Conference Mode

Why was I back in Ho Chi Minh? I'll be meeting my colleagues back in Germany during my one-year professional training there. This is our first follow-up meeting after being back in our home countries. Some of us have met each other prior. I've visited all my Vietnamese colleagues during the first leg of my trip - visited them in their workplaces and homes. It was a great experience.

So, for a week, I will be "pampered" after living on shacks and what not. And I have to be on a conference mode. Two months traveling makes one lazy to get up early (if there is no need)... and it will also challenge my traveling pants attachment - I've gotta be a bit formal (whatever it means).

The follow-up seminar was overall good. Hearing the statuses of the projects which were just mere proposals September of 2009.

I'm now looking forward for the next one! In China, I hope - so that I can go to Mongolia. Hehehe...

How do I fit in???

Asia has been unfair to me when it comes to clothe sizes. I can't even find shirts easily in the Philippines that would not hurt my ego - I have to to with the XXL. Hmf! But I tell you, XXL does not even get close to the Medium size in Europe. Whatever!

Three hours before my flight to Malaysia, which I just got sure of the night before, and I am still running around the Ben Thanh Market to look for a black pants or skirt for the conference. Well, good luck to me.

When I was in Vinh (still in Vietnam), I bought a pair of black shoes. It was difficult. I almost checked every stall on that market but more of what they would have are high heeled and colorful, glittery shoes - which obviously is not my style. Luckily, not in the full sense, I found a classic WHICH is one size smaller. However, they lady said: "It's OK, it will stretch later on." I bought it. As if shoes can still grow. Whatever, that's all there is for me.

Back to the pants/skirt hunting. It was difficult and more difficult because they wanted me to pay higher price. Damn! Though, luckily (also not in the full sense), I found a pair of lenin pants which can already pass for what I needed. They were male pants. But, who cares. It costs 7USD. Still expensive in the Vietnam setting.

It was then time to run to my hotel and head to the airport. I was lucky (very much true this time) that the organizers arranged for my transfer to the airport.

SO, Malaysia, here I come. Can't wait to see what how "Truly Asia" you can be. (Which disappointed me later).

Feels like home...

I am now, again, in Saigon. Took the 14-hour bus ride direct from Siem Reap via Phnom Penh. Oh well, 14 hours, it's nothing. Two months on the road now and it is becoming normal.

It was around 8pm when arrived Pham Ngu Lao. First thing that came to my mind was to visit Little Quennies which feels like homecoming. It was the first bar I had my coffee and Beer Saigon when I first arrived in Ho Chi Minh more than a month ago. It is not the best bar, it is just a simple bar where normally old whites sit with their "young ones". BUT the people there are nice and they know me there, at least a bit.

So I went to Little Quennies. I ordered Iced Black Coffee with sweet milk and lots of ice - Saigon Style. Yum! Then it really feels like home. I had a chat with the pregnant bartender though we exchange just some words (literally) and sign language. What I liked most was the greetings: "You came back again. How are you?" Feels really good. I wouldn't hear that some some more weeks or months from my friends or relatives...

"Can you take me with you?"

Crossed the border again!

I started with Tay Trang in the north of Vietnam to Laos, I crossed the Nam Phao/Cau Treo border to Vinh, then I crossed back again to Lao through Donsavanh/Lao Bao border.

I stayed in Dong Ha for a night after that long 6 hours ride from Vinh. I've met some young people who are full of energy and enthusiasm for the future which is refreshing. They've got a very positive outlook in life including picking me up from the bus station on their bicycles. Hahaha... I am JUST carrying a backpack weighing at least 15kilos and another sling bag with my laptop inside and another grocery bag with some assorted stuff. They were three and the two divided my pack and one of them took me as a backride. I am not that scared of the traffic but of the possibility that we will have a flat tire or two.

Anyway, we made it to the hotel. They brought me to a 2-star hotel which costs 10USD a night. It is not bad - airconditioned, own bath, television with cable, free coffee and tea, and internet connection.

I explored a bit of the city with them and still with bikes. We had nice fruit shakes and of course I ordered for Durian Shake. They took me for breakfast the next day too.

And my time to head back to Laos has come. And I never thought I will have to deal again with the lady who told me that the 85 kilometers from Dong Ha to the border will costs me 150,000 Dong when from Vinh to Dong Ha costed me only 100,000 Dong. C'mon! I did not started traveling yesterday. And so the conversation went like this:

Vietnamese Woman: Oh, you are back. She is my customer.

Me: No. I am looking for the cheapest price to the boundary.

VW: I give you 50,000 Dong. How much you want?

Came another Van with an offer: 40,000 Dong.

VW: OK, OK, 30,000 Dong for you.

I took it. Thrown my pack at the back of the van and sat by the window while the van just makes U-turn after U-turn to get passengers. Then he decided to head to the border after 20-30 minutes.

VW: Hey, you! Money, pay now!

I handed her the 3 10,000-Dongs.

VW: No! 50,000 Dong.

And that was it, she really made me angry!

Me: You said it's only 30,000 Dong that's why I took this van. (With an angry and annoyed tone and finger pointing strong at her)

VW: You said, you said. Give me money... (with a sarcastic tone)

I handed her the money and tried to calm myself down. There is no winning with them but I only handed her 30,000 Dong. Does that mean I won? Hehehe...

At the border: another set of antics!

I asked the lady from the store where I got my water and cigarette about the distance of the border from where I am. They can only say: FAR AWAY! But how far is faraway? 1 kilometer? 2? 3?

Came the xe om driver to the "rescue"... "I'll take you to the border of Vietnam then to the border of Laos for 100,000 Dong." What is wrong with these people?! Do I look stupid to them? NO!!!

I told him that I only need to go to the border of Vietnam and I will walk the distance in between to Laos. He agreed with 10,000 Dong. And I was fooled again! It was less than a kilometer and when I got off he even wanted to ask for more money. When will I get lucky dealing with these people?

Anyways, there I was exiting Vietnam and walked the 300 meters gap in between the border gates. I am finally back to Laos. Until it dawned on me that there were no buses or even cars around. How the hell do I bring my ass to Savannakhet where my travel buddies are?

And there he was, having his passport stamped... "Are you going to Savannakhet?" He said Yes. My next line went like this, "Can you take me with you?" He was startled with the question and I was suprised myself why the hell I asked him that. Desperation most probably. He went to his friend and asked if I can join them. The friend agreed.

Then I've got lucky finally. I found myself in an almost brand new Mercedes Benz Sprinter all the way to Savannakhet and was even dropped near where my friends are. FOR FREE!

North-East Vietnam to North-West Vietnam in 24 hours plus…

Timing is everything so I delayed my departure from Cao Bang that I will not be arriving in Hanoi too early for the bus to Dien Bien Phu and also not a day late to take the bus to Mhuang Khua in Lao.

I left on a Wednesday morning (26.05) from Cao Bang and that would be around 7-8 hours to Hanoi. I arrived Hanoi at around 3pm and found out that the next bus to Dien Bien will leave at 4pm. I don’t want to arrive in Dien Bien Phu at 4am because as said on the forum in the web there are only buses to Laos on M-W-F-Su. But still, I got on the bus to avoid the noise of Hanoi.

The road to Dien Bien Phu was smooth (subjective observation because I was 90% sleeping on the way). On the bus are also two middle-aged Koreans on their way to Laos too. They are nice and so somehow we decided to accompany each other to Laos.

We arrived at the Dien Bien Phu bus station 4am and thought for a while that there was no bus to Laos that day until we bought our tickets for the next day and the lady said there is a bus today… so, we hopped on.

And it left around 5:30am… and I am then 24 hours on the road. Some 9 hours more ahead until Mhuang Khua.

Good thing I can sleep almost anywhere and in almost any condition... Long and very winding road ahead.

It's Definitely Not the Destination but the Journey!

Cao Bang! Another name that can't be found in most, if not in all, tourist map of Vietnam. But here is where two dear friends live - Ha and Vu (both my colleagues in Germany).

It is a nice little town with rivers that divides and bridges that connects it to be one. The mighty statue of Ho Chi Minh welcomes you with open arms and points you towards the city. Quaint and laid back walkable place.

I was here since Friday, 21.05, and will leave first thing tomorrow. What have I done for 5 days? Oh well, I relaxed a lot... and had so much time spent to meet Vietnamese and a Filipino.

On the first night, we had hotpot... with some eggs - quail eggs and duck eggs (yes, balut floating on the pot).

Second day, Vu and I went to China... opps... just to the boundary. We rode his motorbike to see the beautiful landscape of Cao Bang of hills and cliffs and home for Vietnam's biggest waterfalls which is being contested by China - the Ban Gioc Waterfalls.

It was a nice view all the way to the falls then we had lunch near the Nguom Ngao Cave. I just walked around and nearer to the cave but never really went inside. I still can't breath even just the thought of entering a cave. Something I need to overcome sooner or later.

The trip was long and very worthwhile. And there is no way better to experience Cao Bang except for a motorbike ride.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!

"Hell, I do f----n' understand! Shut up and bring me to the bus station!!!" are the words I tried not to utter.

It is only sometimes annoying, though with consideration on the language barrier, to hear people ask you "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" with a bossy or the-one-who-knows-everything attitude. "NO, DON'T DO THAT, I WILL TALK TO THEM (because you are another stupid tourist)" can be in reality not what it sounds but kind gesture of helping you get what you need and want given that you can't speak the language.

It is just for me annoying being treated as stupid and someone who can't swim through the cold water I jumped in. I don't like being shouted at to hurry-up because I might miss my bus, I freakin' know that.

But still, I am just annoyed. The person just don't know how to express well in English and has been using these IMPERATIVES to me. It is my feminists side freaking out for the thought that I am told on what I should do with the very basics of living.

If ever you encounter this and if it so happens that you are in bad mood, just remember: they mean well.

Next Stop: Cao Bang

Cao Bang is the second to the my last stop on the first leg in Vietnam. It is in the northeast of Vietnam and boundary to China (Guangxi Province).

I will be visiting two friends in Cao Bang, both were my colleagues during the training I attended in Germany. Both are also very dear to me - I will finally see Vu and Ha again.

I'll stay there for some days before I head to Dien Bien Phu.

Hanoi and Fashion

I think the Makati girls and boys will look inferior when they stand beside the Hanoians in terms of fashion. They all do look good, smart and classy.

You sit in a cafe in Hanoi and all around are well- (if not best) dressed yuppies... not only the yuppies but I think most of them. And the males, they are also very good in dressing up. Long-sleeved polo with a nice pair of pants and they are somehow particular with shoes. The females are also all looking very nice with their trendy dresses and high heels and they match it with their bags.

I, as a foreigner, am really amazed. And with my cotton skirt and outdoor sandals, I think I should have some make-over. Hahaha... But nah, I won't dare check the boutiques because it will just be depressing eyeing a nice dress that will be sold at a very good price when they don't have my size.

Bottoms Up - looks like trouble

Being friendly brings me to places and lets me dive in a community... and here is one good example: I GOT INVITED TO A WEDDING PARTY!

Vietnamese wedding or wedding parties is culturally interesting. With all the food the Vietnamese serve, I decided to skip breakfast for the party is scheduled at 11:30 am. And so, we went there. It is somewhere like 20kms away from Hue City - the countryside as my friend will say.

We passed by his mother's house and there I met his sister and nephew. That cute little boy who's nick-named after the young buffalo wants to go with me. Hahaha... He's definitely a cutie.

Then we continued to the wedding party.

I don't know the groom, I don't know the bride, but I've meet some of their friends briefly and that should count. "Feeling-close" should be the term.

After some hours of thinking and weighing what gift I should give to the couple which meant I should give up one of my truly Filipino possession - I decided on the Tanduay Rhum! Argh! My Rhum is now gone. Oh well, I will just ask someone to bring me a bottle in June.

BUT I never realized that this Rhum is equivalent to bottom-less beer and all bottoms up drinking style. There goes trouble!

Because I am foreign here and don't know the visitors, they somehow all agreed to make me go around the tables and greet the group and drink with them. Bottoms up everytime.

Just on my table alone, I had drank more or less 10 glasses of beer already and I visited at least 5-6 tables and had some more glasses of beer.

I can say, Vietnamese wedding parties are interesting. Next time I get invited, I would know better.

100% to that!!!

The Whole Route to Hanoi

Yeah, I need to fill in some content to this blog but when things keep on moving, it is somehow hard to catch up... So before I forget everything, here is how I reached Hanoi (flavors to follow):

From Saigon, I bought this Open Bus for 620,000 which allows me to stop at Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, and finally in Saigon. It also means that I can take as much time that I like at the areas where I am getting off. But I made mine fast.

I stopped at Nha Trang for just a day and took the afternoon bus to Hue via Hoi An. In Hoi An, I basically just ate breakfast then took the next bus to Hue. In Hue, I stayed overnight because I am visiting a friend (got some interesting stories here). And just yesterday, I am in Hanoi... and it is a long night.

In my seven days in Vietnam, it felt like a month already. Not that I am already exhausted, NO. I am actually very much full of energy and full of experience in such a short time.

What are my next plans? I will stay here in Hanoi til Tuesday or Wednesday morning before I head to Cao Bang. And after Cao Bang will be in Dien Bien Phu. I already arranged my schedule for volunteering there. I will be there on the 22nd-28th of May... and might be back there in July and August for a longer time. It now depends on how the Berlin thing goes and how I will like it there then I will know. But both options will be fairly good!

I'm still in Vietnam! Wohoo!!! ;-)

Tra Vinh in the Mekong

Tra Vinh a province direct to the South China Sea... the south of Vietnam... where no so many tourists or even local Vietnamese tourists go.

BUT I find Tra Vinh interesting, different and worth a visit. The town itself is green - lots of trees around. I can compare it to Dumaguete in the Philippines with the motorbikes and not much traffic except that there are very few foreigners there. I've met at least a Spanish exchange student in Tra Vinh University and saw one biking past the University...

There I had my Vietnamese food 101. Tung, his wife and their friends were there to introduce me to lots of things.

The first night, I had that great hot pot with Tung and family. Then I had this Banh Mi with some assorted stuff inside.



It didn't end with that, there is still this Agar Pudding. Whoah!

The next day, Pho for breakfast then another noodle dish with something that taste and looks like skinless longganisa.

It is more of a food trip than anything else. Tung managed to organize a little trip to Cua Ke, to the west of Tra Vinh. It was almost an hour of motorcycle ride and then we took a boat similar to the RORO (roll on, roll off) to an island where fruits grow.

We went to a chom-chom (rambutan) farm and gathered the fruits ourselves. The fun is that you can eat all you can and you just pay the rest of what you have harvested to take home. Cool, eh! Reminds me of Coujangco's durian plantation in La Carlota or the Lanzones Festival in Concepcion, Talisay.

Open Bus

620,000.00 VND for about 1,800km ride is a good deal! Most Vietnamese I know don't know it. It is probably something for the tourists but it can for sure save them some bucks if they do take it.

I will leave tonight to Nha Trang and I am taking the sleeper bus. Sleeper buses gives you more space to rest your legs, just like having a bed. You paid once for two - transport and accommodation.

I will be arriving in the morning in Nha Trang then spend the day by the beach which is part of the China Sea. Heard things that it is nice there. Can't wait!

After a day of basking in the sun will be a long journey to Hue. The bus will pass by Hoi An, another interesting town, but I will not be staying there, instead, I will be waiting for the next bus to Hue. There will be some hours to kill in the wee hours of the night but it will be OK. I will then get the bus to Hue which will be another 4 hours. Then there I will stay overnight.

I booked an accommodation already for 10USD with the help of a Vietnamese friend. Then from Hue, I will be heading to Ha Noi. For how long, we will see. I just want to be in Ha Noi to meet a friend, see the city a bit and meet some new people. Cao Bang will be thee second to the last stop for VietNam. There live two Vietnamese friends of mine. Then finally, before existing to Laos, I will volunteer for a week in Dien Bien Phu.

ATM in Vietnam

I tried my first ATM transaction today. It is something I am not thinking of doing but I got no choice. I was trying to avoid it not to incur transaction cost that is somehow 3-5USD. But I was lucky, transaction cost for my BPI International Card at the VeitinBank is only 20,000d (= 1USD more or less).

ATMs in Vietnam can be found in major cities. You can check online where your card is acceptable.

Full Tank

On the way to Tra Vinh, I decided not to buy anything to eat because I still got 2 slices of Pizza from the Philippines. Luckily, it didn't go stale during the travel. It was inside my bag for more than 12 hours. It became my lunch.

I arrived Tra Vinh and still somehow full so when Tung offered me snacks, I told him that coffee will do. After our initial chat and coffee - a Vietnam drip coffee - I thought of shower. I was more than 24 hours wearing the same clothes and I am sweating so much. To shower will be heavenly. Tung brought me to the place to his friend, another lecturer from Tra Vinh University, where I will be staying.

Tung then brought me to his parents-in-law where we will meet his wife and daughter. I ate watermelon there. They are yummy and perfect for the weather.

Then we were off to Loius Vitton, a newly opened cafe. We were there for some food - which turned out not to be some but lots! It was a hot pot with lots of seafood and mushrooms... green leaves. Yummy!

After the very filling dinner, we went to the Ho Chi Minh temple and brought Durian with us! Yummy!

Then after that to the city center and street food stalls started to set-up and open for business. I had again another Avocado shake. Yummy!

At around 7pm, they brought me back to my place and wished me goodnight. And at around 9pm, my host arrived bringing with here baguettes with meat inside and some sort of sausage... and I have to eat it again. I only managed half-way, not to be rude and also to try it. But the food showcase didn't end there - there is still white and black jelly dessert! Yummy!

Thinking about going on a natural diet here in Vietnam!? I say, forget it! You end up always getting full-tanked with lots of food. Oh, I love my friends!

The Tra Vinh Impression

09.05.2010

It took me 6 hours to reach Tra Vinh... but it doesn't really matter... I was asleep during the whole trip. :)

With an SMS to show the driver where I want to get off... I was confident. Hahaha... I told my friend Tung, the one whom I'm gonna visit, that everything will be fine and it should be. This is one of the areas in VietNam that English is really alien. So I have to work with sign language and stop getting confused. I always say Salamat to people - which is somehow good BUT Thank You might be more familiar.

The fare from HCMC to Tra Vinh is 80,000d with free bottle of water. Good price and I am expecting it to be a good place - less tourist and all.

I arrived Tra Vinh but I was stopped by the driver to get off while most of the passengers did. It just meant one thing, I am not yet in the right place. Then there came another van and I was asked to transfer. Hmmm... Should I pay or not? Is it still far or something? Questions that won't be answered until I get there. Hehehe... Better wait and see. The driver asked one passenger occupying the front seat to vacate it for me. They are a bunch of helpful people trying to understand a traveller-lost-in-translation like me.

I showed again the SMS to the driver and he gave me a nod. I am to get off at Ca Phe Nang Xanh... AND we passed by lots of Ca Phe along the seems to be a main road. Then there was some sort of confusion from the driver's facial expression. After passing by the Ca Phe road... Nang Xanh seems to be non-existent until we found it. I sensed a feeling of victory from the other passengers. They are happy too that I found my destination. They waved goodbyes at me and gave me warm smiles. And the good driver helped me with my bag and cross the street.

Less than 24 hours in Vietnam and it feels like home already.

50,000d = 150,000d

Yes, it is true! With the mobile promotions... I bought a 50,000d sim card of Mobifone and it got a 150,000d worth of credit. With 220d/SMS average... It will for sure go a long way. Different mobile companies got similar promos too. So, than using your own sim card from home, get yourself a local sim. An SMS to the Philippines costs only around 4Php.

Saigon and a million

After 2,5 hours flight from the Philippines to Ho Chi Minh City... Now I can say, Xin Chao.

Yeah, now I'm in Saigon... with a million Vietnamese Dong... Heart pumping fast with the overwhelming idea of a million and also a possibility that I am somehow losing in the exchange.

The girl in a traditional Vietnamese dress just basically grabbed my USD and Euro bills and gave me a million with a note as if I won a million. "Here is your one million Ma'am (take it, take it and leave...)."

Surviving that... I'm off to the next challenge... How to get to Pham Ngu Lao without being stashed by the persistent "middlemen" for the taxi.

First offer: I bring you Pham Ngu Lao, give me 250,000 Dong.

Answer: NO!

Second offer: OK, OK... give me 200,000 Dong, just like 12USD.

Answer: NO!

My offer: 100,000

His answer: 150,000

My answer: NO!


Then he came to me after this bargaining with a deal, "You give me 100,000 Dong but when the guy in taxi (another passenger) asks you how much you give me, tell him 250,000. OK?!"

Oh well, OK! Now I am an accessory to the crime but saved me so much! And my million is down to 900,000!

I passed the first level in surviving Vietnam, LEARN HOW TO SAY NO!

9 days... Vietnam Plan

Plans for the Vietnam part of the trip is now taking form. Here is somehow the brief list of the cities/places I want to see and experience:

Ho Chi Minh
Tra Vinh (passing by Mytho and Ben Tre)
Mui Ne
Danang
Hue
Ha Noi
Cao Bang
Ba Be National Park
Dien Bien Phu (exit to Laos)

I am planning to spend 14 days only in Vietnam (on top of the 7 days I will be spending in HCMC for a conference in 24-30 June 2010).

The above list is a result of the consultation with a very good Vietnamese friend of mine - Vu! I'll see him in Cao Bang.