOdUg4HgZZGzJ2jxnnlq_GV1In2bkehcgq4G4W-pk6bxelIsNqqbt2qD3wzKPPTZJuknfHzB6zpldgvLGfmPOr39tZVwlzx-9jrOtb4RwUdkHtc-TpE/s1600-h/P1000738.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G1ZXHtrc9k-KtS6n54A1VhI7mOdUg4HgZZGzJ2jxnnlq_GV1In2bkehcgq4G4W-pk6bxelIsNqqbt2qD3wzKPPTZJuknfHzB6zpldgvLGfmPOr39tZVwlzx-9jrOtb4RwUdkHtc-TpE/s320/P1000738.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321167581367448994" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The combination of the army base and the lack of infrastructure or an international airport make Phu Quoc an unappealing site for resort developers. Currently there is only one large resort, which is owned by the Vietnamese government and is located just outside Duong Dong. There are 20 or so small resorts scattered around the island, however none have more than a dozen bungalows, and most are not in the least bit luxurious. The local community does not depend on tourism, which I enjoyed immensely. We had to search for basic things like banks and booking agencies. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, the Vietnamese government has big plans for Phu Quoc. We saw a few gravel quarries around the island and a few roads were starting to be smoothed over in preparation for pavement. An international airport is just starting to be built, and various casinos are making bids for development contracts. It is a shame to see such a beautiful place be exploited and self contained community be tainted. But anyway...</div><div><br /></div><div>At 4:30 am on Sunday Jay and I woke up and met Emma, Mikaela, Gus, and Ludvig on the street in between our houses and went to the airport. We arrived in Phu Quoc at 9 am, 1 hour late. A car was supposed to be waiting for us, however apparently had left, so we got into a taxi. As it turned out, we were missing one vital piece of information: our hotel's name. I vaguely remembered where it was and pointed to that place on the map the driver supplied. 1 hour, 45 km, and 20 dollars later we arrived at a random resort called Mai Phuong. They had a vacancy, and we considered staying, but then I found a computer that had internet through cell phone reception and looked up our actually resort. It was called Thang Loi, and was 20 km south of where we were. We got back in the taxi and finally arrived at our resort. It was a grouping of bungalows in a horseshoe shape with an open air restaurant/lounge/reception desk at the apex. It was run by a german guy who was very welcoming. </div><div><br /></div><div>After checking in we went down to the beach and checked out the area. The beach had really nice sand, although there were a bunch of large rocks scattered throughout. There were beach chairs and hammocks under palm umbrellas and a 60 ft long pier that looked mainly unused.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Pier and our beach:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5vbNjaAlOvubhpO5e1vI12ZVWELFmq33mWSAtP7ASEzfmv0Jt26VX0ihRZK41_4r0yO29C0sshlmWEZCzGBQfsvuX4aP54wsBQbKIL7eXhR8KCyd2eQEp37RU9VprxoVhzfpK7YNcSg/s1600-h/P1000719.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5vbNjaAlOvubhpO5e1vI12ZVWELFmq33mWSAtP7ASEzfmv0Jt26VX0ihRZK41_4r0yO29C0sshlmWEZCzGBQfsvuX4aP54wsBQbKIL7eXhR8KCyd2eQEp37RU9VprxoVhzfpK7YNcSg/s320/P1000719.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320790026802995410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We went up for lunch at 2 pm, and I saw a pair of people eating a spring rolls that they made themselves from meat and veggies they were pulling from a ceramic hotpot. Intrigued I asked what it was, and they invited me over to try. They were Finnish, named Artu and Stiliana, and slightly older. They invited us to meet them that evening at a bar called Eden near to their hotel just outside of Duong Dong, and we accepted. We also booked a snorkeling trip for the following day with a company recommended by the resort.</div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to go into Duong Dong and explore for a bit, so we had the German man call us a taxi, which took about 30 minutes to arrive. We wandered around the town for a bit, then went to a peninsula of rocks to watch the sun set, and what a sunset it was. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDfYe4etkruDrCow0_-m8ByYKI92JfWpK_EeFn7W8327SnkvmFRcGRvyhZ95-RCEPX8aVNA-UqCluAjze13LASpJXCk3SwPeOEpQ-Ym_6UAgpVTosKJQ7pKkof79YZN2MR_zZO-TI3G8/s1600-h/P1020575.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDfYe4etkruDrCow0_-m8ByYKI92JfWpK_EeFn7W8327SnkvmFRcGRvyhZ95-RCEPX8aVNA-UqCluAjze13LASpJXCk3SwPeOEpQ-Ym_6UAgpVTosKJQ7pKkof79YZN2MR_zZO-TI3G8/s320/P1020575.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320790015851482466" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at Eden just after sunset. It had an inside area with computers, pool tables, and a bar, but it also had tables on the beach so we sat out there. The Finnish folks met us just after we ate, and we hung out and had drinks for a couple hours. When they found out that we were going snorkeling they asked us to join. We said we would try, but weren't sure if the trip was full or not. We went home and crashed around 11 though cause we were all tired from getting up so early and traveling all day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mikaela posing in front of the sunset and beach at Eden</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTIhMGNssedDihchl46wUV3GRU5GnXtrvt2ET_Iv5gSxjn89WZpQVy5uTN3UWGcDlMFbUYi4f7zwUvglJ6FZxgTLiCzJiJseSvqDDVUuapxKe0v66SMwleb7eR0uo1WRzR37U62uNr_A/s1600-h/P1020598.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTIhMGNssedDihchl46wUV3GRU5GnXtrvt2ET_Iv5gSxjn89WZpQVy5uTN3UWGcDlMFbUYi4f7zwUvglJ6FZxgTLiCzJiJseSvqDDVUuapxKe0v66SMwleb7eR0uo1WRzR37U62uNr_A/s320/P1020598.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321167576455170722" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>On Monday we were picked up at 8 am by a minibus. There was another Finnish couple with us as well, but still room for Stiliana and Artu so we told the tour guide to stop at their hotel and pick them up. They were waiting for us when we arrived, and then we got going down the 30 km to An Thoi where the boat left from. We cruised south for about 30 mins, then the guides passed out fishing lines, not on rods but on spools, and informed us that we were to catch our lunch. I caught 3 midsize fish, but Mikaela had the catch of the day (It's the orange one).</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwqO2MntLdYhZmofXvXwO3vuf7lRigOlwHV-2_XEvv5LcLJJmlHZsxQv3imaE6t2P8wn9qH_xQBtalZTCR15sQFVU4oAJXw7RZVrO05Z3DMdpQhFtYoKrkDCCVqSnek62aRR6I0ZIB9E/s1600-h/P1000538.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwqO2MntLdYhZmofXvXwO3vuf7lRigOlwHV-2_XEvv5LcLJJmlHZsxQv3imaE6t2P8wn9qH_xQBtalZTCR15sQFVU4oAJXw7RZVrO05Z3DMdpQhFtYoKrkDCCVqSnek62aRR6I0ZIB9E/s320/P1000538.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320735371312281490" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizosXTB0Rb4H4oM_Gkh5scY2IEmoKn40GsX8XJF_p7PIfGnnze1bYSHV8bXqA_juTqSRUxj7WrYL8wbWNmpZCPKMVYU6TOEoHQ5ZSAD9dAiBcJaERU3aPbKV4lULY9MbayxAy9K_vPW7k/s1600-h/P1020622.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizosXTB0Rb4H4oM_Gkh5scY2IEmoKn40GsX8XJF_p7PIfGnnze1bYSHV8bXqA_juTqSRUxj7WrYL8wbWNmpZCPKMVYU6TOEoHQ5ZSAD9dAiBcJaERU3aPbKV4lULY9MbayxAy9K_vPW7k/s320/P1020622.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321167572287911778" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwqO2MntLdYhZmofXvXwO3vuf7lRigOlwHV-2_XEvv5LcLJJmlHZsxQv3imaE6t2P8wn9qH_xQBtalZTCR15sQFVU4oAJXw7RZVrO05Z3DMdpQhFtYoKrkDCCVqSnek62aRR6I0ZIB9E/s1600-h/P1000538.JPG"><br /></a></span></span></div><div>We moved on for another 30 minutes, passing by a dozen or so smaller islands and another small fishing town, and arrived at our first of three snorkeling sites. We were just off an island that had a rock formation off to the side, which is where we snorkeled. It was my first time snorkeling for real and it took me a few minutes to get used to the breathing patterns, but once I figured it out I realized how cool it is. We saw many varieties of coral, uncountable sea urchins, and some schools of fish that were covered in neon colored patterns. The water was really clear and the sun came out just as we jumped in, so visibility was pretty good. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first dive site:</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjz0MAucoGxUAn7mrus5e8RsPi9u9oH9bmA5NreiErzHWDpdfbTZ6F6Wr0cCk3VIRsg7xwR-a63UwrTCz7_Hj8BdyPWsyTXwfWxFvfU-oj7i8KwqmjuLszpu0kV5z_PwZBsLie0pHdTo/s1600-h/P1000598.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjz0MAucoGxUAn7mrus5e8RsPi9u9oH9bmA5NreiErzHWDpdfbTZ6F6Wr0cCk3VIRsg7xwR-a63UwrTCz7_Hj8BdyPWsyTXwfWxFvfU-oj7i8KwqmjuLszpu0kV5z_PwZBsLie0pHdTo/s320/P1000598.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320735375259546386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We ate the fish we caught on the boat after an hour of snorkeling. It was pretty good, although really oily because they deep fried it. </div><div><br /></div><div>From left to right: Artu, Ludvig, the other Finnish couple (the guy was a dead ringer for Mick Jagger)</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbXy2z7gIebfi33TUF4d78N-gV2HSl0PERz23n3bK0wyRDl7SGmxycn46ETXuqxC-b0O3VCeSN90j1dIJbWxvuOGTiF_gRoDjAq8R_uGy6548JIkiG4P7mY3V75vhC4SSUmERr8QTfj0/s1600-h/P1000603.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFbXy2z7gIebfi33TUF4d78N-gV2HSl0PERz23n3bK0wyRDl7SGmxycn46ETXuqxC-b0O3VCeSN90j1dIJbWxvuOGTiF_gRoDjAq8R_uGy6548JIkiG4P7mY3V75vhC4SSUmERr8QTfj0/s320/P1000603.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320735381247576610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>The second site looked like paradise. I'll let the picture speak for itself.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLGj9-hXSfhVQr4SiKabWJcvZQFAuhf3JXpxNa6Y7XrbXd3U3vDdeu2T37zzTZQCl6u8rz9XZPYttj77NVTomyiw8y7nnZn4JWSXhGLNjV-LhdqsIq-bmAq2LR20vTJyaY7gWO6T0qUE/s1600-h/P1000609.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLGj9-hXSfhVQr4SiKabWJcvZQFAuhf3JXpxNa6Y7XrbXd3U3vDdeu2T37zzTZQCl6u8rz9XZPYttj77NVTomyiw8y7nnZn4JWSXhGLNjV-LhdqsIq-bmAq2LR20vTJyaY7gWO6T0qUE/s320/P1000609.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320735387129451842" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I was tired and my feet hurt at the third site, so I didn't stay in for more than 10 minutes, and instead enjoyed a nice cold beer on the boat. Once back on the bus we went to a beach 10 km up the east coast from An Thoi. There was a resort on it, but it was still fairly pristine. </div><div><br /></div><div>The beach north of An Thoi:</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IHe_VW9-uTRvL1GtclW5BAbep-N3t59hNSnALmgrbxxa5p1OhE0QRMuCljohutujRs0nGiXt3g4Kw8OW0yqL6Z1aiLuR10j2o5qmtKQk3a_N0R4AOEf4twnWI3DZBxFH6JpE57eCzts/s1600-h/P1000621.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IHe_VW9-uTRvL1GtclW5BAbep-N3t59hNSnALmgrbxxa5p1OhE0QRMuCljohutujRs0nGiXt3g4Kw8OW0yqL6Z1aiLuR10j2o5qmtKQk3a_N0R4AOEf4twnWI3DZBxFH6JpE57eCzts/s320/P1000621.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320735389520266450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>In the evening we went back to Eden with the Finnish people and hung out until really late, getting home at 2 am. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGJ8aV7PvLfAQeB4hs2cBMYmQb2v6JJ8U9HZiQfzr8Q09PEk_Zc9VP7c656YFti4FQKcQI4Apzu__UCKIJxUebwPE_9rFxUSGJBiaeMTUwqj3FNswhKB0_oViSYrmvBDAd52zmslp8i4/s1600-h/P1020667.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNGJ8aV7PvLfAQeB4hs2cBMYmQb2v6JJ8U9HZiQfzr8Q09PEk_Zc9VP7c656YFti4FQKcQI4Apzu__UCKIJxUebwPE_9rFxUSGJBiaeMTUwqj3FNswhKB0_oViSYrmvBDAd52zmslp8i4/s320/P1020667.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321167573274728578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The next day we planned on having a BBQ. I had bought a cooler and a small portable BBQ in Ho Chi Minh before we left, and at 9 am Ludvig and I rented motorbikes from our resort and went to town to buy food. We got 50 tiger shrimp, eggplant, green bell pepper, spring onion, pineapple, and mango, as well as oil, rum, ginger, limes, red peppers, and garlic for a marinade. At 10:30 we met Stili and Artu at the end of the market and drove back to our resort to prepare the food.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 8 of us road north on 4 motorbikes with the destination of Bai Son beach, supposedly one of the nicest white sand beaches on the island. It had rained that morning and the roads where really muddy, and I had the cooler with all the food between my legs.... my excuses for crashing. I had Stili on the back of my bike, and we had just come over a small hill and saw everyone stopped. I tried to stop as well and the back tire fishtailed a little, making the cooler between my legs shift and me lose control. We wavered back and forth a little, and ultimately fell on our left sides and skidded for a few meters. We were both okay, I walked away with a few scrapes on my arm, and Stili had a slightly deeper cut on her knee. She bled a bit, and we were both a little shook up, but after a minute hopped back on and kept going- Stili was a really good sport. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Me cleaning the motorbike in a river after the crash 2. Inspecting Stili's cut </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9sU9Zf7_w2R9bLwgLjjj8VI10U9GetX_ch8cEJ2fPNbBBq18IFn4O440PL89oU8x-Jm7s3sv0699oZ9gzgVjDnNDl98TJR0jHFKlFes1lOyD2Q0MoChdJ0fIxTRIr8vze4M4JMbsaQw/s1600-h/P1000673.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9sU9Zf7_w2R9bLwgLjjj8VI10U9GetX_ch8cEJ2fPNbBBq18IFn4O440PL89oU8x-Jm7s3sv0699oZ9gzgVjDnNDl98TJR0jHFKlFes1lOyD2Q0MoChdJ0fIxTRIr8vze4M4JMbsaQw/s320/P1000673.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320790013826350018" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxnpI9GTruL56T-IMayWEqmFUSi5fnpZ9RxWo1ZzozhVwGVx4ZzZY8O6Qbsl_BSE-yCAjwk2GlfUB6CKWrEshcXrZ5SWINuARxcmBX5yV0xdWurPuY2ZaGA5XvuoVWC19GcP4vMBOE-M/s1600-h/P1000665.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxnpI9GTruL56T-IMayWEqmFUSi5fnpZ9RxWo1ZzozhVwGVx4ZzZY8O6Qbsl_BSE-yCAjwk2GlfUB6CKWrEshcXrZ5SWINuARxcmBX5yV0xdWurPuY2ZaGA5XvuoVWC19GcP4vMBOE-M/s320/P1000665.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320790004329953202" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived at the resort we had mistakingly gone to the first day and went in to clean Stili's cut and get her a bandage. Everyone decided that they didn't want to keep pressing north, so we turned back and went south a kilometer to a deserted beach and BBQ'd there. The food turned out great, the tiger shrimp were really good. In the evening we went to Eden, again, for Stili and Artu's last night before they went back to Finland. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning Gus and Jay slept in, and Ludvig, the girls, and I went for a walk to the beach north of our resort. The sand was larger grained and yellower then our beach, but still nice, particularly because there was nobody or anything there. We spent a good part of the day there. On the walk back we came across a pretty large sand crab that ludwig scooped up along with a handful of sand- made for a cool picture.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIwHyUvWvcqezaWrw0gR2FZUpsH7LH2uT0WYpcqEZSYFCfYrCf8A4Sh-AEMlGqWuOJdxzA3YtqzoanR2FpD3wzCbVcYQ7lvAya7LXr0IrAj3w2YjLFPJNTzNsaQcAuGJjrWhpvDBK7EA/s1600-h/P1000710.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKIwHyUvWvcqezaWrw0gR2FZUpsH7LH2uT0WYpcqEZSYFCfYrCf8A4Sh-AEMlGqWuOJdxzA3YtqzoanR2FpD3wzCbVcYQ7lvAya7LXr0IrAj3w2YjLFPJNTzNsaQcAuGJjrWhpvDBK7EA/s320/P1000710.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320790019639518450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In the evening we stayed at our resort and relaxed. Thursday we decided to BBQ again, so the girls and I went into town and bought food. This time I got Swiss sausage, bacon, and a small cut of beef in addition to the shrimp. To avoid further accidents we just walked to a cove 500 meters south of our resort instead of renting motorbikes again. Halfway through a tropical storm came in, but we were determined and used a cardboard box to cover the BBQ. It rained really hard, but we waited it out and finished grilling all the food. </div><div><br /></div><div>Grillin in the rain- note the sweet pink cooler</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2e2ZOlDpdarBTTaIxcTnCkqS7aRWawvASgqLbqEHTnNfAVqkcyqFRoIFvpgFzMbKM2pluc-j_TdUuyNsx-BmyW5uoXAskC5tOAg1swzXFHc0OW6tR0nJegGuBKbQWniuXfRYonMoI68/s1600-h/P1020823.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE2e2ZOlDpdarBTTaIxcTnCkqS7aRWawvASgqLbqEHTnNfAVqkcyqFRoIFvpgFzMbKM2pluc-j_TdUuyNsx-BmyW5uoXAskC5tOAg1swzXFHc0OW6tR0nJegGuBKbQWniuXfRYonMoI68/s320/P1020823.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321167562031352914" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>It was our last night, so we again went to Eden and stayed out late. Friday we relaxed on the beach in the morning then went into town for ice cream before heading to the airport.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's a video of the walk from our bungalow to the beach:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxcNMvq6wGkicIcFO_N8mIH7AG43nyahr2SOfLJLHywj3-2_3A6Baw6etBkau1NDJP0j89gQ-oRPiY9zq_odA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-191627061993454032009-03-28T07:07:00.000-07:002009-03-28T10:02:40.998-07:00My Final Week Volunteering<div style="text-align: left;">This week was my last week volunteering before I begin my travels. It is also the last week for Jack, Defne, Niko, Judy, and Anika. Because of this everyone's emotions have been pretty on edge. Never before since I've been here have people bickered, but this week everyone was on a short fuse. But all in all it was a great last week.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>On Tuesday I went to a lecture on Agent Orange in the morning. It was really interesting to hear more about the chemical that made the children that I'm taking care of the way they are. The lecture was in District 1, and was given by a guy who runs a non profit called the Disabled and Disadvantaged Children's Charity of Ho Chi Minh City. He gives the lecture every Tuesday with backpackers as the intended audience with the hope that they will go home and talk about the charity to friends and family. The charity actually sounded really good. </div><div><br /></div><div>The chemical in Agent Orange that creates cancer and birth defects is dioxyn. During the war a lot of Agent Orange was dropped all over Vietnam, however when the planes that were spreading it ran into trouble they would drop their entire load at once. In those places it absorbed into the ground and all of the insects that live there are filled with it. When a duck, bird, fish, or other animal eats them they get all the dioxin, and when we eat the animals we get it from them. Dioxin is stored in fat cells, and humans can absorb it by eating other animal's fat. As such, people here should not eat ducks because they have a lot of fat, and should pull the fat off of any other meat as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Women pass the dioxin in their fat on to their babies during pregnancy, and give them even more dioxin through their breast milk. One of the things the charity wants to do is provide all new mothers with formula to feed their kids. The charity's goal is not to help the people that have high levels of dioxin now, because they are a lost cause, but to prevent future generations from having the same problems. The only way for dioxin to stop being passed along is by cleaning up the dioxin "hot spots," and making women aware of their dioxin levels and inform them of how to lower it. When a women breast feeds a child they lower their dioxin levels by 50%, which is substantial. So instead of feeding their children mothers should be pumping their milk and disposing of it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, it was a really informative lecture, and if you want to learn more about it or donate to the charity go to www.charitytuesday.org </div><div><br /></div><div>In the afternoon I played soccer with the PH team. We played 7 on 7 on a regulation field composed of small sand dunes. There was literally grass all around the field and none on it, but instead red dirt. It was also over 100 F. We lost the game 7 to 5, making our team 1-1-1. We will wait to see if we move on, which depends on how other teams in our bracket do.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday I went to Ky Kyuang in the morning. We were told that the woman in charge of the orphanage and the head monk are in a fight about something, and as a result all of the caretakers of the kids are on a weird kind of strike. They are not letting the kids out of their rooms to play for the whole week. It is really unfair for the kids to use them as a bargaining chip, the kids seemed like caged animals.</div><div><br /></div><div>I went straight from Ky Kyuang to the Green Bamboo shelter to take the boys to play soccer. We went to a new soccer pitch that was way nicer than the old one. It was completely fenced in, including over it, so we never had to chase balls. It was incredibly hot though so none of the kids really felt like playing, so it ended up just being the older kids and volunteers scrimmaging.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the evening I got convinced by Emma and Mikaela to go with them to the spa for them to get their legs waxed. They decided I needed to get my back waxed before going to the island Phu Quoc. It didn't hurt as much as I thought. It took the women much less time to wax the girls legs than my back, so to get me done three of them tag- teamed me for 10 minutes. It was hilarious and an interesting experience that I don't regret but don't think I will repeat.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCzBcmtliyELZQhYXDeE4nugkBn5Q3i7F9sfP3-T7CAgkTZ4_JwhIkpRrlIea5eaSxirKYBX4650IJpwt5_9o5By8_eVXy3XPaPvSkm3mx1B4BDZTP1zyjIIggcUUGpkRBPel70Rjz0g/s1600-h/P1020383.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCzBcmtliyELZQhYXDeE4nugkBn5Q3i7F9sfP3-T7CAgkTZ4_JwhIkpRrlIea5eaSxirKYBX4650IJpwt5_9o5By8_eVXy3XPaPvSkm3mx1B4BDZTP1zyjIIggcUUGpkRBPel70Rjz0g/s320/P1020383.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318258772772651282" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Thursday I went to Ky Kuang in the morning, but the women basically told us we had to leave, so we only were there for an hour. In the afternoon I went to the Green Bamboo shelter and played Sorry with the kids for a couple hours. I left early to go home and prepare for a BBQ I organized for the 5 of us that are leaving this week. I bought chicken and hamburger meat, and some of the girls made salad, fruit salad, and fresh spring rolls. We ate right at sunset on the roof of our building; it was nice and cool being high up with a breeze.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: 1. Me grilling it up. 2. Jack and Defne. 3. Eating all the grub 4. The view of our neighborhood from the rooftop. 5. The sunset behind the rooftops</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1REFbTWCPk-GsNIKKdhl_0dWUiQTMnEKcriMAwTpfJHYi2nQzWKOul8bviFi-5Wf2hJt22FFBvDcyy78ctjgtLx1dQDyC7rbbHxw_k36J_CDfGAiVksYNGUEkR5WzUWKdtfubQO6U_jc/s1600-h/P1020470.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1REFbTWCPk-GsNIKKdhl_0dWUiQTMnEKcriMAwTpfJHYi2nQzWKOul8bviFi-5Wf2hJt22FFBvDcyy78ctjgtLx1dQDyC7rbbHxw_k36J_CDfGAiVksYNGUEkR5WzUWKdtfubQO6U_jc/s320/P1020470.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318258783899333762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIrKMC-Ia1q6mG0_qlMwbyUEnjLhgMX52QQZSRn0IB31krnLMIxYobpDbQJBBV3oLd5nPhGHjr_pCuo_7rgMhefH3PgMF_Wpu_briFFp7VyA00X2Jb1P9f1Vhtpua_w7-_9Za4j4ud6w/s1600-h/P1020497.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIrKMC-Ia1q6mG0_qlMwbyUEnjLhgMX52QQZSRn0IB31krnLMIxYobpDbQJBBV3oLd5nPhGHjr_pCuo_7rgMhefH3PgMF_Wpu_briFFp7VyA00X2Jb1P9f1Vhtpua_w7-_9Za4j4ud6w/s320/P1020497.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263952604809906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 254px; " /></a><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k7nxOvYAR1A4LoxDLTiqdIbKsDHprVFBsbIC8dnCOA8_VTDDejXTBa5wdYwbcTN0YC-hryoDMrM5myewAIA60fWf98k3szMsImxTpE4G_60VndLVyi-m7z1ZYJJok0U-OUhu2fmsFS0/s1600-h/P1020488.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k7nxOvYAR1A4LoxDLTiqdIbKsDHprVFBsbIC8dnCOA8_VTDDejXTBa5wdYwbcTN0YC-hryoDMrM5myewAIA60fWf98k3szMsImxTpE4G_60VndLVyi-m7z1ZYJJok0U-OUhu2fmsFS0/s320/P1020488.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263957440667458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY4fUlrat1AukdSAAmlJ8lpmWSD5WYVIpZVreqQ4hMHzWr57jUeAYb74p8TIRFMi9v1KcmBcXS5XREjS3wUnfOULLEIUWeZByB2TMjTf_zsDQ62Gd5SOui44TmLlUmScQ2p5qLRFho9w/s1600-h/P1020477.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYY4fUlrat1AukdSAAmlJ8lpmWSD5WYVIpZVreqQ4hMHzWr57jUeAYb74p8TIRFMi9v1KcmBcXS5XREjS3wUnfOULLEIUWeZByB2TMjTf_zsDQ62Gd5SOui44TmLlUmScQ2p5qLRFho9w/s320/P1020477.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263970792526898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZVeYoOiKYth7dovTXFVuvXme6JUooTOm7kDCavw_pJAR7tEcM3D0FCRRlFiSuzp28JbQuZumfYk4T3ZLBaXApfhLWS18NAUOUng2P4hpwdRjy-r8IJqBPdAU-lv7WRnDg4QJE2cWH04/s1600-h/P1020480.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRZVeYoOiKYth7dovTXFVuvXme6JUooTOm7kDCavw_pJAR7tEcM3D0FCRRlFiSuzp28JbQuZumfYk4T3ZLBaXApfhLWS18NAUOUng2P4hpwdRjy-r8IJqBPdAU-lv7WRnDg4QJE2cWH04/s320/P1020480.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263978683732898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">Friday I went to Ky Kuang in the morning and had a great last day there. I managed to get my two favorite kids out of their rooms and took them out to the pagoda. It is 5 tall stories, I didn't realize how tall it was. We ran around it for hours pretending to be T-Rexes and scaring other tourists, it was so much fun; the kids really enjoyed it. I think that they also really liked getting outside, they rarely have the chance to do things like that. I snuck them out of the complex to get cold drinks cause we were so hot after romping around.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pics: 1. On the entry steps to the Pagoda with the kids. 2. The view from the top of the pagoda.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBTssecGbshcBxV8tsm8Mpk74SNPz8UCfb7RGBtI1D_nO9O-pllzGV8w7xZ9CZ6ptCQSxeQXWTLaHdbV-w87BICTK8RjGTXf86Cc2QoVnRg9d9P5CpW75jUv1srlKVQfOkIKdwiJCkzI/s1600-h/P1000027.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUBTssecGbshcBxV8tsm8Mpk74SNPz8UCfb7RGBtI1D_nO9O-pllzGV8w7xZ9CZ6ptCQSxeQXWTLaHdbV-w87BICTK8RjGTXf86Cc2QoVnRg9d9P5CpW75jUv1srlKVQfOkIKdwiJCkzI/s320/P1000027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318272906627030306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 264px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM0F81tEC7HD2-Q-RZFRebeKQwpaTexuNM0R3PhVOxg_10S_B45As2gCByGRGBA6GvzB83bE4Bra4F-vrxIFw1x8TR4IIdR-AuSfKjshX3o8s5PNQb0pt4aI69gzGUd3Oqp5RKyGEDeU/s1600-h/P1000040.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpM0F81tEC7HD2-Q-RZFRebeKQwpaTexuNM0R3PhVOxg_10S_B45As2gCByGRGBA6GvzB83bE4Bra4F-vrxIFw1x8TR4IIdR-AuSfKjshX3o8s5PNQb0pt4aI69gzGUd3Oqp5RKyGEDeU/s320/P1000040.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318272912675986498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>In the afternoon I just relaxed and played cards with Emma and Bao, then in the evening went to see The Watchmen at a local movie theatre. The movie theatre was almost identical to those in the states except for one interesting feature: they assign seats! No more having scattered individual seats throughout a crowded theatre. Also, you can see if there are no good seats left when you buy your ticket so that you can opt for a later showing. Revolutionary. They should bring it to the states.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday I went for a run then went to Green Bamboo with all the Danish girls to take the kids to a Water Park for my last day with them. There were 9 volunteers and 12 kids that went, and we had a blast, although I liked the Vung Tao trip more because it was less crowded. We ran around the place for 6 hours before finally going home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. One of the kids posing on a random motorbike out front of Green Bamboo. 2. On the inner tubes at the waterpark 3. Katrine and the boys. 4. Showing off the new flippers.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqhjtC6YbKPILj87VIlWi_uy5TxHEHJovq8siIY3-wTA5kCdPblqCg35RLJZctlDMUmQ4JrGhO-1j7RhrtsflAO9T-gB5Q7aDbX4uFW2gqCaBsHEo_VwvcV5SjaHHIIPIjZN7FLV9bbI/s1600-h/100_0038.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqhjtC6YbKPILj87VIlWi_uy5TxHEHJovq8siIY3-wTA5kCdPblqCg35RLJZctlDMUmQ4JrGhO-1j7RhrtsflAO9T-gB5Q7aDbX4uFW2gqCaBsHEo_VwvcV5SjaHHIIPIjZN7FLV9bbI/s320/100_0038.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263963485053314" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT8AuUm3a_qhLEwOybKJX-CuK3NEco1wWRkW4_yyN96a7C_W_ATlbmjXUWNlWOaJLrmikBowvMmKRJASXgIFz1JWrwMxnJmz6W7Gtd5Wf4DaxRlB4QPcvRE9sFJfJch9Fz7-7p2Zl5no/s1600-h/100_0081.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmT8AuUm3a_qhLEwOybKJX-CuK3NEco1wWRkW4_yyN96a7C_W_ATlbmjXUWNlWOaJLrmikBowvMmKRJASXgIFz1JWrwMxnJmz6W7Gtd5Wf4DaxRlB4QPcvRE9sFJfJch9Fz7-7p2Zl5no/s320/100_0081.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318258765916432130" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yCfH3A7NG_TfqLtgyaWm4uNAOM_ERUI7DGDvnCoho4HPl821GmL8W0sA2RpT0rG8LggsCXbncl8DHoNFBmqLUlx124gzF6ijCw2n-SE-phU3C73rC26xk_pcFeElq0bfuUVvyzhUHPQ/s1600-h/100_0071.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yCfH3A7NG_TfqLtgyaWm4uNAOM_ERUI7DGDvnCoho4HPl821GmL8W0sA2RpT0rG8LggsCXbncl8DHoNFBmqLUlx124gzF6ijCw2n-SE-phU3C73rC26xk_pcFeElq0bfuUVvyzhUHPQ/s320/100_0071.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318258747060738530" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzctuxEuSjGVnLxWhQGGYP07eg7LrDw8LPgnzYm3Ex1hdwHStsNUCq6ZBI-hx_NKnvQZk7VSLTs7CeQuJkho_cxpY68hxCheDNX5NjCiBvGVj9fD_nNdhKa18TtwtXk-G364ppvMwVhHA/s1600-h/100_0043.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzctuxEuSjGVnLxWhQGGYP07eg7LrDw8LPgnzYm3Ex1hdwHStsNUCq6ZBI-hx_NKnvQZk7VSLTs7CeQuJkho_cxpY68hxCheDNX5NjCiBvGVj9fD_nNdhKa18TtwtXk-G364ppvMwVhHA/s320/100_0043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318258755265598450" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></div><div>Sunday morning I leave at 5 am for Phu Quoc Island with Emma, Mikaela, Ludwig, Gus, and Jay. It is supposed to be one of the most pristine and undeveloped islands in SE Asia that are still easily accessible. It is 50 km long and 20 wide, and has only 20 small hotels throughout. There is still a large local community of fisherman that live in two towns, and the main product of the island is Fish Sauce, which is considered to be the best in all of Vietnam. </div><div><br /></div><div>We will be snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking in the mountains, hopping between the tiny islands south of Phu Quoc, and relaxing on the beaches. I bought a small portable BBQ and a cooler to bring along, so hopefully we will be eating well. I doubt there is internet connection there, so this will be my last post until next weekend!</div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-75404615017947832922009-03-23T07:30:00.000-07:002009-03-26T23:06:49.085-07:00Weekend In Dalat<div style="text-align: left;">Saturday morning we woke up at 6:45 and had a quick breakfast before getting on the bus to Dalat. On the bus going up to Dalat we were approached by a Vietnamese guy named Bao who started making small talk with us. His English was really good so I asked how it became so.</div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It turns out that he grew up in Paris because his father was a Vietnamese diplomat but ran away to Italy when he was 14 because his parents wouldn’t let him follow his dream of being a dancer. There he met a lesbian couple from San Francisco that took him in and for the next 6 years he lived in SF. He got trained in graphic design and culinary arts and got a job with a large 5 star hotel, whose name I forget. Since then he has traveled around the world working at different branches of the hotel. 18 years ago he was transferred to the branch in Madrid, and in Madrid he realized his dream of being a dancer. He studied flamenco dance and opera singing rigorously and now performs in Madrid and all around the world. He still works for the hotel part time as the VIP hospitality director.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He took a year leave from his job and is traveling all around the world, but is in Vietnam for this month (he is gay, and he made it sound like him and his partner broke up recently). He had been in Ho Chi Minh where he performed Flamingo dance at a hotel and was being interviewed and videotaped for a documentary on Vietnamese performers that sing and dance in foreign styles.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Pic: Bao holding 2 pictures of himself dancing. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy37Ea_l34tIiqr6EbG_IGsZ8akpR4aTFbNv58bBRm2PjZucn1EntFfvQqmZsI6obtApv1ZWYT-vbQv2ALmeE6-m-6knb6YEpgytCPNNWu9V87UDFItMK-Rr5O7YMaMhEU14BkkgGWk7g/s1600-h/P1020109.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy37Ea_l34tIiqr6EbG_IGsZ8akpR4aTFbNv58bBRm2PjZucn1EntFfvQqmZsI6obtApv1ZWYT-vbQv2ALmeE6-m-6knb6YEpgytCPNNWu9V87UDFItMK-Rr5O7YMaMhEU14BkkgGWk7g/s320/P1020109.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316395159108996386" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">A couple from Oregon that adopted a Vietnamese girl 10 years ago wanted to come back so she could see where she’s from, and they had a mutual friend with Bao who put them in touch with him. He offered to meet them upon their arrival in Hanoi as well as in a few other cities to show them around and act as a translator. One of those cities was Dalat. <br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">His family is originally from Dalat, and he still has friends there. One of those friends runs the Ngoc Lan Hotel, the only 5 star hotel in Dalat, and asked him to come and test the quality of service there and give the staff training in exchange for all expenses paid. He consented and had the family from Oregon meet him there. He also invited us to come and dine with them at the hotel.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At 3 pm we pulled into Dalat. We hadn’t yet booked a hotel so after looking around for a few minutes we settled on the Mimosa Hotel. Although we were tired from staying up so late and from the bus ride we decided to go take a ride on a cable car over a valley to the local reservoir. It was almost sunset and there was a mist over the hills, it was really picturesque. </p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42kjkvfleKGSnRRGAFfQNDdF0KPMa_7XLr-Yqfnq6rEGL2cD3tKd7T9y11t0DK-Yx3cSqocuKITnDyhb63oqUXRi6ZYlVmsMBkOggMmZoi0DcTedFmoyYquCWJj0hbpdUv4ISdfoIvEk/s1600-h/P1020140.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi42kjkvfleKGSnRRGAFfQNDdF0KPMa_7XLr-Yqfnq6rEGL2cD3tKd7T9y11t0DK-Yx3cSqocuKITnDyhb63oqUXRi6ZYlVmsMBkOggMmZoi0DcTedFmoyYquCWJj0hbpdUv4ISdfoIvEk/s320/P1020140.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316395171990623090" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIYsovVYiL8p_TL5qbAYpou6fBk_VqL3iYOjesrHEjIoYcEKPKGf35lEGR-3FmvJXIoh5-BU83maUXgHtX-H_rQY3oidGYVBU49tC10w0P3TyaCHwrBpu7KRA80OMRmz8kOnOhJg68QY/s1600-h/P1020124.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIYsovVYiL8p_TL5qbAYpou6fBk_VqL3iYOjesrHEjIoYcEKPKGf35lEGR-3FmvJXIoh5-BU83maUXgHtX-H_rQY3oidGYVBU49tC10w0P3TyaCHwrBpu7KRA80OMRmz8kOnOhJg68QY/s320/P1020124.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316402551791172290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">Then we went back into the center of town and got dinner at a restaurant on the lake. Then we went to a tour guide office where we booked a tour for Sunday. We were so tired that we went home and crashed at 9:30.<br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning we went to the Ngoc Lan hotel at 7 to have breakfast with Bao. It was a really nice buffet, complete with a chef making omelets to order and before we left Bao made us promise to come to dinner at the hotel along with the family from Oregon, and we agreed.</p><p class="MsoNormal">We were picked up by the guide at Ngoc Lan, and we first went 20 km out of town to see a coffee plantation, a silk worm farm/silk factory, a rice wine distillery, and Elephant Falls. Seeing the coffee farm was really cool, I had never seen a raw coffee bean before. I don't even think it can be called a bean but rather a berry...</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7hmuBewzl8gHyQbDZbvU3uGaN3dNgg1t9xSYSYSIj3goiuQ9_bzgCMHlPk3fqOWZhSG9v8Dtnee2qZaXTkBNe3QWDm7AW48f5fQrow2pHDRw8vFJHzhTSATAWPP-3fw5jsHHo-auncw/s1600-h/P1020169.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd7hmuBewzl8gHyQbDZbvU3uGaN3dNgg1t9xSYSYSIj3goiuQ9_bzgCMHlPk3fqOWZhSG9v8Dtnee2qZaXTkBNe3QWDm7AW48f5fQrow2pHDRw8vFJHzhTSATAWPP-3fw5jsHHo-auncw/s320/P1020169.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316399368494484786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">The distillery was a joke, just a basement in a house with a small boiler.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzslNiN7OrejNHzJMVmu-C8x2ZWIA1DtwVuyZtH6Z0Q4X8J4_a77ylVa7paZT1jNmwS0m5OC2uXCQxhegeOEW4O6SlWH0sK4Po0-EvxN2jD81BsPd-tvilegsL-oZAZ2ELtbbTThQoVek/s1600-h/P1020176.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzslNiN7OrejNHzJMVmu-C8x2ZWIA1DtwVuyZtH6Z0Q4X8J4_a77ylVa7paZT1jNmwS0m5OC2uXCQxhegeOEW4O6SlWH0sK4Po0-EvxN2jD81BsPd-tvilegsL-oZAZ2ELtbbTThQoVek/s320/P1020176.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316399361201648706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">The silk factory was really cool, I had no idea it was such an involved process to make silk. It takes 20 women 2 hours to make one square yard of silk. All of the machinery was really ancient, it was too complicated for me to understand how it worked. I can tell you this though: there definitely were no computers aiding the process.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjooUs45-7JjtQv70Nh1nc2MmZXMZmwBqSR780NFRTSLkgteHoLR3CL_7YZTWnbVUq4-C4nWjS0M2OfX4W1QnqlVWKR-k4MPp-zhjTpi72rhj88tzYhS4JiwwbdFvjh1klEFGn6wL5_Bk/s1600-h/P1020187.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjooUs45-7JjtQv70Nh1nc2MmZXMZmwBqSR780NFRTSLkgteHoLR3CL_7YZTWnbVUq4-C4nWjS0M2OfX4W1QnqlVWKR-k4MPp-zhjTpi72rhj88tzYhS4JiwwbdFvjh1klEFGn6wL5_Bk/s320/P1020187.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316399358864815682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><p class="MsoNormal">Elephant Falls was the coolest thing we saw in the morning. It was a really broad and tall waterfall, and the guide knew a way to walk around the back of it, the second picture is Emma just behind the waterfall.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMpuyZ3ymOm6gVEkBiVX4XR5h-2k3qlXlDqFSuFrmyWJqw0yDGxfFDStnUAieI_a1sA7N5y1aMo4l4wKkENOgRbyN3DivqKbAXiBsh0Wskf60yEXZkynU8Yvsy3AxuXSDsPEXMzQmydQ/s1600-h/P1020203.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglMpuyZ3ymOm6gVEkBiVX4XR5h-2k3qlXlDqFSuFrmyWJqw0yDGxfFDStnUAieI_a1sA7N5y1aMo4l4wKkENOgRbyN3DivqKbAXiBsh0Wskf60yEXZkynU8Yvsy3AxuXSDsPEXMzQmydQ/s320/P1020203.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316395175330006706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XlmIA01hj7mMrqo7LsCtIRQsfh3quk_VA3FYREONQfJGrX5f-d-tuV7lbyQtBNdiQ-D8iubt691M3fbsY4X4yCtaJ49OrC8bOlNar7bve4ZcHA8IgT7Cfe4ZEMch4bjzIhyO-wLT9-4/s1600-h/P1020212.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8XlmIA01hj7mMrqo7LsCtIRQsfh3quk_VA3FYREONQfJGrX5f-d-tuV7lbyQtBNdiQ-D8iubt691M3fbsY4X4yCtaJ49OrC8bOlNar7bve4ZcHA8IgT7Cfe4ZEMch4bjzIhyO-wLT9-4/s320/P1020212.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316395187231304402" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Next we went to the last King of Vietnam's summer palace. It was kinda dumpy for a kings palace, but we got to dress up in his traditional clothes for a picture.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbTUZU86GbO3bjKoPFIopJOF8k6YvOrtP_zUHB1DKEhvVjkIXmT9MbpM6qBsyWdSxl4xBHQSdEYjDMWnDj8y_Kn0simZnJDNvojMYm4-6idwDU_KXj29IlnkKrT84InNyAsyagN6DP1o/s1600-h/P1020287.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbTUZU86GbO3bjKoPFIopJOF8k6YvOrtP_zUHB1DKEhvVjkIXmT9MbpM6qBsyWdSxl4xBHQSdEYjDMWnDj8y_Kn0simZnJDNvojMYm4-6idwDU_KXj29IlnkKrT84InNyAsyagN6DP1o/s320/P1020287.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316395195081864946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal">After the palace we went to the Crazy House. This is a hotel designed by the daughter of the successor to Ho Chi Minh's post in government. It felt like a mix of Disneyland and Alice in Wonderland, it was way out there.</p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2wKt5ObjsltlNaegH1j-12RVpvkyM2T2_SWTwNGQucVgL7tLiDmb0HSZHeEpmYxmHWzyfWPnpjl6JP-pzqgxbtoRzxfa8yh77IoN9g3OJgqZo8PMDRWjryRE6RBJsvCW-_C63fqML0Y/s1600-h/P1020248.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia2wKt5ObjsltlNaegH1j-12RVpvkyM2T2_SWTwNGQucVgL7tLiDmb0HSZHeEpmYxmHWzyfWPnpjl6JP-pzqgxbtoRzxfa8yh77IoN9g3OJgqZo8PMDRWjryRE6RBJsvCW-_C63fqML0Y/s320/P1020248.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316399369479430210" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a> <!--EndFragment--> <div>We stopped for lunch then went to Dalat Falls, the most famous of the waterfalls in the area. We took a roller coaster type thing down the 3 km to the falls, where there were lots of tourists taking pictures. Our guide told us that a few km down the mountain there was another waterfall that's much harder to get to that no one goes to, so we hiked down. It was even bigger than the one higher up, and it had a big pool in front of it so we decided to jump in.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lWFGIJDdaLrnvetiPchjWOE6qN2n8wBx-TLi1vQISJO48fSFPtpyseY3I-52vzUMTqXNAWN0UuA7BIVdkExrmAJfRT0ASmNscdAnXvOjS1-y1-LTwooo713oCLO1l-sV_ZaJTxDbIB0/s1600-h/P1020308.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6lWFGIJDdaLrnvetiPchjWOE6qN2n8wBx-TLi1vQISJO48fSFPtpyseY3I-52vzUMTqXNAWN0UuA7BIVdkExrmAJfRT0ASmNscdAnXvOjS1-y1-LTwooo713oCLO1l-sV_ZaJTxDbIB0/s320/P1020308.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316402542144484578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-JIj5pJzbloeBFNB2updpfyW7OgcSH4ZljTP_cftnwAp-bZ1h3fOuvd4EI9tT0YQzbJdN6lzdJOj_lso0Kpb9SoUhbcu59qxM3Fs3wr8YFa1zfGygmJRzwgE8tBOfaXsco3myYJ4ziQ/s1600-h/P1020331.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-JIj5pJzbloeBFNB2updpfyW7OgcSH4ZljTP_cftnwAp-bZ1h3fOuvd4EI9tT0YQzbJdN6lzdJOj_lso0Kpb9SoUhbcu59qxM3Fs3wr8YFa1zfGygmJRzwgE8tBOfaXsco3myYJ4ziQ/s320/P1020331.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316407707925985298" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>After the tour we rented motorbikes and cruised around the hills outside of the city for a few hours. It was my first time riding a motorbike, but I picked it up pretty quick, it really isn't hard at all. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8bEanoyfpOLQj46lIMkSPatOE-sWkVs5ARj5DM3-mSdMUyyyhymVyUIcwxW2CdR6v4zA7vKttkaiLmi18FCavD8beQ4sOCVlF-lryZXM0_LqibIp9ZmGhrhE7lKq_8CUk-ahlFAghy4/s1600-h/P1020362.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh8bEanoyfpOLQj46lIMkSPatOE-sWkVs5ARj5DM3-mSdMUyyyhymVyUIcwxW2CdR6v4zA7vKttkaiLmi18FCavD8beQ4sOCVlF-lryZXM0_LqibIp9ZmGhrhE7lKq_8CUk-ahlFAghy4/s320/P1020362.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316399381167944674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>Then at 6 we met Bao and the family from Oregon for dinner at the hotel. Bao had pre arranged the 7 course meal with the chefs, and for the next 3 hours we had really good conversation and ate great food. Before dessert came out we convinced Bao to give us a performance. We got the waitstaff to put his ipod over the restaurant's speakers and he danced to the Flamenco music. Then he sang an excerpt from an Italian opera (he sang both the soprano and tenor parts). He was really good, I never expected a tiny Vietnamese guy to have such a large voice. The couple from Oregon had to get the daughter to bed, so at 9 we all parted ways. It was so nice of Bao to take us under his wing, we had a great evening.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV8LLeHB5hMgwH0g9yEVgaUd8Y9mQZTtnrxQx_Pz6a-sC-HnHlQHqvCo59gDq_G6nmi7sLCXccpUawKs_CiWgDH41GIPmqd-cmeK3sirHJA4rHPwx_Kdey5F5EsaE0MQz4ok4WcgnjYY/s1600-h/P1020365.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijV8LLeHB5hMgwH0g9yEVgaUd8Y9mQZTtnrxQx_Pz6a-sC-HnHlQHqvCo59gDq_G6nmi7sLCXccpUawKs_CiWgDH41GIPmqd-cmeK3sirHJA4rHPwx_Kdey5F5EsaE0MQz4ok4WcgnjYY/s320/P1020365.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316402537817184322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We stopped in a pool hall on our way back to the hotel and played a few games, then went home at 11. The bus left at 7:45 Monday morning back to HCMC, and we didn't get in until 4:30. </div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-87029919527870501492009-03-21T07:35:00.001-07:002009-03-22T09:50:36.699-07:00A Roller Coaster of a Week<div style="text-align: left;">Wednesday morning, needless to say, I didn't wake up to go to Ky Kuang. I slept until 11, then Paul and I went to the Green Bamboo shelter to take the kids to play soccer. I didn't play much cause I didn't want to put stress on my ankle so I could play in our university league game on Friday. On the way home we took the kids that were in our taxi to the cafe where some of the boys that used to be in the shelter work. Everyone had a smoothie and green tea; the kids really showed their appreciation to us. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; ">Paul and An at the cafe</div><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZPdsQgvis7h2ZLT-9f_ZjpLdqggQFK-bTUjLsZhtoxYSkOukFj-o7rykJUG4wcW30bP9qktNM99dL3isk3JZyAFpjO_xLoE9YCZEe4OouG-RIudxhz3fHV651UDGS0Gr3ySH2dbyTT0/s1600-h/DSC_0162.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZPdsQgvis7h2ZLT-9f_ZjpLdqggQFK-bTUjLsZhtoxYSkOukFj-o7rykJUG4wcW30bP9qktNM99dL3isk3JZyAFpjO_xLoE9YCZEe4OouG-RIudxhz3fHV651UDGS0Gr3ySH2dbyTT0/s320/DSC_0162.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315649346257451010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px; " /></a></div><div>We dropped the kids off, then went to see all of the main tourist attractions- Paul is only here for this week cause he is on spring break from Duke. We first went to Reunification Palace, which the French had built as their government building, but has since been destroyed and rebuilt using a weird kind of modernism, although a lot of the rooms are decorated in a really traditional way. It is open air, in that there are no doorways to the building and there are outdoor courtyards and walkways throughout the building.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Reunification Palace 2. Me in the Disco on the roof in front of the helipad</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixK0UAfplBRSpbhFVyKIooHDcyuCGa9klsXpHCyWNHjAfW7m4noLJdEA8kFxJI76UuFLO_YL9n96gMN-EceMdkjh8TldoqCHu6tlcqgB2Z5aA9TeP2eF0pqz-6lQcmtRPk1jDpjdblDH4/s1600-h/DSC_0209.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixK0UAfplBRSpbhFVyKIooHDcyuCGa9klsXpHCyWNHjAfW7m4noLJdEA8kFxJI76UuFLO_YL9n96gMN-EceMdkjh8TldoqCHu6tlcqgB2Z5aA9TeP2eF0pqz-6lQcmtRPk1jDpjdblDH4/s320/DSC_0209.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315649356797750258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y1J3sCK39CTQJHSZa5ehF6lKouOnBsQakBLgBMOnHARi7lr8A5cDbvjrecWxrH5lxRr8HHM_81KGOhQ2YZEBftuxaiMO-_II7HIA9s6fLJMMZrJZ1f48kh8gt48dXIopy3SWwCzAlow/s1600-h/DSC_0188.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Y1J3sCK39CTQJHSZa5ehF6lKouOnBsQakBLgBMOnHARi7lr8A5cDbvjrecWxrH5lxRr8HHM_81KGOhQ2YZEBftuxaiMO-_II7HIA9s6fLJMMZrJZ1f48kh8gt48dXIopy3SWwCzAlow/s320/DSC_0188.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315649349076212002" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 211px; " /></a><div>Next we went to the War Evidence Museum. This was really hard for me, particularly the pictures and explanations of the effects from Agent Orange, a deforestation spray the US used to kill foliage to expose the Vietnamese. Many of the children in the pictures that had birth defects from the chemical looked very similar to the kids I am spending time with in the orphanages. The museum also showed examples of all of the weapons that the US used in the war.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We stopped by the Notre Dame cathedral on our way home. It is said to be modeled after the Notre Dame in France, however I was unimpressed, most cathedrals I saw in Italy and elsewhere were more beautiful and stunning. </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgamoj6oq0EbaJa0Hwx-HeMprTHjtzwhWZw0CMyCPspxH2NlglJiY68Zff2qSWA81BTdAhruBkxmkKjk4_jgGX7pR0FMapPJojtRiIz6gENZzoSoNdC-RIrYDpnzxxzqDSCqWw0aEoT0/s1600-h/DSC_0250.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgamoj6oq0EbaJa0Hwx-HeMprTHjtzwhWZw0CMyCPspxH2NlglJiY68Zff2qSWA81BTdAhruBkxmkKjk4_jgGX7pR0FMapPJojtRiIz6gENZzoSoNdC-RIrYDpnzxxzqDSCqWw0aEoT0/s320/DSC_0250.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315649361186106322" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 320px; " /></a><div>In the evening we went with Emma and Mikaela and two local volunteers, Huong and a girl whose name I forget, to get fresh spring rolls at a place that that Huong recommended. They had pork, mint, basil, rice noodles, shrimp, and bamboo sprouts in them and were wrapped in rice paper and served with a thick and sweet soy sauce as well as red chili paste. They were delicious. Also, Mikaela and Emma dared me to eat a large spoonful of the red chili paste, and after some discussion I got them to agree to each give me a massage for 30 minutes every day in Phu Quoc. I did it, and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. The girls then followed suit to get out of giving me the massages.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday morning I went to Green Bamboo shelter with Niko. I played Deuces (a card game) with the kids for 3 straight hours. Then I met Emma and Mikaela at a travel agent to book our weekend trip to Dalat, a city in the central highlands of Vietnam about 7 hours from HCMC. We are in Dalat from Saturday morning to Monday morning, returning at 3pm to HCMC. The bus leaves on Saturday at 7:30am in District 1 (30 minutes from where we live) so we will be staying in a hotel close to the bus stop Friday night.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the afternoon I went to Ky Kuang with Paul and Anika. After an hour of running around with some of the kids I went to check on Anika. She only goes to Ky Kuang on occasion, and when she does she spends her time with the babies without disabilities in a room that I had never been to. There were 5 kids in the room, and all but one were sleeping. We played around with the one that was awake, then another woke up and started crying. I took him out of his crib, then noticed that he had what looked like blue ink all over his legs. I asked Anika what it was and she immediately told me to put the kid down. Apparently it is some kind of ointment for a contagious rash... when I set him back down he started crying, and the nurse who lives in the room got him out of his crib and- harshly- told him to stop crying. She set him down and put his hands on a chair and told him again to stop crying. When he didn't she got out a 18 inch bamboo stick and whacked the chair next to his hands and screamed for him to stop. She kept hitting the chair, then eventually him, although slightly lighter, until he eventually stopped, mostly out of fear. The kid was about 16 months old. Absolutely shocked I couldn't move. Eventually I looked at Anika, and she told me quietly that the few times she tried to intervene she too was yelled at and that I shouldn't do anything about it. It really upset me though, the next couple hours were rough.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the evening I went with the 4 Danish girls, Emma and Mikaela, Ludvig and Gus, and Paul to a Danish restaurant owned by a guy that we met at the Viking party. We all ate Red Sausages, which are apparently a Danish delicacy, and had a few beers. After an hour we left and went back to our neighborhood to play pool at a local pool hall, and at 11 went home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday I went to Ky Kuang in the morning and had a standard day there, no bamboo sticks used on babies as far as I saw... In the afternoon we went to the university to play soccer. Paul, David (a new arrival from England), Ken, Minh, and I were the players from the PH, along with 8 or so other local volunteers and friends of Ken in Minh who I didn't know. 6 of the girls also came along to watch even though they were upset that girls were excluded from the league. </div><div><br /></div><div>Teams were 9 on 9 but on a full size field and we played 45 minute halves, not to mention it was 95 degrees with 50% humidity. I played the whole first half and half of the second, then begged for a substitute. I thought I was going to die. I did score a goal though, off the top bar through the goalie's hands... We ended up winning 6 to 4.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUk5_bosiROISLQeGlY1gnQMt8XnPSO_VMkBgylLx1HEMdh_JRmolh5WSDneCKKgS6uGQjYBgHXjGQb9ynEOBI2ntPkNSLyPdnktuIzl9sVyuBuxLM9R4rrT5oOr0X5f4q43LXUsqILc/s1600-h/P1010896.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUk5_bosiROISLQeGlY1gnQMt8XnPSO_VMkBgylLx1HEMdh_JRmolh5WSDneCKKgS6uGQjYBgHXjGQb9ynEOBI2ntPkNSLyPdnktuIzl9sVyuBuxLM9R4rrT5oOr0X5f4q43LXUsqILc/s320/P1010896.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315649365815656306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>After showering Paul, Mikaela, Emma, Jay, and I went to District 1 for the girls and I to drop our stuff of in the hotel then meet up with Ludwig and Gus to go back out to the restaurant owned by the cock fighter/martial arts trainer in District 2. Again, it was ridiculously fun. This time, because there were so many of us, we sat out front of the restaurant instead of across the street, and again ate another 7 course meal and drank a few cases of beer. Bernard, the Norwegian friend of Emma, met us there as well. Noteworthy events:<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>1. I wandered off to buy a new shirt because the one I had on was dirty and only found a flower shop. Inspired, I bought 5 red roses for the girls and the female family members of the owner. They cost 2,000 Dong each, about 15 cents US... I will never be able to spend 15 dollars for a dozen roses again.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. The owner pulled out one of his roosters and announced that it was past its prime and that he was to kill and eat it the following day. He invited us to join.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22TSTS_zIYsbNOByXp6mwMnlTOTTzQUoPmRIxklzeLw__cIxW0gTNR5SqTrEFeauh1BmxGndMT2oIagIj4PsdwOWcoCfy1iebf22KzHYwaQlBmQgmix9J1ZomSquoU8Y0nB0qnCePBlA/s1600-h/P1010983.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22TSTS_zIYsbNOByXp6mwMnlTOTTzQUoPmRIxklzeLw__cIxW0gTNR5SqTrEFeauh1BmxGndMT2oIagIj4PsdwOWcoCfy1iebf22KzHYwaQlBmQgmix9J1ZomSquoU8Y0nB0qnCePBlA/s320/P1010983.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316034667542680050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>3. The owner decided that Ludwig and him are brothers. Obviously the only way to confirm such a bond was to become blood brothers... sketchy.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhPeMXFsvpFe5XYH9b1DkEpXZpSF2GiAmjXOAVswrY_ui1cnkes9-nSfrBmGpYRGQQmDBMQIYPHfXT3IaACJ6BRX62zuf25ZEKjsITcbUogIt5ArzJssWO9vs65YLTmH8M_fAPg7d-NA/s1600-h/P1020025.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhPeMXFsvpFe5XYH9b1DkEpXZpSF2GiAmjXOAVswrY_ui1cnkes9-nSfrBmGpYRGQQmDBMQIYPHfXT3IaACJ6BRX62zuf25ZEKjsITcbUogIt5ArzJssWO9vs65YLTmH8M_fAPg7d-NA/s320/P1020025.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316034672323760898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>4. Jay and Gus, who had never eaten Duck fetus, were convinced by yours truly that they also had to try it. The owner spoon fed it to them and also ate it himself. Ludwig ate the head, but after chewing a bunch had to spit it out because he was so grossed out. He said it wasn't quite crunchy, but really chewy...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRUUwTot1ksLxFZvseeuQpApascm2ovY5ycW6s7wGpBeVBbxco_40Pe4BeuJW5gZ8zTRnPKlO_CGi6EBI2f40HURJ9j7QHS2_ZeT5FAY_Kpp805ag5lexIX0eNqg_5ES0fhB2LM9dLqQ/s1600-h/P1010963.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRUUwTot1ksLxFZvseeuQpApascm2ovY5ycW6s7wGpBeVBbxco_40Pe4BeuJW5gZ8zTRnPKlO_CGi6EBI2f40HURJ9j7QHS2_ZeT5FAY_Kpp805ag5lexIX0eNqg_5ES0fhB2LM9dLqQ/s320/P1010963.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316034651867551890" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyd9q2yVA65HI61qoCVsvWX4Oihh2qJqt-8Lkf97BjmpPieay46er-AmaVoget4D1RixrydEev1rmT2GSh-7-eRupC30iG_Bd0D4t-9eFkS5gTSnzQpYTII389YTBEJOEcoNMCxdcmek/s1600-h/P1010968.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKyd9q2yVA65HI61qoCVsvWX4Oihh2qJqt-8Lkf97BjmpPieay46er-AmaVoget4D1RixrydEev1rmT2GSh-7-eRupC30iG_Bd0D4t-9eFkS5gTSnzQpYTII389YTBEJOEcoNMCxdcmek/s320/P1010968.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316034661249324274" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXRUUwTot1ksLxFZvseeuQpApascm2ovY5ycW6s7wGpBeVBbxco_40Pe4BeuJW5gZ8zTRnPKlO_CGi6EBI2f40HURJ9j7QHS2_ZeT5FAY_Kpp805ag5lexIX0eNqg_5ES0fhB2LM9dLqQ/s1600-h/P1010963.JPG"><br /></a></span></span></div><div>We left there at 11 and went to Apocalypse now. We danced until 3 am, then everyone else wanted to get breakfast, so we went back to the area around the hotel. Because there was 1 more person than earlier one of us had to get on a Xe Om. I obviously volunteered. It was a fun ride trying to keep up with the taxi... Paul left for the airport to go back to school at Duke at 4 am and the girls and I slept until 6:30 then got up and went to the bus station.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxkB_okNOKSpl7V9s-SrjsAjXzcsb09vAcr48nrcsegY_-QR__B2yeb18tJDjnMleDLfm6dapiEwxaojGnG0CRnJjcTsEfqp9E97XjjLfAJA-WLX473Ypqk6u5QKUppX7UYrybkA-ASo/s1600-h/P1020069.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxkB_okNOKSpl7V9s-SrjsAjXzcsb09vAcr48nrcsegY_-QR__B2yeb18tJDjnMleDLfm6dapiEwxaojGnG0CRnJjcTsEfqp9E97XjjLfAJA-WLX473Ypqk6u5QKUppX7UYrybkA-ASo/s320/P1020069.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316034685551061554" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Tomorrow I will tell all about the weekend in Dalat. <br /></div></div></span></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-89965996273406033572009-03-18T06:13:00.001-07:002009-03-18T09:34:13.849-07:00<div style="text-align: left;">This weekend we had some new arrivals, Paul (NYC), James (London), and two Danish girls whose names I can't remember. They are all nice, and now both Peace Houses are at capacity- there are 22 of us. It really feels like there are a lot more people than when I got here even though there were only 16 before.<br /></div><div> </div>Anyway, Monday I took Paul to the Green Bamboo shelter in the morning, then went to Ky Kuang in the afternoon. It was a pretty standard day, nothing exciting happened. In the evening I went for a run with the Swedes then came back and relaxed for the rest of the night, I needed it after the long weekend and I had to save up energy for St Patty's Day...<div><br /></div><div>Tuesday I took both Paul and James to Ky Kuang in the morning. At Ky Kuang there was an organization of dentists from the states called Bright Smiles that came to give all the kids dental checkups, so it was pretty hectic. A lot of the kids had to have cavities filled and/or teeth pulled so they were crying, bleeding, and generally upset. </div><div><br /></div><div>At lunch I went to a travel agent with Mikaela and Emma because we decided to go to an island off the southern tip of Vietnam called Phu Quoc for the week after I finish volunteering (they are taking a week off, they still have 3 more weeks after I'm done). The Swedish guys that took us to the restaurant Friday night are coming as well, although they only bought one way tickets- they are crazy, in a good way... The island looks beautiful, from what I've read it is what people that go to islands in Thailand are looking for- undeveloped, beautiful, and clean; I'm really excited. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the afternoon I had Vietnamese lessons. I learned how to say simple conversational words like "delicious", "beautiful", and "tired". Then for the next hour she told me about her trip to Phu Quoc. She confirmed that it is absolutely beautiful and got me even more excited. <div><br /></div><div>At 6:30 all of the volunteers went to an Irish pub called O'Briens. It was pretty boring, mostly an older crowd, and they weren't even playing Irish music. Some other people said that they heard of another bar that was having a better party just around the corner, so we went there with them. It was much, much more fun. There were two bands that played, one Vietnamese and one American. The American band had 3 members, a guitarist/singer, a bongo player named Bongo Bob, and a flutist named Jake the Snake. They were all in their 50's and really funny to watch. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: </div><div>1. Sylvia with a crazy Vietnamese guy</div><div>2. Cronin, Vicki , Anika, Defne, and Sylvia </div><div>3. Kate on stage singing and Irish song from her home town</div><div>4. Anika with Jake the Snake</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh5Zh-H03stFDB8hEdDYbKpe7yQypkiI-FZjEr5ft1u8ajI5JWb_9ememOVGRMxZ9J-_LH4fXHGcnKAEXPuItinOM3MJZ-nE75pJuicoAGmNLeu9ild92qFgbGQoMbPhuJUJIvR4DX8Y/s1600-h/CIMG4838.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh5Zh-H03stFDB8hEdDYbKpe7yQypkiI-FZjEr5ft1u8ajI5JWb_9ememOVGRMxZ9J-_LH4fXHGcnKAEXPuItinOM3MJZ-nE75pJuicoAGmNLeu9ild92qFgbGQoMbPhuJUJIvR4DX8Y/s320/CIMG4838.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314552157580074594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6MLRLwS0hJGYxTKXmfDayAiTmdWgKC-5Rg_cnrQ17StTLRDa7arPL4Em0lxGidwmeH3cYYRj6SaqDuSUfrYoRshdT4CGNuWxdbYcKZiTMq5qmaJxYL2BTrPcgQMV3b-QGl6Ve5OIp_8/s1600-h/CIMG4817.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ6MLRLwS0hJGYxTKXmfDayAiTmdWgKC-5Rg_cnrQ17StTLRDa7arPL4Em0lxGidwmeH3cYYRj6SaqDuSUfrYoRshdT4CGNuWxdbYcKZiTMq5qmaJxYL2BTrPcgQMV3b-QGl6Ve5OIp_8/s320/CIMG4817.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314552159541597330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq5g3ZjHnUH5IjRcCTGCgrLdvbNO_RS_cLeDFuA1iGcMkRkDzyFtFT_6uOyLRIPnAPlNugh1NdL20cz1wfkrn6ftCIAiWdY15dX3vs5sGctl2cpB1qjGHIYHHhjL8sWs3h6_eHEoteRc/s1600-h/CIMG4889.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguq5g3ZjHnUH5IjRcCTGCgrLdvbNO_RS_cLeDFuA1iGcMkRkDzyFtFT_6uOyLRIPnAPlNugh1NdL20cz1wfkrn6ftCIAiWdY15dX3vs5sGctl2cpB1qjGHIYHHhjL8sWs3h6_eHEoteRc/s320/CIMG4889.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314563973663702834" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoUq5Okvw-FQpsGJbxKhYNkA3bAcNshKhyphenhyphenmvOLJwxTiXEBVBeQe2qCVYDxSzLl84RcSER15HfrEBaxlW2p0JPfloJC5OfJDxKLhn-hGmpA_7K-qcqGa4zE2zStfpPftjvmLLB-mfOmts/s1600-h/CIMG4904.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXoUq5Okvw-FQpsGJbxKhYNkA3bAcNshKhyphenhyphenmvOLJwxTiXEBVBeQe2qCVYDxSzLl84RcSER15HfrEBaxlW2p0JPfloJC5OfJDxKLhn-hGmpA_7K-qcqGa4zE2zStfpPftjvmLLB-mfOmts/s320/CIMG4904.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314563967444391970" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px; " /></a><div>At midnight 15 of the volunteers went home cause they were tired, but Anika, Sylvia, Paul, James, Claire, Kate, and I went to a club called Lush, which was really fancy. We danced there till 2, then Anika and I went home, but everyone stayed out until 9 am- they're crazy. All in all, a good St Patty's day.<br /></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-86196083811198832222009-03-16T06:54:00.000-07:002009-03-16T08:42:47.616-07:00When Everything Goes Wrong But Is Still SOOO RightThe morning after the crazy night at the Viking party I was supposed to wake up at 7 to meet Jack, Defne, and Katrine in District 1 to take a bus tour up to the Cu Chi tunnels, which are 65 km from HCMC. The Cu Chi Province is where the Viet Cong dug an intricate and immense system of tunnels to both hide from the Americans and to attack them. It was essentially an entire underground city, complete with kitchens, dormitories, wells for water, hospitals, command centers, etc. <div><br /></div><div>I didn't wake up to my alarm, however woke up on my own at 8:10. The bus left at 8:15. I was angry at myself at first, then thought about my options. I already bought my ticket for the bus and tour, which cost $10 US, so I decided to try and meet them at the tunnels. I got dressed and went out to the street and hailed a Xe Om, or motorbike taxi.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think that I have talked about Xe Om yet. In HCMC there are regular taxis that have meters, etc., but there are also guys that don't have jobs and sit around waiting for foreigners to walk by that they can solicit for fares. They always try and overcharge, but if you know how to bargain you can get anywhere in the city for 25,000 dong max ($1.50 US). </div><div><br /></div><div>I told the Xe Om where I wanted to go, and he immediately said 200,000 Dong. He was upset that I only wanted to go one way because he didn't think that he would find a fare up there that would want to come back to HCMC. But after some haggling I got him down to 80,000, and he grudgingly accepted.</div><div><br /></div><div>It took us 2 hours to navigate through the traffic in the city and get up to the tunnels. He dropped me off at the military compound that runs the tunnel tours. I called Defne to ask her to come find me, but when she told me landmarks to look for I couldn't find them. After 10 minutes of trying to meet up I approached a soldier and asked him to help me. As it turns out, there are two places that you can get tours of the tunnels, and they are 20 km apart. I was at a different one than the others. The soldier said that the only way to get to the other tunnels was to walk, so I decided to stay at that site and take the tour by myself and figure out how to meet up with the bus later.</div><div><br /></div><div>The tour was interesting, not because the "tunnels" that they showed us were cool (the guide took us into 10m long tunnels that were recreations of the real ones), but rather because it was interesting to hear the Vietnamese talk about the war. They showed us a movie that was in black and white and was basically 30 minutes of anti-America propaganda. They showed us the weapons and booby traps that they used against the Americans with pride. </div><div><br /></div><div>The tour ended, and I needed to find a way to the other site. When I tried to call Defne her phone was off, and after a few tries I gave up and decided to find a different way home. I asked the soldiers that were around how to get back to HCMC, and they didn't understand anything except for "Ho Chi Minh" and "bus". The all kept pointing in a similar direction, so I just kept walking till I got to what looked like a bus stop. I asked a shop owner where to catch the bus, and she pointed down the road a bit further. On blind faith I walked to where she pointed and waited. And waited. And waited. It wasn't unpleasant though, there were mango and durian trees all around me and a large pond with lilies and ducks in it across the street. </div><div><br /></div><div>I sat in the shade and ate a mango, and after 45 minutes a bus finally came. I got on and asked the bus driver if it was going to HCMC, and he said yes. This was not entirely true. We drove on a windy countryside road for 30 minutes and the whole time I was cursing the Danish guy that pushed me in the pool and destroyed my camera because it was so beautiful. There were farms next to forests and coconut, mango, lime, and durian trees lining the road. We ended up in Cu Chi city and everyone was told to get off the bus. I was confused because I thought that it was the bus to HCMC, but then the driver came up to me and told me the number of the bus I need to catch- in Vietnamese, and I understood!!! </div><div><br /></div><div>The second bus ride was an hour and a half and dropped me in the center of HCMC. I caught the usual bus I take home from the boys shelter and walked into the PH at 3:30. What an adventure!!! Nothing went as planned, but it turned out to be fun anyway. I really enjoyed riding the bus with all the locals, even though they looked at me funny. In the evening I caught up on my blog for 4 hours then went to bed.</div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-23858211131620393642009-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:002009-03-15T10:08:58.251-07:005 Days in 1: Local Dive and Viking Fiesta...<div style="text-align: left;">So I missed a few days and have to catch up. Sorry for the long post, a lot happened this weekend...</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What started as a great Wednesday at Ky Kuang took a turn for the worse in the afternoon. I took the bus straight from Ky Quang to the Green Bamboo Shelter at 11 and went with the kids to play soccer at 12. A couple of scottish guys met us there with the ball and they led the warmups and organized the teams. I asked how it was funded, because we were playing on an expensive fenced in field with nice grass, and they informed me that a sponsor from England paid for the pitch, the taxi, and water for the kids every week, which I think is pretty cool. <br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Times;"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, after half an hour of playing I shot a ball funny and hurt my ankle. It got really swollen and was painful the rest of the day. It was particularly upsetting because on Thursday volunteer soccer team had its first match in the university league and I couldn't play. Hopefully it will be healed for next week. </div><div><br /></div><div>After soccer we went back to the orphanage and hung out for a bit until it was dinner time. I helped the kids make eggs and stir fried vegetables, then left because my ankle hurt so much. At night I iced it and watched a movie. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday I slept in again because I was really tired and needed the rest, then went to the boys shelter at 1. Nina, one of the volunteers from another organization, left to go back to the states that evening so I spent some time with her talking about her plans for the next couple of months, then I watched Katrine play chess with the boys. They got really rowdy and wrestled for a while, then got tuckered out and took a nap. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The boys wrestling</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-U_1Y8VoPN5wZlGpbqRK3xt83HN4zu5eeNUchCxdfLPveXlUsEjyiOTyeprCrAppE190XUdCS25CzOoA6F6AjdJDhfQXbetuJPIGFaw9m46i2jtBZUeJ7J-BCA2-5W_0vpJcYYEgF9w/s1600-h/P1000488.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-U_1Y8VoPN5wZlGpbqRK3xt83HN4zu5eeNUchCxdfLPveXlUsEjyiOTyeprCrAppE190XUdCS25CzOoA6F6AjdJDhfQXbetuJPIGFaw9m46i2jtBZUeJ7J-BCA2-5W_0vpJcYYEgF9w/s320/P1000488.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313428032816106370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>I had plans to meet up with an American couple named Maya and Ian, friends of a colleague of my dad, who work at an international school in HCMC, so I ate dinner with the kids then walked to the ferry stop. They are from the bay area, but for the past 8 years have been teaching internationally, 4 of which in HCMC. </div><div><br /></div><div>Maya and Ian live in the Riverside Luxury Apartment complex up the saigon river in District 2. It took about 30 minutes on the boat and they met me at the dock. We walked over to a local restaurant and lounge called The Deck, where their friend was DJing for the night. They told me a lot about what it is like to live here and gave me advice about where to travel to and where to avoid. I also met a lot of their friends and colleagues who come from all over the world and are a pretty interesting bunch. The last bus back to downtown was at 8:30 so I went home and iced my ankle for the rest of the night.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Maya, Ian, and I at The Deck</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9_ECcTVddhjz_fhdZcu9FzVI4ZVk3xS7Xj03DbY8bKrLo7drREEe7raRKP4MMYl1-ga4SBr_p6F9_eV4QErBkU3Rk8ZH-2tS8oGuUIwKaZwZLiI11vkT2mjOrFtUsVHj7VnZsMjIbUU/s1600-h/P1000522.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9_ECcTVddhjz_fhdZcu9FzVI4ZVk3xS7Xj03DbY8bKrLo7drREEe7raRKP4MMYl1-ga4SBr_p6F9_eV4QErBkU3Rk8ZH-2tS8oGuUIwKaZwZLiI11vkT2mjOrFtUsVHj7VnZsMjIbUU/s320/P1000522.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313428027644916610" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Friday I went to Ky Kuang in the morning and then Thi Nghe in the afternoon. Maybe it was because it was Friday the 13th, but I had a really bad day. The kids at Ky Quang were fighting a lot with each other and weren't listening to me, the kid I fed was crying and being really difficult, then at Thi Nghe I fell off my stool while feeding a kid and dropped the bowl of food on the ground.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In the evening, however, my mood got much, much better. I met up with Emma and Mikaela at the PH and we took a cab to the Rex Hotel. This time we made it for sunset, however it wasn't a very good one, and the expensive drinks were mediocre and definitely overpriced. A few nights earlier the girls coincidentally ran into a couple of their schoolmates from Sweden who met up with us at the Rex. While discussing what to do for the evening the guys mentioned that the previous night they had met a German man who married a Vietnamese woman, and the couple took them to her cousins restaurant in District 2. They said that they had a great time and that they were invited back again so we all decided to go. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The rooftop at the Rex Hotel</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6ll_N7iFMlsnLvL2o9CpEJSP2P2HkHxN1lg9rU4neN3mw8mWLt6WCBzzvea0KipvLUwxYKrzAuuJHSp00Zc6QfHmEHJYbblAG5XmFL1T8SKbloL3MXg7pr-jWQn3l4SmgJ1k35fHNuk/s1600-h/P1000529.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6ll_N7iFMlsnLvL2o9CpEJSP2P2HkHxN1lg9rU4neN3mw8mWLt6WCBzzvea0KipvLUwxYKrzAuuJHSp00Zc6QfHmEHJYbblAG5XmFL1T8SKbloL3MXg7pr-jWQn3l4SmgJ1k35fHNuk/s320/P1000529.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313448731062490834" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>It turned out to be a great, or even epic, night. We arrived there by taxi at 7 and saw that the "restaurant" was really a hole in the wall with a grill out front. After greeting us, the owner grabbed a folding table and a halogen light and took us across the street. Then he grabbed 3 cases of beer and brought them over two us and went to get some ice at a store down the block. He sat down with us and his kids came over as well, and for the next 5 hours we drank, played with the kids, and had great conversations. We never asked for any specific foods, but his wife kept bring over plates of food ranging from skewered pork to bbq shrimp and stir fried string beans with garlic. The food was delicious. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: From Left- Mikaela, Ludwig, the owner, Gus, and I. Notice the halogen light and folding metal table. Amazing</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEierU-qg9J9DUvvja3X70faHv_VZdJYmp5SKxr-tp8hig0EqGLZ3NGJNxwFAvLoAY5elgDOlK8p2zm_dDW1iPK5M62zSH4GXmVkGg8Hc-WEOXvS0OFlhxaqOedENGw4BVerL2G664lEKuk/s1600-h/P1010658.JPG"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlF_KaAOqOqMZaHloGN9g3vVjjAZxC_Ti-cIzxaWsVHdS2dx8ugu-ju5990yuC5Qdv1QPcYV0o5HzzeEynS8dekiC-8U85tlZauwJP-HfUHp9yuEJRfvYgaXzVp4YQifmxapl7mY7QvQ/s1600-h/P1010615.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQlF_KaAOqOqMZaHloGN9g3vVjjAZxC_Ti-cIzxaWsVHdS2dx8ugu-ju5990yuC5Qdv1QPcYV0o5HzzeEynS8dekiC-8U85tlZauwJP-HfUHp9yuEJRfvYgaXzVp4YQifmxapl7mY7QvQ/s320/P1010615.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313428046875326562" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div><div>The owner is a martial arts teacher for the military by day, a restaurant owner in the evening, and has roosters that he takes cock fighting at night. He drives a hog instead of the little mopeds like everyone else, and has an amazing goatee. Other friends of his came and hung out as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The Owner. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL5I-4exygnTN70veQTFL6ql2lzY852WHYX60iNd2gjIWfgvTXGySoNPlLyH06ium62a1h6K3U-KLQh220mLEW20yHVWkLHH_3ViBHuWAuI_eQNWckLV9rxIHFVo8aSIz1srjKv64Rfk/s1600-h/P1010676.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvL5I-4exygnTN70veQTFL6ql2lzY852WHYX60iNd2gjIWfgvTXGySoNPlLyH06ium62a1h6K3U-KLQh220mLEW20yHVWkLHH_3ViBHuWAuI_eQNWckLV9rxIHFVo8aSIz1srjKv64Rfk/s320/P1010676.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313438034945763010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 311px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>Oh, and the most, um, interesting part of my night: I ate duck fetus. Thats right BVEC, I'm venturing into whole new culinary horizons. The Swedish guys said that they ate it the previous night and dared me to do the same. One of the daughters of the owner was selling them on the side of the road, and she boiled the egg for a couple minutes then gave it to me with chili-salt and lime. There was still a yoke in the shell, but surrounding it were feathers and veins, it was really weird looking- but surprisingly tasty. I definitely am not a vegetarian anymore....</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: Duck fetus anyone?</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbj5aeR5fqBWio1KAXIC_RGZvRDrZhGmVZYE5iZBqZz2xTe9t4VLTO-LdgV17YpcyWrEydG_DvL0g0_Tm2S1rfHgz5gCWMTHIgw-9Npx-f5cqq1kyR91KzWmYmpoyhzULTnSLuorxyoQ/s1600-h/P1010634.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbj5aeR5fqBWio1KAXIC_RGZvRDrZhGmVZYE5iZBqZz2xTe9t4VLTO-LdgV17YpcyWrEydG_DvL0g0_Tm2S1rfHgz5gCWMTHIgw-9Npx-f5cqq1kyR91KzWmYmpoyhzULTnSLuorxyoQ/s320/P1010634.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313428033647983826" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCbtrWbW0cyQAh7e3JlUTqmhG-IPxLi10NFhefxpBIbk89x8J1s9g8GQx4lFALLzYsfIqRihRvStC02Y_yYp-NeVmHLKsr353ww0qGVZQj5Uxnm-WPYZnswAU2sbEO8DUcoq1JeN_yhc/s1600-h/P1010635.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCbtrWbW0cyQAh7e3JlUTqmhG-IPxLi10NFhefxpBIbk89x8J1s9g8GQx4lFALLzYsfIqRihRvStC02Y_yYp-NeVmHLKsr353ww0qGVZQj5Uxnm-WPYZnswAU2sbEO8DUcoq1JeN_yhc/s320/P1010635.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313438029065506578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div>We left at 11 and went to a karaoke bar near our house, then went dancing at a club down the block. The clientele consisted of 50 bar girls (prostitutes) and 30 or so business men. We felt really out of place, so after an hour we called it a night and went home.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning we woke up at 11 because we had to meet Segmund, a friend of Emma's father, in front of his office in District 1 at 12. We were told that he was having a Viking party, but that was it. We didn't know where it was going to be, how many people were invited, what time it started or went till, or what the heck a Viking party was going to be like. Bernard, a Norwegian guy that is working for Segmund, met us there and shortly after we were picked up by Segmund's driver and Segmund. </div><div><br /></div><div>We drove up towards the same area where Maya and Ian lived, and after 30 minutes we got to a beautiful country club right on the Saigon river. There were people setting up a stage, putting a pig and chickens on a spit, putting up banners all over the place, and generally setting up for what looked to be a huge party. He told us that we were going to be handing out the Viking hats and garments when guests got to the dock downtown, then they would get on 4 big wooden boats that Segmund chartered. </div><div><br /></div><div>After having a really fancy lunch at the country club's restaurant (I ate my first fresh shrimp, they were brought to our table alive and cooked in front of us) we got on a speedboat that took us to the dock in district one. 400 guest showed up, about half Scandinavian and half Asian. We passed out all of the hats then got on the last boat. Even the boats were fancy. Also, the sunset from the boat was incredible, I've never seen anything like it. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we got there people were already hitting the buffet, so we ate as well. We were sitting at a table with 4 Americans, two of which we had coincidentally met at the Rex Hotel the night before- small city... We ended up hanging out with them for the whole night, they were really fun. One of them works for George Lucas' visual effects production company and was on the team that won the academy award for The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, another is an architect that moved out to HCMC 6 months ago to design a casino for the beach town Vung Tau that I went to last week. Job opportunity? Maybe... </div><div><br /></div><div>After eating the band started to play and everyone danced. The band was Philippino and played Abba hits and Latin American music. It was so random. Then Segmund got on stage and told everyone to gather up for the traditional Viking activity: Tug of War. Everyone was split up into teams of 12 and we had a tournament. My team didn't win, which is unfortunate, because there was a drawing held of the participants of the winning team for a $2,500 gift certificate to a resort in Thailand. He brought Emma on stage to draw the winner. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then a group of professional dancers and singers came out and performed for an hour. Mikaela pushed me out onto the dance floor and I ended up dancing with one of them for a little bit. We were so hot after a few hours that we stripped down to our undies and jumped in the pool to cool off. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only bad part of the night: After I got out of the pool and dried myself off Mikaela, Emma, and Bernard started pushing each other back into the pool. I put on my clothes and walked to the edge to talk to the Swedes and some random Danish guy thought he would get in on the fun and push me in- I had my camera and wallet in my pocket. The camera got soaked and doesn't work now. Fortunately the memory card still works so I was able to salvage the 300 pictures I took over the past week, but the camera is done for. There goes 200 bucks. </div><div><br /></div><div>We went back into town with the other Americans, but we were so tired that we went home at 12. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend, although not really restful... Sunday I am going to the Cu Chi tunnels (where the Viet Cong hid from and attacked the Americans) with Jack, Defne, and Katrine. Should be fun!</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: </div><div>1. One of the 4 boats that took us up the Saigon. </div><div>2. Mikaela and I on the last boat. </div><div>3. The sunset from the boat- most amazing I have seen. Like a postcard. </div><div>4. Mikaela giving the outfit a test run</div><div>5. Emma and Mikaela with Segmund</div><div>6. Tug of War</div><div>7. Me dancing with the performer</div><div>8. Mikaela and I minutes before jumping in the pool</div><div>9. Emma on stage with Segmund drawing the winner of the prize </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ncE5kq8w7uEMlETzkkoCstWDal7SXNe00XhwDmJ6rdAr3eMn4886pgkpiiq5XKUCXXzDS6sZK-iVVPiatpKObaRCBUqgsU8PfsWC5aGXiq7Am_6Hq7_fnMF6TYWDGagnVeNa6wJYW0o/s1600-h/P1000604.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ncE5kq8w7uEMlETzkkoCstWDal7SXNe00XhwDmJ6rdAr3eMn4886pgkpiiq5XKUCXXzDS6sZK-iVVPiatpKObaRCBUqgsU8PfsWC5aGXiq7Am_6Hq7_fnMF6TYWDGagnVeNa6wJYW0o/s320/P1000604.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313438046791013410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVj9RX0Emf3PkBQOoi0-OX6Ru8Ji-SqKYZLhZnwVz13vAl1wy5ly3sLhA74OK_EL7GcLr1Ma4URIfqDlcY81mS6iHVuhrI-Fu04xRnvz3p3bcou8rrUccfoUFx9ryE6OQ0leCkJmyJ8zE/s1600-h/P1010763.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVj9RX0Emf3PkBQOoi0-OX6Ru8Ji-SqKYZLhZnwVz13vAl1wy5ly3sLhA74OK_EL7GcLr1Ma4URIfqDlcY81mS6iHVuhrI-Fu04xRnvz3p3bcou8rrUccfoUFx9ryE6OQ0leCkJmyJ8zE/s320/P1010763.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313443536640619842" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5pbX6qvS9SMwnYHPG3yRR2AOqV2N-jqoV93HzzrzXtHbaHMQVdeRGqCtGIFrPdrprNLFgwWxEuhgpPcz49IqPLNIipMS9-XIJQifI2GeWBHapbS6KEFi2Kntu-eTt1gMRye7rZyR3Pc/s1600-h/P1000612.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5pbX6qvS9SMwnYHPG3yRR2AOqV2N-jqoV93HzzrzXtHbaHMQVdeRGqCtGIFrPdrprNLFgwWxEuhgpPcz49IqPLNIipMS9-XIJQifI2GeWBHapbS6KEFi2Kntu-eTt1gMRye7rZyR3Pc/s320/P1000612.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313438044613673170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcKh9wLUh6AZs869aonayCuothsRhFdWXsNnqF7hMlF57N1bzBpkidjALZQgGX8w2M0jkesSMA7mt8Wfgy8As3isGP-8n0RGgCfvzz9dCedZhbiTFyblk9zJ2hqvEuVn-eB8o6WrIXwM/s1600-h/P1000588.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXcKh9wLUh6AZs869aonayCuothsRhFdWXsNnqF7hMlF57N1bzBpkidjALZQgGX8w2M0jkesSMA7mt8Wfgy8As3isGP-8n0RGgCfvzz9dCedZhbiTFyblk9zJ2hqvEuVn-eB8o6WrIXwM/s320/P1000588.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313438058184761458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_Zwcn0wl4X_3QQyh1ssBrQZnsK6nxjWFj7hN7N1Hq6jGdhRWon4jp0JfSBWgoVY6iBOWpQoJHHSDD6HLcOmBBfvjsX32juVWUZCAW2a-i-5D7bdSyl4SufeSJVvBVhwsD3_GOpGOvh4/s320/P1010807.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313443516262900690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUMu8siP6NhV1_IcnlSPzSYWB0u8ZxZOUtocSQ51nbaTBU8EfTu-2uuITv9kEls3LVJsuQC2IT7QEOVj_Y8XOhptEvOXg3ACq-9omC-JX_6rroeGXyMl6BCyvhqgtumA-UE1iwr1q6WA/s320/P1000660.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313443510102374370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNWVe3Ci9ZIL4_m6KJO-_8W71znXbeAfCwWwSEqSmvhFhL34mFsQBoblNU87sFuAhzD0MxXs18DpD_0Nk22QDyPwkYFQtIs-imj8xtHO-2sk4VqSRaVYXkOcS0PzHe6EE3m2TS-DNtJY/s320/P1010817.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313443517839342642" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtrg5m-ralpvxCAAIk4uy54zpsnY4Sdbmu0PhMgDBR62Oc5i9rAtIZkUyHtSo99LLIMrP1ZH08uOx27zuuqawuFnFyNCrmMTEifI3BOY0WG5cT4nCS9RkPRlkU50_kScCYmubnSPvttxg/s320/P1010810.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313443526740561746" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3fmGdoucxeGtnEVAwIT445dV-g9VdBMJ7DIzKK6MZ-NKQRhyJYcXlhBY57DbyusKOOOVDVnagSdj9uJ0VDfn4OEIZoBYifS6x0vQkavoTbQO2wKv9hjoKYcg_Sz4ZnxrlhCcL9xNKfU/s1600-h/P1000667.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3fmGdoucxeGtnEVAwIT445dV-g9VdBMJ7DIzKK6MZ-NKQRhyJYcXlhBY57DbyusKOOOVDVnagSdj9uJ0VDfn4OEIZoBYifS6x0vQkavoTbQO2wKv9hjoKYcg_Sz4ZnxrlhCcL9xNKfU/s320/P1000667.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313448719200534674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div></div></span>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-61431558371259753012009-03-11T07:42:00.000-07:002009-03-11T08:34:56.764-07:00138<div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday was a pretty normal day. I went to Ky Quang in the morning, then had Vietnamese lessons in the afternoon. My actual teacher showed up this time and I am so happy she did because she was a fantastic teacher.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Pic: Jack at Ky Quang</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_-ABLOz8RzzjqlDKD8DiGV1N1_3ljzpyfPW4Anc56f0g-d32AYmEnL3yyzAzgXOsETnYBFp44DG1_14JlmhfHxkvDoPuDey5XmrYHsy7siqiMk04S682zcIcz5_KLjMAElHNPG7-rG0/s1600-h/P1010347.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_-ABLOz8RzzjqlDKD8DiGV1N1_3ljzpyfPW4Anc56f0g-d32AYmEnL3yyzAzgXOsETnYBFp44DG1_14JlmhfHxkvDoPuDey5XmrYHsy7siqiMk04S682zcIcz5_KLjMAElHNPG7-rG0/s320/P1010347.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311949110361693570" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>Instead of trying to teach me phrases like "good afternoon" and "what's your name", which are important to know but not essential, and the alphabet, which is really involved and has lots of exceptions to rules and letters have different sounds when combined with other letters, she decided to teach me something basic and useful. I learned how to say every number through one million and how to say "how much does this cost" and "that's too much". She would say the number in Vietnamese and have me repeat it until I said it right, then she helped me come up with ways to remember the numbers in Vietnamese relative to the way they sound in English( like eight in Vietnamese is Tam, so I remember it by the T in eighT, and Bay means 7, so I think of Buy 7, things like that). Then she would switch back and forth between saying numbers in English and Vietnamese and I would have to translate them. Then she taught me how to say 10, 100, and 1000 and wrote down complicated numbers for me to say in Vietnamese. After an hour I had them down, and I use them all the time so I am getting faster at thinking of them in the moment.</div><div><br /></div><div>1 Mot</div><div>2 Hai</div><div>3 Ba</div><div>4 Bon</div><div>5 Nam</div><div>6 Sau</div><div>7 Bay</div><div>8 Tam</div><div>9 Chin</div><div>10 Muoi</div><div>100 Tram</div><div>1000 Nghin</div><div>1000000 Trieu</div><div><br /></div><div>123,480 would be "mot tram, hai muoi ba nghin, bon tram tam muoi"</div><div><br /></div><div>In the evening I went for a run then showered and went bowling with Cronin (Ireland), Niko, Emma, and Mikaela. It was fairly expensive, about 3 US dollars a game, but we had fun so it was worth it. Niko and I tied for the highest score at 138.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. The Bowling Squad. 2. Emma and I. 3. Sweet kicks Cronin- they barely fit us cause our feet are so big.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXeVYzOcAdS51nFmv6TdXkDs6VWmt1yw8HaehGHQhcpp5XAVcPEB3myyBPXN5y9r-4_AaFWUtxNBfSbXY3he8U5eyNK1PV2YFR4nFXVB2Hg_nAsDii6QwcD9q7NMO9HF-2Eb9wZ4bo78/s1600-h/P1010491.JPG"><br /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlArkOQDRa45z7gt5iekKC0XHnu2raUT_uvEv2smTMOgBFkg7q58Gt6fHtGJhZxBj0D6qzAaadWaNI_sOqluZM3TpHCQhGJFJuOSKaKFLeAx2d9qkHDYPhZeWtWNu8TjOzdCkP1wxi0Mw/s1600-h/P1010502.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlArkOQDRa45z7gt5iekKC0XHnu2raUT_uvEv2smTMOgBFkg7q58Gt6fHtGJhZxBj0D6qzAaadWaNI_sOqluZM3TpHCQhGJFJuOSKaKFLeAx2d9qkHDYPhZeWtWNu8TjOzdCkP1wxi0Mw/s320/P1010502.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311949101705356898" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></span></span></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXeVYzOcAdS51nFmv6TdXkDs6VWmt1yw8HaehGHQhcpp5XAVcPEB3myyBPXN5y9r-4_AaFWUtxNBfSbXY3he8U5eyNK1PV2YFR4nFXVB2Hg_nAsDii6QwcD9q7NMO9HF-2Eb9wZ4bo78/s1600-h/P1010491.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXeVYzOcAdS51nFmv6TdXkDs6VWmt1yw8HaehGHQhcpp5XAVcPEB3myyBPXN5y9r-4_AaFWUtxNBfSbXY3he8U5eyNK1PV2YFR4nFXVB2Hg_nAsDii6QwcD9q7NMO9HF-2Eb9wZ4bo78/s320/P1010491.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311949120402432290" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYsWDVqOhIUAIjztgW3e-DZDI-TRA1hhZLh5nCTXsoxar9co0-1ep4SoEPfKkJ-nfX5iAe5WEHafr7SGaEbO_aItifWFZoHhZLDXd4AHZfKRl97oNpwzBCPZfeFQ2D8nLL8EWZQefXpw/s1600-h/P1010497.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYsWDVqOhIUAIjztgW3e-DZDI-TRA1hhZLh5nCTXsoxar9co0-1ep4SoEPfKkJ-nfX5iAe5WEHafr7SGaEbO_aItifWFZoHhZLDXd4AHZfKRl97oNpwzBCPZfeFQ2D8nLL8EWZQefXpw/s320/P1010497.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311949115008532146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Wednesday I am playing soccer with the Green Bamboo Shelter from 12-3 so should be a good day!<br /></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-14219946818707789322009-03-10T01:41:00.001-07:002009-03-10T01:59:39.001-07:00Sleep Walking<div>I didn't experience Monday morning. My sun burn got so bad sunday evening that when I crawled onto the synthetic sheets on my bed my skin would stick to them. All night I tossed and turned, each movement becoming progressively more painful and making sleep further away. I finally fell asleep sometime after it got light outside and when my alarm sounded I promptly turned it off. I woke up again at 11 or so and grudgingly got out of bed and went for lunch at the peace house. <div><br /></div><div><div>My amazing sunburn. The pic doesn't do it justice cause of the flash...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcB65JfBBIqVqQH_Plg8kyztm-_MJBj4-4eDue-lI7f0-2RL2MtSVGfgdFUAXUqTQhcs7LIRzBWdz3PTmrbM8nqcXUgt0zqQDAuZnP1H_w9PsekfvY7vwv6LQGE__JdEvs107XqXHAww/s1600-h/P1000343.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcB65JfBBIqVqQH_Plg8kyztm-_MJBj4-4eDue-lI7f0-2RL2MtSVGfgdFUAXUqTQhcs7LIRzBWdz3PTmrbM8nqcXUgt0zqQDAuZnP1H_w9PsekfvY7vwv6LQGE__JdEvs107XqXHAww/s320/P1000343.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311479646141647170" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I was a zombie at Ky Quang and didn't do much at all. I brought my camera and let the kids play with it, they are the ones that took all the pictures below. I had made plans to go for a run in the evening but was too tired and instead went to the pool with Katrine, Emma, and Mikaela. The cold water felt really good on my skin, and on the way home I stopped at Big C and bought a bunch of after sun lotion. I went to bed later than I would have liked but still pretty early for me.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div>Pics: 1. Two of the local volunteers and I at Ky Quang. 2. Me feeding one of the kids. 3. Kate playing with some toys she brought the kids. 4. The most capable kid at Ky Quang and I. He is really really smart, I mentioned him before. He figured out the zoom and flash on my camera on his own 3.</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiSv7ETE0TIYqom_SDug5bFi_zAi2Jq1KCj1dWNqBQFQxufGaGfoVmLpY6CmJKVgCkBOwFmnaH-azXS_3alJ0GWskMo4Y3bZaZZNQEh7zMvfXBhB3gRbt9SuZzLEkUmecN7QsD7_aAoY/s1600-h/P1000445.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiSv7ETE0TIYqom_SDug5bFi_zAi2Jq1KCj1dWNqBQFQxufGaGfoVmLpY6CmJKVgCkBOwFmnaH-azXS_3alJ0GWskMo4Y3bZaZZNQEh7zMvfXBhB3gRbt9SuZzLEkUmecN7QsD7_aAoY/s320/P1000445.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311479662151697410" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGn7wTO2H6eJzHIuC1XjBjuyKBLEHhlLey231oIo6_u1DJrIEALyCW88dwJySpxKsCcnc_2tRcCJsVvbl_Oqyo4c71g8vAUBKjRhn3qP23He4m8e2p9c1pkUMWb2z6sOyaK-44iNFVuw0/s1600-h/P1000432.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGn7wTO2H6eJzHIuC1XjBjuyKBLEHhlLey231oIo6_u1DJrIEALyCW88dwJySpxKsCcnc_2tRcCJsVvbl_Oqyo4c71g8vAUBKjRhn3qP23He4m8e2p9c1pkUMWb2z6sOyaK-44iNFVuw0/s320/P1000432.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311479658707682738" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAjXaIzTy51GTx7dJZFa2aK5BVC6_OAs3k4cZ5gkBDs3IaYcT9mcVWLM9lnEmK8LEXWqVQksVC1MkSduAoMjlnRidr2qTAE1T2drksSDdPj_MTA8sz4Py0nPa8MnWK3908vpSLNWo1vE/s1600-h/P1000406.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjAjXaIzTy51GTx7dJZFa2aK5BVC6_OAs3k4cZ5gkBDs3IaYcT9mcVWLM9lnEmK8LEXWqVQksVC1MkSduAoMjlnRidr2qTAE1T2drksSDdPj_MTA8sz4Py0nPa8MnWK3908vpSLNWo1vE/s320/P1000406.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311479654917040562" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUDoNZ-KFixtscb6lD7iNTvYyY-IHHNoUhyphenhyphenpn2NN-81lNzCN3mb-XBlXVRLVSYZbV20IRyHUC-rOr5S2UEE7ROSofKaW0DnQjYBx4V89vMPrkv-3xMIy7jIHv4DalmNXh3aNMGCtxmXs/s1600-h/P1000419.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUDoNZ-KFixtscb6lD7iNTvYyY-IHHNoUhyphenhyphenpn2NN-81lNzCN3mb-XBlXVRLVSYZbV20IRyHUC-rOr5S2UEE7ROSofKaW0DnQjYBx4V89vMPrkv-3xMIy7jIHv4DalmNXh3aNMGCtxmXs/s320/P1000419.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311479647373237474" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div><br /></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-28072196958146775372009-03-08T23:09:00.001-07:002009-03-09T03:30:31.054-07:00Walked Up To Jesus and Went Inside him...<div style="text-align: left;">We woke up at 8 this morning and checked out of the Happy Hotel. Anika and her friend already bought tickets for a hydrofoil back up the Saigon river to HCMC for 12:30, so while I went to the other side of the peninsula to buy my ticket they went to the beach. It was much hotter than the day before and the 2 mile walk to the harbor was excruciating. Having bought my ticket I decided to take a motorbike taxi back to the beach instead of walking and met up with the girls at 9. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Pic: The beach from the bottom of the hill that the statue was on</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVMmt6Zej6TxqHbOZnddC7OSKI8P8T5BEJ7yR0MwzmJ9oYAImD2KUtwoEMfxK4dG6ZLIGvZxuLKoho2RZPP0OEYjRF2UJHpSBVT2eJtzlZDQ-SClW7iNj3v7i-koypO2uzVigghYIptE/s1600-h/P1000367.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVMmt6Zej6TxqHbOZnddC7OSKI8P8T5BEJ7yR0MwzmJ9oYAImD2KUtwoEMfxK4dG6ZLIGvZxuLKoho2RZPP0OEYjRF2UJHpSBVT2eJtzlZDQ-SClW7iNj3v7i-koypO2uzVigghYIptE/s320/P1000367.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311075277163710930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>From the beach I saw a large statue of Jesus on top of the tallest hill by the beach, similar looking to the one in Brazil. Anika told me that they took a motorbike to the foot of the hill the day before and climbed up to it. She said that there is a spiral staircase inside that you can climb up, and the view from the top is incredible, so I decided to take a jog up to it. It was nice to run on the beach instead of HCMC because of the breeze and lower percentage of humidity in the air. I tried to run up all of the stairs to the statue, but pooped out about half way up. There were smaller statues and sculptures on the way up as well as benches that were sponsored by people around the world, including some from Philly, and lots of beautiful flowers. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: The final ascent to Jesus</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdXqjbE17vV-qSzUmZ3KsimngE2jprI-sIqApK6tyu3Ha3iaLGjdhX3okMvfSJ3AcMtwi4ak9srSov2ScN1Q6j0Zq4-KHkK03e9jUTtXyBeGntlKXwwdfgA8GnB12LL-eHCdyYglOsqQ/s1600-h/P1000353.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdXqjbE17vV-qSzUmZ3KsimngE2jprI-sIqApK6tyu3Ha3iaLGjdhX3okMvfSJ3AcMtwi4ak9srSov2ScN1Q6j0Zq4-KHkK03e9jUTtXyBeGntlKXwwdfgA8GnB12LL-eHCdyYglOsqQ/s320/P1000353.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311075268614994434" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div>At the top I was instructed to take my shoes off before entering Jesus's feet, and once inside I had to climb up into a room that had lots of framed paintings of Jesus. Upon further inspection I realized that they were actually posters of paintings, which I found amusing. I climbed up the narrow spiral staircase, just barely able to pass the people going down, and 100 some feet later was at the top, just outside of Jesus' neck. The view was incredible, I didn't realize the beach town was so big. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Looking down the stairs I just climbed up. I am probably in Jesus' esophagus. </div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxoEq4INaZv2QyaWHX_HtOIVTHYbgju7weVYOpA0zH2rsn2qf_i3euXRCQ44Zj_Ny5rV0uCwHaO0x_N9KeSIEuZ4JTLV7IEyvH38ueegxw_6igdiBDCQ_eTAwQPoJlrkl7C5DQm9T4Dw/s1600-h/P1000364.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxoEq4INaZv2QyaWHX_HtOIVTHYbgju7weVYOpA0zH2rsn2qf_i3euXRCQ44Zj_Ny5rV0uCwHaO0x_N9KeSIEuZ4JTLV7IEyvH38ueegxw_6igdiBDCQ_eTAwQPoJlrkl7C5DQm9T4Dw/s320/P1000364.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311075288791639138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>I ran back to the beach after descending back down through Jesus and laid around for an hour before we walked to the harbor to catch the boat. It was much busier Sunday than Saturday and vendors were selling anything and everything that comes out of the the sea (including whole dried squid, sea snails, clams, and fish) from an assortment of mobile carts, including bicycles, motorbikes, shoulder straps, carts, etc. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: 1. A woman selling corn from a basket on her bicycle. 2. Anika and I in front of the harbor.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju1soiyQdOwIOK2HuFjH6BaKDW9FOBSTigM9-rK9t6cVbDR5w_C6bX_f015TXKuMwX9nLE2BIxuD0zk0ImGmjzQ8smjeJHCUfrpTzBBruQ1TwtpY5VuEX5wusf7Y5g4wom70ws4WsUp0/s1600-h/P1000374.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjju1soiyQdOwIOK2HuFjH6BaKDW9FOBSTigM9-rK9t6cVbDR5w_C6bX_f015TXKuMwX9nLE2BIxuD0zk0ImGmjzQ8smjeJHCUfrpTzBBruQ1TwtpY5VuEX5wusf7Y5g4wom70ws4WsUp0/s320/P1000374.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311075338096571682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiuiuCruhGph8sa6mHnEqR6H23UUy1imv-EZEKYKv4vNrOoD8FaetimyLt_fJu3JCl7V2r5A4e94uE4r3KZPmpIF4ZGcHOoLV531vC2d7dU72F5VUf7Eu68N_r3rAzEERvs0ZYPwrc2E/s1600-h/P1000384.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyiuiuCruhGph8sa6mHnEqR6H23UUy1imv-EZEKYKv4vNrOoD8FaetimyLt_fJu3JCl7V2r5A4e94uE4r3KZPmpIF4ZGcHOoLV531vC2d7dU72F5VUf7Eu68N_r3rAzEERvs0ZYPwrc2E/s320/P1000384.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311075283572306786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div>We got on the hydrofoil at 12:30 and started our journey back. After a half hour the boat stopped and I looked out side to see why and saw black smoke billowing from the engines. They told us that another one was to come pick us up and in half an hour it did. We arrived in HCMC nearly at 3, when I went home to do my laundry and then relaxed for the rest of the day. <br /></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-15103394658630014152009-03-08T07:07:00.000-07:002009-03-08T08:28:45.965-07:00First Experiences At Vung Tau Beach<div style="text-align: left;">After struggling to wake up at 6 Saturday morning I met up with Niko and we took the bus to the Green Bamboo Boys shelter in District 1. The 7 boys were ready to go; they were chosen from the 21 based on their behavior during the past week. There were 4 other volunteers in addition to Niko and I, all in Vietnam through other organizations. Niko has been volunteering there for a month already and knows the other volunteers and the kids well. <br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>The 13 of us walked to the charter bus company's office and waited for our bus to arrive. The kids were really riled up because most of them had never even seen the ocean before, not to mention played in it. As soon as we got on the bus I took out my camera to snap a picture of Niko and a couple of the boys, and that was the last time I held my camera for the rest of the day. The kids were obsessed with it, I had to delete around 150 pictures after I got it back. They did take some that were pretty good though, which I am putting on facebook. One of the kids, named Than, threw up a few minutes into the ride. Luckily he found a bag first, so only a little got on the bus, but the bus driver refused to pull over, so we had to throw the bag out a window.</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Niko and two of the boys. 2. Than and I, a minute before he threw up.</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8t9QSxbTSXG9BA5DsdqLOZkprgpQbPMU9gr3S9XuRbm_EhwsRzwUCG-i8g_s_ibrG8VB-eIfwI5TKLWi3k4r_TOvOEawAmer-7fZvcByIGzuAvFfLq_AZUoHBx7Rew9UdqP8G-1-HJ8/s1600-h/P1000234.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8t9QSxbTSXG9BA5DsdqLOZkprgpQbPMU9gr3S9XuRbm_EhwsRzwUCG-i8g_s_ibrG8VB-eIfwI5TKLWi3k4r_TOvOEawAmer-7fZvcByIGzuAvFfLq_AZUoHBx7Rew9UdqP8G-1-HJ8/s320/P1000234.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310827472631492786" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkoRp4pBiGhW93_3A0P7IXp1uEY_SzXyVl13TnqgKyCa5gOccwcOU7uLBWFTQbhN_Loo2UHm6djr3LOUcsvK-cp5dpANJsUhO5F5RIqSBnRFy6-bn4dO_Ho7lwR37tbARJCfXQZDEuU0/s1600-h/P1000245.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkoRp4pBiGhW93_3A0P7IXp1uEY_SzXyVl13TnqgKyCa5gOccwcOU7uLBWFTQbhN_Loo2UHm6djr3LOUcsvK-cp5dpANJsUhO5F5RIqSBnRFy6-bn4dO_Ho7lwR37tbARJCfXQZDEuU0/s320/P1000245.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310827473891886754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>We arrived at the beach in just under 2 hours, and as soon as the kids saw the ocean their eyes doubled in size and they immediately discarded their bags and clothing into a big pile and sprinted into the water. I followed suit, and for the next 3 hours Niko and I played with them- none of the other volunteers wanted to go in. We rented them inner tubes and floated around until going to lunch at 1. We went back in the water for another couple hours before the bus picked everyone up at 4. The oldest kid, Anh, was stung by a jellyfish so Haley, one of the other volunteers, and I went to a pharmacy to get him anti itch cream and medication. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Two of the kids running back to us after jumping in the ocean for the first time. 2. Vung Tau beach</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8hWDQB6xFNkM_Lr3IE-4brWUFnW9058KCLTym4rwPU6kym-Atke-BsXfYi60NHU0eAoPxlwSSLSwSiZIN60I-lMt0zxDSuy6PpHoOxezV7898vrjXKVCjQVyIG6QnGTYSAjPYN8V3iA/s1600-h/P1000256.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8hWDQB6xFNkM_Lr3IE-4brWUFnW9058KCLTym4rwPU6kym-Atke-BsXfYi60NHU0eAoPxlwSSLSwSiZIN60I-lMt0zxDSuy6PpHoOxezV7898vrjXKVCjQVyIG6QnGTYSAjPYN8V3iA/s320/P1000256.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310827483190013042" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1ggfc9L5GNb2_bZnef-4mw3A77v-RE_eeyJXMQO6N_-nyPpmH61FLiCnVbglDYxEnPCYQVwtlaPoLjPzu0ynY02EJJkNBNcPJdM8GyM2mJD9y-7WbxKzITXiQDfV4rJF7xXKiAVN7W4/s1600-h/P1000336.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1ggfc9L5GNb2_bZnef-4mw3A77v-RE_eeyJXMQO6N_-nyPpmH61FLiCnVbglDYxEnPCYQVwtlaPoLjPzu0ynY02EJJkNBNcPJdM8GyM2mJD9y-7WbxKzITXiQDfV4rJF7xXKiAVN7W4/s320/P1000336.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310827502157793682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Earlier in the week I asked Niko if they needed me to return with them or if it would be okay for me to stay another day and she said that it shouldn't be a problem. Anika (Germany) and a friend of hers from home that has been visiting her also went to Vung Tau for the weekend, so we discussed possibly meeting up in the evening. Once I saw how beautiful it was on the beach I decided I was definitely going to stay and I phoned Anika to tell her. She told me that they had rented a motorbike and driven up the coast and wouldn't get back till 6, so I had a couple hours after the kids and other volunteers left to lay on the beach by myself while watching the sun go down. It was beautiful yet surreal sitting there, I can't believe that just 10 days ago I was in the bay area, and I really can't believe that I still have 3 months out here. Amazing. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pic: Dusk looming over Vung Tau beach</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYPSfXQkWXB1W95mTTOQWdXCFjoNm0AeUtMDnpGsfBVPSBL-N5YlE7Y7l1bvlvguoKvU0W-ZHxBAcCpHPKxm6GN8UF7W_PKqi5zwVSsR8aaHNGivfyUzfixpHbER2EUbNDnV8WEhP9TY/s1600-h/P1000340.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYPSfXQkWXB1W95mTTOQWdXCFjoNm0AeUtMDnpGsfBVPSBL-N5YlE7Y7l1bvlvguoKvU0W-ZHxBAcCpHPKxm6GN8UF7W_PKqi5zwVSsR8aaHNGivfyUzfixpHbER2EUbNDnV8WEhP9TY/s320/P1000340.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310827492359963186" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Anika, her friend, and I checked into the hotel, the Happy Hotel, then went out to get dinner. Afterwards we walked around for a couple hours. We went to the bay to look at the boats, walked through the main drag of the town, and got coconut ice cream, which we took to a park to eat. We went back to the hotel and crashed at 10:30. The only remotely bad thing that happened to me all day was getting severely sunburnt, despite putting on 50 spf sunscreen in the morning and 30 after lunch. I was really happy to be in real cotton sheets on a real bed in a room with AC, I don't know how I will sleep on my metal cot with the synthetic sheets and only a fan on Sunday night.<br /></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-38249655157340746272009-03-08T04:50:00.000-07:002009-03-08T08:29:46.876-07:00Of Talent Shows and Dancing...<div style="text-align: left;">Friday morning I went to Thi Nghe orphanage as usual, although it was no normal day. People were setting up a stage and a canopy for a talent show/pageant put on by the older children. Niko and I went upstairs and took some kids out of their cribs to lay on the mats. After an hour I took a toddler outside to watch the show. The contestants were paired up with volunteers with whom they had worked out skits, songs, poems, etc. to perform. There were maybe 200 children watching intently, which surprised me. The baby I had brought down, however, was more interested in watching the crowd than the show, and after an hour seemed to get pretty bored so I brought her back upstairs, then went down to help feed the older children. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Baby and I at the Talent show. 2. The talent show</div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iM98we4U0cGK-4zzKt2jT939y0uQvjftzckpXToPr16KJpPqPJPOL-bU-bn01a-PX8D3A-4CtkpiBkgCn3bQUveHYNZ4s3Tz7-i_rJ7raDUPoS_Nhk0vcEagEDtLjuG8DvV-U1rRXmI/s1600-h/P1000189.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iM98we4U0cGK-4zzKt2jT939y0uQvjftzckpXToPr16KJpPqPJPOL-bU-bn01a-PX8D3A-4CtkpiBkgCn3bQUveHYNZ4s3Tz7-i_rJ7raDUPoS_Nhk0vcEagEDtLjuG8DvV-U1rRXmI/s320/P1000189.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310819079087566146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOr9FsQYa9vK1CHO9a99Uzz4_KX0TIle6XSl-CLmbL9_BekiHzyuYyQDzFA9CbUuWh1QNisp8e0Oq2chadAS6vsijg4jTqalnS-BsRKAfWhzM04946GEYNt0zuCFzmxKD5fleXT8uIFE/s1600-h/P1000187.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOr9FsQYa9vK1CHO9a99Uzz4_KX0TIle6XSl-CLmbL9_BekiHzyuYyQDzFA9CbUuWh1QNisp8e0Oq2chadAS6vsijg4jTqalnS-BsRKAfWhzM04946GEYNt0zuCFzmxKD5fleXT8uIFE/s320/P1000187.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310819076541470130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>In the afternoon I went to Ky Quang and had a pretty standard day there, nothing exciting happened. I came back to the PH to meet Jay (Maryland), Emma, and Mikaela for a sunset cocktail at the Rex Hotel's rooftop bar. We were all late, however, so we went to get burgers in the backpacker district instead- I can only eat so much Pho and other Vietnamese food, it was a nice break to have a cheeseburger with fries. After dinner we went to a hookah bar for drinks and some shisha, then played pool at GO2 bar for a bit before going dancing at Apocalypse Now, a popular club. Dancing was a blast, the place was packed with foreigners and locals alike. Locals would come and dance with us and would get really wild. I left at 1 because I had to get up at 6:30 to meet up with Niko and the boys from the Green Bamboo shelter to go to Vung Tau beach for the day. All in all a great night, I really like hanging out with the Swedish girls, they are easy going and spontaneous. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. At the Hookah Bar. 2. Playing pool at GO2 3. Mikaela dancing with local woman- so much fun. The woman was prancing around and screaming at the top of her lungs.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sjm7cBAS0YOD911y59V3EPaqlMGKNgT3peRbRzT1MteORRFK7MIDGZHEbXGHdn5vnpT2IE0LpYwS_J7ZkOZ20Rj3oHJB3JDOoJIMbWAPl7KKkSnWR0kGn0o1_L6DZxv8stwQWeqOCvs/s1600-h/P1000211.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_sjm7cBAS0YOD911y59V3EPaqlMGKNgT3peRbRzT1MteORRFK7MIDGZHEbXGHdn5vnpT2IE0LpYwS_J7ZkOZ20Rj3oHJB3JDOoJIMbWAPl7KKkSnWR0kGn0o1_L6DZxv8stwQWeqOCvs/s320/P1000211.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310819092932964226" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteChVPpqQORlJN0r0nQhZGL3PXrmFTq-VJyUINTi07NqAnMVsJOwmrEfYNB2pgP3YqXOcajVdX9wmxdcqc_Id_K8-p9FwLEGW9p6JpyNeLPDrDgPDnYkM9xITY8eKP2Yuvy6sEOm0yzE/s1600-h/P1000217.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteChVPpqQORlJN0r0nQhZGL3PXrmFTq-VJyUINTi07NqAnMVsJOwmrEfYNB2pgP3YqXOcajVdX9wmxdcqc_Id_K8-p9FwLEGW9p6JpyNeLPDrDgPDnYkM9xITY8eKP2Yuvy6sEOm0yzE/s320/P1000217.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310819098124172226" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIr2qfzlLvRqi-Rcyt90ngVX8N0_cZQz98Y66BhGaV64y4iXx5KgAWQR_q8KZ4vIXNlskzs_KEVuLvHryUUHQwyvUnpfe3RE41RoAZcsU6tSv32jM6ep45qr0sxnlhd_ZL39oYdmAwZ5g/s1600-h/P1000227.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIr2qfzlLvRqi-Rcyt90ngVX8N0_cZQz98Y66BhGaV64y4iXx5KgAWQR_q8KZ4vIXNlskzs_KEVuLvHryUUHQwyvUnpfe3RE41RoAZcsU6tSv32jM6ep45qr0sxnlhd_ZL39oYdmAwZ5g/s320/P1000227.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310819088802848066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-8912348012793393342009-03-06T01:59:00.000-08:002009-03-06T02:56:48.788-08:00A Better Understanding<div style="text-align: left;">In the morning I ate breakfast and went to Thi Nghe with Judy (Australia), Gordon (Canada), and Sylvia (Switzerland). We went to the usual room on the second story and played with the kids for a while. After an hour a nun named Sister Mary came up to me and said that she had never seem me before and asked if I would I like a tour. She took me around the whole campus and explained to me about each area. It turns out the there are actually 2 C shaped building connected at a corner, and both are for disabled children. Unlike what I had been told at the PH there are only disabled children at Thi Nghe. She told me that there are 400 children total, and their handicaps vary a lot. The wing that we generally go to is for severely handicapped children that will never have the ability to learn in a classroom setting and generally can't walk or talk. They are broken down into age groups, the younger being upstairs and the older on the lower level. The middle wing houses the ICU and all of the kids that are extremely handicapped or sick; most of these kids will die soon. The third wing has a sowing shop where employees make clothes and diapers for the kids, a kitchen where they prep a lot of the food, and the administrative offices. The C shape building I didn't know existed is for older kids that can learn, many of whom have down syndrome or mild autism and can communicate and get around on there own. Many of these children will be going to a government run work facility once they turn 18, although they can choose not to. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Pics: 1. One of the C shape buildings at Thi Nghe 2. The younger kids crib room at Thi Nghe</div><div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9vFMkeKuTmuvUJkGaDiu_VZw_x7Q3A0lRCkJZ7mqHCdIPT4CPxnWDran0FGow8xLMgDkyCUt78xLXQEyS7Y92Q0YvSn8_1u9b_he8UvXbR0Mn1fyAtPh5A_3zys3lTuOMEdFwChXHcs/s1600-h/P1000184.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9vFMkeKuTmuvUJkGaDiu_VZw_x7Q3A0lRCkJZ7mqHCdIPT4CPxnWDran0FGow8xLMgDkyCUt78xLXQEyS7Y92Q0YvSn8_1u9b_he8UvXbR0Mn1fyAtPh5A_3zys3lTuOMEdFwChXHcs/s320/P1000184.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310025374328244338" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz9kHlihjSb5W-mUTpNg4egW0pG5m02hv1yHcMQiWHifWWaALq94txFb1UyyMZGz0Smms4l5S9YdxHByLTlo80atSusQRHVY5Llc9-u0RVH9DGIj04Mioh9eKWMFidJ2l2KxAjKnVkXo/s1600-h/P1000185.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz9kHlihjSb5W-mUTpNg4egW0pG5m02hv1yHcMQiWHifWWaALq94txFb1UyyMZGz0Smms4l5S9YdxHByLTlo80atSusQRHVY5Llc9-u0RVH9DGIj04Mioh9eKWMFidJ2l2KxAjKnVkXo/s320/P1000185.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310025375846859106" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>She told me about the history of the facility. It was opened by the government with the help of a catholic convent in the mid 70's. Many of the kids birth defects are a result of Agent Orange, which has a half life of 40 years and is only now starting to go away. There are 5 nuns, including her, that oversee the facility and all of the other women are employees. There are no men that work there except the two security guards at the gate. At the end of the tour we ended up in the same wing that I have been working in. She told me that no one visits the older kids, who are severely handicapped (the younger ones are much, much cuter) and asked me if I would help with the feeding there instead of upstairs. I agreed, and I am glad that I did. The kids upstairs have been difficult to feed because like most kids they just want to play and are easily distracted. The kids downstairs range from 14 to 21, and just like any adolescent growing boys get really hungry. When it was time to eat they got really excited and started howling until they were fed, and feeding them was really easy. As fast as I could get food on the spoon the kid I was feeding had already swallowed the previous bite and was ready for the next. Also, the women that worked down there really appreciated the help. I think that I will keep going down there.<br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>After lunch at the PH I went to Ky Quong and played with the same kid that I did the day before. We did more of the same activities, nothing notable happened there. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Playroom at Ky Quong. 2. The kid I have been talking about and me. 3. Two of the younger kids on a seesaw </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RhE3zCOZ6i7zM1UC46Ul3BkJiyoJN1gyv3R-V2iecD5fXb-WzTjeiXPVpZJ1x9s2l7q0Uc6Ey2I510ahEh2rERH4sN1SGWtnAn4u9oue6AsJNympiOi2Ee9GKVvwnaomca4gQmeuxlU/s1600-h/P1000209.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RhE3zCOZ6i7zM1UC46Ul3BkJiyoJN1gyv3R-V2iecD5fXb-WzTjeiXPVpZJ1x9s2l7q0Uc6Ey2I510ahEh2rERH4sN1SGWtnAn4u9oue6AsJNympiOi2Ee9GKVvwnaomca4gQmeuxlU/s320/P1000209.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310025367063591682" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG76S9jQFPjo5O8OUkL6EFZD0aIO6inLZxSX1-d0QuNSFhXfk_7jOCQnSDWY8M2HhW4lS4c7nJl-cv__-3iDYUuZRT2coUq6XGDhVdc0h7KA8zpcsC-4nSZYEuXAvAcUQS7Pmc632j8E/s1600-h/P1000202.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrG76S9jQFPjo5O8OUkL6EFZD0aIO6inLZxSX1-d0QuNSFhXfk_7jOCQnSDWY8M2HhW4lS4c7nJl-cv__-3iDYUuZRT2coUq6XGDhVdc0h7KA8zpcsC-4nSZYEuXAvAcUQS7Pmc632j8E/s320/P1000202.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310025354767529138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rs7TT9JwMsX3Nz5FgU7v02HrTNyrLwiUZISz3fzOY8sHXh1vBtih_IOzMgxgA5B_p2PQjNlKUfoQ3Lc-12KTbF0iiqTHi1d4eTYUE0X8AT8QYgP1WhjWNzFmPGcLdt7tVyadDnMPU_w/s1600-h/P1000206.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rs7TT9JwMsX3Nz5FgU7v02HrTNyrLwiUZISz3fzOY8sHXh1vBtih_IOzMgxgA5B_p2PQjNlKUfoQ3Lc-12KTbF0iiqTHi1d4eTYUE0X8AT8QYgP1WhjWNzFmPGcLdt7tVyadDnMPU_w/s320/P1000206.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310025366914249458" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>When I got back I went for a run with the Swedes in the park then went for a smoothie with them and Katrine. It was still so hot at 7 that Katrine and I decided to go to the pool that I went to earlier in the week. I thought that I knew the way but when we were where I thought it was I decided that the street didn't look familiar so we turned around and walked further down the street for 30 minutes, only for me to again decide that we were not in the right place. I was a little embarrassed and was really apologetic to Katrine, but she said not to worry about it. On the way back to the PH I asked her if she would mind checking where I had originally thought it was. She said ok, and we turned onto that street again and walked for maybe 20 more feet than the previous time and there it was. We walked in at 7:40, but they wouldn't let us swim because the pool closed at 8. So frustrating, but at least I got to hang out with Katrine and get to know her a little. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Afterwards I played Vietnamese Deuces (a card game) for a bit then went to sleep. I am definitely going to the beach with the street kids on Saturday and maybe meeting up with Anika and her friend and spending the night there so I can relax on the beach for sunday as well. I probably won't get a chance to write till Sunday....</div></div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-60475093911332821142009-03-05T07:15:00.000-08:002009-03-05T08:05:20.475-08:00A Change of PaceMy day again began at Ky Quong, and the kids were much more mellow than the day before. When I arrived one of the workers asked me to take care of one of the older kids who was having a rough day and I consented. To be completely honest, I have been sticking to playing with the more active kids at the orphanages thus far. I find it much easier to run around, rough house, and play ball with capable kids than to sit and color with those more disabled. My time with this kid completely changed that. <div><br /></div><div>He has one eye that is deformed and permanently closed, his legs and arms are not fully developed, his joints are malformed such that his hands and feet are pointing in the wrong direction, and he is unable to speak and can barely see. He is not able to walk, however has gotten quite good at using his wrists and knees to drag himself around. He also is quite smart and determined. </div><div><br /></div><div>Once I made friends with him and he felt comfortable around me he decided that he wanted to clean up all the trash in the room. He held my hand and took me around the room, collected the trash and handing it to me. He then led me to the trash can, which was a few feet high, and directed my hand with the trash towards it. I realized that he liked to put things in their place, so we went to the toy shelf and picked out a tube that contained a puzzle and also a rack of donut- shaped blocks. He dumped out all of the puzzle pieces and donuts on the floor then took my hand and used it to pick up all the pieces and place them back in the tube. After they were all returned he dumped them out again, but this time I convinced him that he could use his own fingers to pick up the pieces (with me helping them into his hand without him knowing). After a while he was in fact doing it completely on his own. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another kid who has a mild case of down syndrome came over and decided that he wanted to actually do the puzzle, so all three of us hunkered down for the task. The whole time I was there I was sitting with those two kids, and afterwards I felt much more accomplished than I had the other days playing with the moderately disabled children. I now am much less intimidated by severe physical deformity and am realizing that almost all of these kids are still intelligent and capable, if only within their individual constraints. <div><br /></div><div>After lunch at the peace house I went with Nico and Katrine (Danish girls) to Tre Xanh (Vietnamese for Green Bamboo), a shelter for street kids. Despite my positive experiences in the morning, it was very refreshing to be around kids sans birth defects. There are 21 kids living in the shelter but just over half were at school for the afternoon. The kids ranged in age from 5 to 15 and were all fun, smart, and kind. They played well together and with the volunteers; they didn't get into any fights or arguments. One of the older ones, Tham, speaks english incredibly well and acts as a translator between the kids and volunteers. All of the children were eager to learn english and voluntarily got our their notebooks to ask us about the pronunciation of difficult words. Also, many of the kids came from dysfunctional and or abusive families and are happy to be at the house instead. As a result, they have become one another's family, and the older kids take care of and discipline the younger. I talked to Nico and Andy about it, and I think that I am going to spend 3 days a week there. This Saturday we are going to take the kids who behaved well this week to the beach, which is about an hour away. I am ecstatic, first of all to go to the beach, but also because I can't wait to see these kids outside of the home. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the evening Emma, Mikaela, Jay, Leigh, and I were taken to a popular tea house called -18C by a guy named Boh and another girl, who's name I forget. It was pretty cool to go to a local hang out spot, although the customers were mainly teenagers. We got back at 10 and I went to bed. Overall a great day to be in HCMC, I am so happy to be here.</div></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-57573267769443471862009-03-03T21:38:00.000-08:002009-03-05T17:02:35.784-08:00Day 6- Water Puppet Show<div style="text-align: left;">Yesterday started as usual- a cold shower, meet at the PH at 8, then Ky Quang orphanage for the morning. The kids were really riled up and going crazy and we had a really hard time with them. They were fighting over books and toys and hitting and kicking each other, especially hitting the more disabled and defenseless kids. They made a game out of it and had to be severely scolded, although discipline doesn't really work on them. They have to be placed in their cribs so that they can't interact with the other kids if it gets really bad. They even started spitting on each other. I generally like this orphanage over Thi Nghe because the kids are more active but yesterday took a lot out of me. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We went back to the PH for lunch afterwards, then Jack and I went to the sports complex to see about signing up for the gym there. We asked for it by making obnoxious gestures of lifting weights and got a shake of the head as a response, although Ken told us that they have a gym. When we told him we couldn't find it he told us he would come the next time to translate. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the afternoon I had my first Vietnamese lesson at the PH. My teacher didn't show up so another girl who was hanging out volunteered to step in. We reviewed the alphabet, which is the same as ours except for omitting Z and J, although the letters have somewhat different sounds. Then we wrote down some basic conversational phrases like "good morning" and "what is your name" and translated them into Vietnamese. I couldn't even pronounce the words not to mention memorize how they sound. </div><div><br /></div><div>Whereas germanic and latin- based languages use the tongue and lips to speak, Vietnamese uses the chest and throat. It is written using English letters but also has accents that direct how to say it: either raising or lowering the tone at the end, raising then lowering it, or any combination of these. Every combination of letters has 6 possible meanings depending on the type of accent used and where it is placed, and the meanings are completely unrelated. It is not going to be easy to learn Vietnamese.</div><div><br /></div><div>My teacher, who's name I forget, said a phrase and I repeated it. Once she realized I couldn't say the words right she broke the sounds into syllables for me to practice. I eventually was able to make the individual sounds but when it came time to put them together I struggled again. She would pronounce a word and I would repeat it in what I thought was the same way but she would correct me, and I still didn't hear the difference. So frustrating.</div><div>Pic: My teacher and I after the lesson</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUY46aNHVmdwiYSDE0zAZbC4Bk4tHoTY8VNTKsV-sYJim8AKBOu0FnBNhZB132XhGE6_LH8OZu3RWG0r_zKwXea1oRSVv25F8DrIo2HALe93_3Nqq9_LGMD1HZFvjr10rB53ForSUzJc/s1600-h/P1000149.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUY46aNHVmdwiYSDE0zAZbC4Bk4tHoTY8VNTKsV-sYJim8AKBOu0FnBNhZB132XhGE6_LH8OZu3RWG0r_zKwXea1oRSVv25F8DrIo2HALe93_3Nqq9_LGMD1HZFvjr10rB53ForSUzJc/s320/P1000149.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309217528618198498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>After the lesson Mikaela, Emma, and I went to a nearby park to go for a run. It was about a kilometer around, and we ran around it 5 times. Because of the pollution and humidity I was drenched and short of breath after the first lap, but I felt really good afterwards. We were told by Minh and KEn that we had to run in the park as opposed to around the neighborhood because if you run in the streets the police will think you did something wrong and chase after you.</div><div><br /></div><div>I ate dinner and showered, then most of the volunteers and I went to District 1 to a water puppet show. It cost about 4 dollars to get in, and upon entering I again felt like I just overpaid for another tourist trap. The stage looked cheesy and the seating looked too new and comfortable for the experience to be authentic. The performance lacked a story line, but I again was proved wrong. The live music was fantastic, and the musicians looked very enthusiastic. The stage was a pool of water with a structure built behind it and there were green screens just above the water. The puppets moved with very elegant movements, and I spent much of the show trying to figure out how they did it. I believe that the puppets were on long sticks that had different levers and strings that made their hands, feet, tails, etc. move, however I could not figure out how they made the puppets move past each other without the sticks bumping into each other or getting intertwined. I was exhausted by the end of the show and went home to sleep early.</div><div>Pics: 1. The dance of the fairies. 2. Half of the musicians 3. The fisherman catching a fish</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwja-k5LBTlNrKR6AXGvBqDIl3QWKUxf7TWOf-xkR5Vr8bjz0a5tIHrU2DV45FpVcH49q6vGd5otg3TV2ogx9jtzecak4ltr1nBeEM8bXI4Rh4DX4HE4vDqDmOIqXiADtMk0k_oQVcKA4/s1600-h/P1000168.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwja-k5LBTlNrKR6AXGvBqDIl3QWKUxf7TWOf-xkR5Vr8bjz0a5tIHrU2DV45FpVcH49q6vGd5otg3TV2ogx9jtzecak4ltr1nBeEM8bXI4Rh4DX4HE4vDqDmOIqXiADtMk0k_oQVcKA4/s320/P1000168.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309217529973023010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiNWhXLpmnVRhlRZij1tK60e_ljvKuxTkYtG-kLOh6m_BKeUHW0P12oNWCyerbnTrpIyFkd4XWCFmk2_SUIdkjg5kgJgdzOCvMA171n_bIMOXOSIo6cButXPLM9GI0Hli3fQs_YFwqCk/s1600-h/P1000170.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiNWhXLpmnVRhlRZij1tK60e_ljvKuxTkYtG-kLOh6m_BKeUHW0P12oNWCyerbnTrpIyFkd4XWCFmk2_SUIdkjg5kgJgdzOCvMA171n_bIMOXOSIo6cButXPLM9GI0Hli3fQs_YFwqCk/s320/P1000170.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309217521363750418" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBrfE8W6yBvP_L2b6Cb2CRlvFD6InJ6gRkzj-CR3I6cijpECNEtFIw_rrQuyJMG489Hq3zz9V4qv_DoRuw9lWwRMb1nGNPzKM1sOvc5EuiAK9fXuv5kfptNoRfBL4uYjwiHuaIaG1aec/s1600-h/P1000169.JPG"><br /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAKE6_03GMi99BWZiGHEPbSxGkLOTqE0-g0U37b-wpubcDqUaY-jHe7Mx64d2X0c2cQcrcH4g1Utxwfuc3j87pyDK15ZhB-Rv3K6UjveF1rF-v_L0HeU7YPrXBwNOcvu-mPGH9ZlpP84/s1600-h/P1000167.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAKE6_03GMi99BWZiGHEPbSxGkLOTqE0-g0U37b-wpubcDqUaY-jHe7Mx64d2X0c2cQcrcH4g1Utxwfuc3j87pyDK15ZhB-Rv3K6UjveF1rF-v_L0HeU7YPrXBwNOcvu-mPGH9ZlpP84/s320/P1000167.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309217518060232658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>I also took some pictures of the house dog, Abu, the chef, and the food we get at every meal. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Coba the cook 2. Coba putting bunny ears on Ken while he naps 3. The spread of food we get twice daily 4. Abu on my lap. She is an awesome little dog </div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlt4_jX9k2FCDXrYVgCi2zggV36vJBpmfIoTdqoyQY6nlH7vpL4fhWJ40eXkjhok_dwpV_51NL6FGLpJGFr1alAoZ4U1b3yYgr7p0mscJU-nfWNm9M060eF7DiHpvbGvTSJ65MLET2Po/s1600-h/P1000175.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlt4_jX9k2FCDXrYVgCi2zggV36vJBpmfIoTdqoyQY6nlH7vpL4fhWJ40eXkjhok_dwpV_51NL6FGLpJGFr1alAoZ4U1b3yYgr7p0mscJU-nfWNm9M060eF7DiHpvbGvTSJ65MLET2Po/s320/P1000175.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309211555903912946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8BMAIhT8KsVELDdunEMjVeiihoGzbg3O3HFwNjuquG7Xm46_Seob24lVdppZ9_wf0CsTjNksxQCh14t4kGGzE2Een6gMuL7Dhwv49_NEhWLBL6MZYhAzkZT602YAJ_FAyfrY1MxDdoY/s1600-h/P1000176.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8BMAIhT8KsVELDdunEMjVeiihoGzbg3O3HFwNjuquG7Xm46_Seob24lVdppZ9_wf0CsTjNksxQCh14t4kGGzE2Een6gMuL7Dhwv49_NEhWLBL6MZYhAzkZT602YAJ_FAyfrY1MxDdoY/s320/P1000176.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309211559333915378" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHoO38qTSzXXv4xqQQ7BDF4-EbPD_Si2_v5Hu7HijiKumPr6FGTADm0s_tdQBawNzYc38yu_nAUSbdm43xR4zWNXOz2mXV9hoAmTRzWtTGLj7o-JcDSkSNPBWSAacEN3oI-lRllS2pLg/s1600-h/P1000173.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHoO38qTSzXXv4xqQQ7BDF4-EbPD_Si2_v5Hu7HijiKumPr6FGTADm0s_tdQBawNzYc38yu_nAUSbdm43xR4zWNXOz2mXV9hoAmTRzWtTGLj7o-JcDSkSNPBWSAacEN3oI-lRllS2pLg/s320/P1000173.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309211562176023890" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLwszinkIOxfU4HHF4lhdVgVvRRwcf9v5fB0JjmGALpz3PIVDWLhitw2Rk3RQB5RQNZaQ0vGDFaoURli-7nqL6f7fxtL3U1xouYPmUCcOCGWiqRPChHXswCjipcLwgKtbFxv5qJkp3JE/s1600-h/P1000181.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQLwszinkIOxfU4HHF4lhdVgVvRRwcf9v5fB0JjmGALpz3PIVDWLhitw2Rk3RQB5RQNZaQ0vGDFaoURli-7nqL6f7fxtL3U1xouYPmUCcOCGWiqRPChHXswCjipcLwgKtbFxv5qJkp3JE/s320/P1000181.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309211562604182066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-47647103368244536172009-03-02T07:08:00.000-08:002009-03-02T21:27:10.108-08:00Orientation and First Day of VolunteeringThis morning I woke up at 7:30 to go meet with the program coordinator, Andy, and the 5 other volunteers that arrived over the weekend. He went over all the ins and outs of the program and gave us a walking tour of the area. Andy is from England and was a volunteer in Hanoi for a while, then liked it so much that he stayed and eventually was asked to go to HCMC to help start the program here. The new volunteers are Defne and Jack from Australia, Judy from Australia but born in Taiwan, Gordon of Ontario (who is full of "aboots" and "eys" and is 61 years old), Cronin of Ireland, and Catherine of Denmark. <div><br /></div><div>Afterwards we had lunch and then I set off for the Ky Quang orphanage (at the monastery). I am starting to get used to working with the kids and I am getting to know which kids like to do what. Today, however, I found the room where the kids live that have the birth defect where their heads grow to be about twice as large as normal. Hearing them moan and just lay there was pretty shocking, it felt like a scifi movie.</div><div><br /></div><div>Afterwards I came back to the PH and had a bit of food before going to the local swimming pool with Anika (Germany) and Jack. It was surprisingly nice and clean, complete with a diving board and a few water slides. Behind it were 7 or 8 lit tennis courts and a shop where they rented rackets and balls, I think that I will play on Wednesday with the Swedes and Jack. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the way back we stopped at Big C and did some grocery shopping. They actually had some western food, but I only bought an assortment of fruits that I didn't recognize to sample. I had one tonight; it looked kinda like an artichoke but more solid, and once I pulled off the peel it was white and fleshy like a peach but sectioned like an orange. It had a subtle flavor that reminded me of custard. I think that one of these days I will take photos of all the fruits and list their names and what they taste like...</div><div><br /></div><div>So I already mentioned that the traffic here is crazy and I had been warned of this by Shane and Kelly, but nothing could have prepared me for this. Today I am going to explain the way that getting around Vietnam works.</div><div><br /></div><div>The general rule of thumb is the larger the moving object the more right of way it has, i.e. motorbikes take priority over pedestrians, cars over motorbikes, trucks over cars, and buses over all. There are 8 million people living in HCMC and there are 6 million motorbikes. There is a 200% tax on cars so they are much less common. At any given moment on a busy street you will see two guys on a motorbike transporting large pieces of glass or other building materials, people carrying large boxes or containers, multiple people carrying groceries in both hands while still trying to steer, and a mother and father on a bike with the child under the handlebars. Only at very major intersections are there traffic lights, and those appear to be mostly optional so long as there are no police around. When attempting to cross the street you have to put out your hand towards the traffic and inch your way; no one will stop for you but merely avoid you, and you must not step in front of a car because they stop for nothing but buses. </div><div><br /></div><div>The horn here is not a defensive tool to alert other drivers that they are going to hit you but instead an offensive directive to those beside and in front of you that they better look out because you're coming through. They are not timid about using it; there is a constant orchestra of honks all day and night throughout the city. </div><div><br /></div><div>On the way to and from the Mekong Delta the bus driver was honking the horn more often than not and many times it appeared that we were going to hit someone in front of us. They got out of the way at the last second although if they hadn't I don't think that the driver would have stopped. </div><div><br /></div><div>All in all, my previous desire to buy a motorbike as an alternative to taking buses everywhere has completely vanished. I think I will rent one for a day though... but maybe in a smaller city. </div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7290116389827851441.post-82976944324997095472009-03-01T06:37:00.000-08:002009-03-01T09:14:11.638-08:00Boat Ride in the Mekong Delta<div style="text-align: left;">Today was my favorite day so far on the trip. But first things first...<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Last night I went out to an Irish pub called O'Brien's with Philip, Kate, Sylvia, Emma, and Mikaela. It was a good time and we were planning on watching the Ireland Vs England Rugby match there at 12:30. At 11 or so the owner informed us that he had received a call from a friend in the police department alerting him that they were raiding bars that night and because of the zoning of the district his bar was in he had to close by 12. We moved to a bar in tourist central called GO2 Bar and watched the match, which Ireland won, and had to stay there for Kate to celebrate. We got home at 3 am, and I had to get up at 6:30 to be at the bus stop by 7....</div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. From left to right, Emma, Mikaela, and Philip at O'Briens 2. Sylvia and I at GO2 Bar</div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRvYZFW54IfGXr-TbGBtaSFs5TPLdYOMTOwcaeKUoy78t6DQXw9shlzzGnq3naTSeLuD0vw7N8QdL2zfyaN-AfQ72Oo6xBRstQfOGTTPZrKS6rC1sReoqAt3TaY26PyrdWflx5TX9_Hk0/s320/P1000044.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308234690098259234" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUusLKf5AwtsRMBaI1L0OsLiscHxd2sfjpNxjXLzmANMr_Rw2pAcs5TfenBOtw4DOiefWtTXLBGPphwfYAAyzrKwgRsn2n7EP36N25KUElTYNRywRFejniVa5N8x5h3yk8x9Xg_Mcd5ek/s1600-h/P1000055.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUusLKf5AwtsRMBaI1L0OsLiscHxd2sfjpNxjXLzmANMr_Rw2pAcs5TfenBOtw4DOiefWtTXLBGPphwfYAAyzrKwgRsn2n7EP36N25KUElTYNRywRFejniVa5N8x5h3yk8x9Xg_Mcd5ek/s320/P1000055.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308234698234019778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div>Today I met Emma and Mikaela at the bus stop on Ho Van Hue to go to the tourist area in District 1 to catch the bus to the Mekong Delta, the area surrounding the Mekong River. It was about a 3 hour ride to get there and I slept almost the whole way. We got onto a wooden motor boat and went riding out to the floating market in Cai Be. It was a joke, only about 6 boats were out and we couldn't even see what they were selling. A couple minutes later we were docked in a different part of the town and went inside to a small crafts fair that also had a few booths where locals were showing how they make different products. They made puffed rice, the thin rice paper wraps that they use to wrap spring rolls, coconut taffy, and rice wine. Although it was kinda cool to see how they made those foods, the whole trip so far felt like a terrible, horrible, tourist trap, and I thought it was going to set the tone for the day. I was wrong. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics: 1. Town of Cai Be from the boat 2. Lady making rice paper spring roll wrappers 3. Emma, Mikaela, and myself on the boat </div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_Ss71aT_6VA3cuFozNtfpPbkT4nGPOlUQVIfcMt971ItluKsvVOOxudzj1kfBI32BhHQVGSodTTQVhmJhRGOp-wlvVjn6NM2lb8yFnyeD5hVpMrbKKNnf2ItZ1W4uqJXqCHAPScW3JA/s1600-h/P1000062.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_Ss71aT_6VA3cuFozNtfpPbkT4nGPOlUQVIfcMt971ItluKsvVOOxudzj1kfBI32BhHQVGSodTTQVhmJhRGOp-wlvVjn6NM2lb8yFnyeD5hVpMrbKKNnf2ItZ1W4uqJXqCHAPScW3JA/s320/P1000062.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308249874567824082" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIUhf3G07jQnhxTDDQpFRtmyoHCBunv9TT_ZpqrjG1AC3z3YDhVm0rV7ngGVEtNksX0vTK1ThxOP17GNJFnlzLfdXVUFFJXwn4-FWKYjOPthBQ-abdJhlDljN7W9m3wDIyVVI-aUF5BI/s1600-h/P1000068.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIUhf3G07jQnhxTDDQpFRtmyoHCBunv9TT_ZpqrjG1AC3z3YDhVm0rV7ngGVEtNksX0vTK1ThxOP17GNJFnlzLfdXVUFFJXwn4-FWKYjOPthBQ-abdJhlDljN7W9m3wDIyVVI-aUF5BI/s320/P1000068.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308249889891336626" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgkVj9Z3K1-36rikIV9gyBs2SWj8kYIFDQLJv5VWQPeoTM2ofuq9mxoHf2StLXB4QWT3bxy-8wWW1WGrfi7SwB0_AjfQUxbnmufpE04A2x-uWfRZZn7USSxhKULmEr83qB92huiIYJKw/s1600-h/P1000066.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgkVj9Z3K1-36rikIV9gyBs2SWj8kYIFDQLJv5VWQPeoTM2ofuq9mxoHf2StLXB4QWT3bxy-8wWW1WGrfi7SwB0_AjfQUxbnmufpE04A2x-uWfRZZn7USSxhKULmEr83qB92huiIYJKw/s320/P1000066.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308249879853054674" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bzQjQN8UVSnt0nnK0X61LcAXAZ6bWGBHgXjl6wuXlUM1BeQj-xHLBWPSKfK2gablAyrfBeI5K05fZDf98PlgBmoyN0mPchkNctIOsqdBb2X2L-R3GGtJv6eHXtgON9n-m2R5dbWN02I/s1600-h/P1000076.JPG"><br /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS35oEHVVoDNp2-o8eyRPL8ULUtnfl4CjX7uJiiPem6tr4pJgw7ExgWV1TKzszFkkrGE6L8SpW3T1EUeQCwvyLCjoaLoEutfBar-uxYkUTPCfM6aq3eGziFWzWO8WJMtpA2EWWA9U1zU/s1600-h/P1000101.JPG"><br /></a></div><div>We got back on the boat and cruised away from the town up the river towards the Mekong. As soon as we got away from the town the scenery turned beautiful. We kept going for about an hour, passing a few run down buildings and boats, but mainly gorgeous stretches of dense greenery and palm trees. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Picture of the bank of the Mekong from the boat</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bzQjQN8UVSnt0nnK0X61LcAXAZ6bWGBHgXjl6wuXlUM1BeQj-xHLBWPSKfK2gablAyrfBeI5K05fZDf98PlgBmoyN0mPchkNctIOsqdBb2X2L-R3GGtJv6eHXtgON9n-m2R5dbWN02I/s1600-h/P1000076.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3bzQjQN8UVSnt0nnK0X61LcAXAZ6bWGBHgXjl6wuXlUM1BeQj-xHLBWPSKfK2gablAyrfBeI5K05fZDf98PlgBmoyN0mPchkNctIOsqdBb2X2L-R3GGtJv6eHXtgON9n-m2R5dbWN02I/s320/P1000076.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308249892023868594" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div>We pulled up to a pre arranged restaurant perched above an intersection of two branches of the river and had a nice meal on a balcony. We then had about an hour to walk around and see the stretches of lily pad covered ponds with various fruit trees scattered around the edges. They had a fenced off pond with a fence around it and a balcony above. In the pond were a dozen crocodiles, and on the balcony was a guy giving out bamboo poles with strings on them that he tied pieces of meat to and gave us to feed the crocs with. It was a lot of fun to make the crocs chase after the pieces of meat... </div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviUomxdasWdZgcLQfR2zOS8bz2gGfR0Ij_P_WhhMfzZlX2Vd81-qeEopHD7UojncCkquJTjVcJ1jMOgwYOolq8V8L9H72LGWeLU_AlhdQbL1IvVkODEAXSV4SW6DkDU1iSDpGi-TKjoI/s1600-h/P1000087.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pics: 1. The Restaurant we ate at 2. Feeding the crocs 3. Pond covered in lilies <br /></span><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviUomxdasWdZgcLQfR2zOS8bz2gGfR0Ij_P_WhhMfzZlX2Vd81-qeEopHD7UojncCkquJTjVcJ1jMOgwYOolq8V8L9H72LGWeLU_AlhdQbL1IvVkODEAXSV4SW6DkDU1iSDpGi-TKjoI/s320/P1000087.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308253758989455186" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS35oEHVVoDNp2-o8eyRPL8ULUtnfl4CjX7uJiiPem6tr4pJgw7ExgWV1TKzszFkkrGE6L8SpW3T1EUeQCwvyLCjoaLoEutfBar-uxYkUTPCfM6aq3eGziFWzWO8WJMtpA2EWWA9U1zU/s1600-h/P1000101.JPG" style="text-decoration: none;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivS35oEHVVoDNp2-o8eyRPL8ULUtnfl4CjX7uJiiPem6tr4pJgw7ExgWV1TKzszFkkrGE6L8SpW3T1EUeQCwvyLCjoaLoEutfBar-uxYkUTPCfM6aq3eGziFWzWO8WJMtpA2EWWA9U1zU/s320/P1000101.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308249938620962818" style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIyXgob_1jHTuqF4vvZu_IoP4u1hvXJpbtGcgtm-EUuyVNtR6ej6T8tZ8ZuZEGfxy4RaVfRe4a50PDTFnwxy1XiOw3u8o5pK8ClhQBS3f2HiA6BJhu2AT2-2VkSaEXJRmOQuaWydTXrk/s1600-h/P1000104.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHIyXgob_1jHTuqF4vvZu_IoP4u1hvXJpbtGcgtm-EUuyVNtR6ej6T8tZ8ZuZEGfxy4RaVfRe4a50PDTFnwxy1XiOw3u8o5pK8ClhQBS3f2HiA6BJhu2AT2-2VkSaEXJRmOQuaWydTXrk/s320/P1000104.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308253749101369122" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviUomxdasWdZgcLQfR2zOS8bz2gGfR0Ij_P_WhhMfzZlX2Vd81-qeEopHD7UojncCkquJTjVcJ1jMOgwYOolq8V8L9H72LGWeLU_AlhdQbL1IvVkODEAXSV4SW6DkDU1iSDpGi-TKjoI/s1600-h/P1000087.JPG"><br /></a></span></span></div><div>Eventually we got back on the boat and went for about 20 minutes to another town called Vinh Long where we got to go to a really cool outdoor market. It was the best market I have seen yet; there were stalls with fruits, vegetables, meat, clothes, makeshift restaurants, electronics and car parts, live animals, etc. I got a crazy drink that tasted of wheatgrass, although it was made from a leaf that looked somewhere between parsley and spinach, and soon after got a stomach ache... but it went away quickly. We held baby chickens and had to seriously restrain ourselves from buying a couple of them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pics. 1. Fruit and vegetable stalls at Vinh Long market 2. Chilies and limes 3. My main chic and me...</div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliTm_PcxiGQr3ZCbcErgNVmQBpnm_Sz1Pnsyz8AVdkXKya4_Vbp-uNjXaz-4coz_VLaaPOMZia1o9FUc67k2_k2argVAdAJ0pk38CJI11ZOc9-M7dQp4Mp18Tm5zmsmfpXwgCD5LPETc/s1600-h/P1000127.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliTm_PcxiGQr3ZCbcErgNVmQBpnm_Sz1Pnsyz8AVdkXKya4_Vbp-uNjXaz-4coz_VLaaPOMZia1o9FUc67k2_k2argVAdAJ0pk38CJI11ZOc9-M7dQp4Mp18Tm5zmsmfpXwgCD5LPETc/s320/P1000127.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308253766238110546" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4d9Gv5hwGWTMOFmytNs_oKQditAOfTTy9r9GX0_YRSZ7E6c8Pg0gB0z6zvab3PR-t887dT0f5rHc0IzzRdZ52FgRiGacLcxR_GIc88T_TckH8VOpMnOIFk24MSA543ip89Y8h6BJW264/s1600-h/P1000124.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4d9Gv5hwGWTMOFmytNs_oKQditAOfTTy9r9GX0_YRSZ7E6c8Pg0gB0z6zvab3PR-t887dT0f5rHc0IzzRdZ52FgRiGacLcxR_GIc88T_TckH8VOpMnOIFk24MSA543ip89Y8h6BJW264/s320/P1000124.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308253781136640946" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VLrdHLSCCJMJF08xdULRE2UoYZMo4vxVrnN5fmvHfHJL-1RtvSqsphlMvQj51tIHvF6gRstEQN4_0gaEgLO7j_Stx3hKvFFTCpF302WceoCIUw98agDkzLoWfXc5zA0TB0fOn45WfVo/s1600-h/P1000128.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-VLrdHLSCCJMJF08xdULRE2UoYZMo4vxVrnN5fmvHfHJL-1RtvSqsphlMvQj51tIHvF6gRstEQN4_0gaEgLO7j_Stx3hKvFFTCpF302WceoCIUw98agDkzLoWfXc5zA0TB0fOn45WfVo/s320/P1000128.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308253791367406274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a><div>This glimpse of rural Vietnam was really great. HCMC is a crazy and interesting city, but it is not what I expected going into the trip. What I saw today was. The contrast between the polluted, dense, and developed city and the green and luscious country side is astounding. I would really like to go back to the delta for a lot longer and interact with the local people. They seem to be living their lives much as they did 30 or 40 years ago; they do not have any of the luxuries of modern life. I would be surprised if many of their houses even have electricity. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tonight I am going to take it easy. We got back around 8 and went to dinner, tonight I am going to take it easy. Tomorrow morning the 4 other newcomers and I have our orientation, although I am feeling pretty oriented already...</div>Hoffmizzlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16157439523133753906noreply@blogger.com0