The Cube

The skinny buildings


and the low laying cables,


the busy crossroads, the lake in the middle of the town,


the walking peddlars


or the honking vehicles seems to have a funny way to welcome people to the Old Quarter.

Sleeping in one of the budget hostel or guesthouse would be woken up, not by any alarm clock but instead the honking of cars and motorcycles signifying that the town has woken up. Activities started early in the morning and the honking sound only starts to die off at around 9-10 pm.

Starting the day with a bowl of pho bo (pho = rice noodles, bo = beef) by the road side,


and trying to cross the road with non stop flow of motorcycles, we ended up joining the crowd and honk our way to the Ho Chi Minh Complex to pay respect to Uncle Ho.


Ok, the LP guide book says that the Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum opens on Tue-Thu, Sat and Sun Dec-Sept, last entry usually 10.15am. Notice what's missing? Absent-minded us has been seems to miss out the word "Fri" and "Mon". Unaware of the missing Friday, we decided to leave Old Quarter and visit Uncle Ho, we rented a EX5 Wave for a day and make our move to the west of Old Quarter.

Despite all our effort, it has already passed 11 am when we reached there, and still not noticing the very fact that HCM Mausoleum is not open every Fridays and Mondays till after a while. Nevertheless, grin, riding a motorcycle in Hanoi is an unbeatable experience :)


Side note: I find riding in Hanoi is not too bad, in fact may have been safer than riding in Malaysia along with so many cars. *Ponder

First post Vietnam 2008 Next post Vietnam 2008

It's getting a little late and I'm still having my post-holidays-syndrome but suddenly got the itch to blog, so this will be a short one.

Be it in the flight to Hanoi, or the train ride from Hue to Danang or even the bus ride from HCMC to Mekong Delta, there is this similarity. Just my luck of meeting the coincidence. Your seat is not truly your seat. You'll most probably need to share it with your neighbour who is occupying the seat behind you.

Like this...

On flight: The one "sharing" the seat is not me. I'm the one sitting next to the fella who is happily clipping his finger nails away. Beats me how he got that on board.

On train: This pair of feet was indeed "sharing" my seat. I asked my sister to take a pic of that...

Oh well... there was suppose to be another pic showing on the bus, but it was not really safe to grab that picture so... just imagine a bit lar ya. :P


Side note: Mental note to self not to go pasar malam or do grocery shopping when I'm hungry

First post on Vietnam 2008 Next post on Vietnam 2008

I feel it everyday it's all the same
It brings me down but I'm the one to blame
I've tried everything to get away
So here I go again
Chasing you down again
Why do I do this?

Over and over, over and over
I fall for you
Over and over, over and over
I try not to

It feels like everyday stays the same
It's dragging me down and I can't pull away
So here I go again
Chasing you down again
Why do I do this?

Over and over, over and over
I fall for you
Over and over, over and over
I try not to
Over and over, over and over
You make me fall for you
Over and over, over and over
You don't even try

So many thoughts that I can't get out of my head
I try to live without you, every time I do I feel dead
I know what's best for me
But I want you instead
I'll keep on wasting all my time

Over and over, over and over
I fall for you
Over and over, over and over
I try not to
Over and over, over and over
You make me fall for you
Over and over, over and over
You don't even try to

Source: www.lyrics007.com

Side note: An Italian & English speaking Vietnamese guy played the guitar and sang this song during his friend's birthday celebration in the train travelling from Lao Cai to Hanoi. :)

It was a little crazy. We wanted to go to a few places in Vietnam and not only go, we wanted to at least spend a night over, not wanting it to be too brief of a stop. Places in consideration was Hanoi, Sapa and visit the Bac Ha market as well, Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Mekong Delta & finally crossing over to Phnom Penh (PP), Cambodia for the flight home. Also that we missed Phnom Penh the last time when we visited the magnificent Angkor Complex in Siem Reap a couple of years ago.

When we booked the ticket to Hanoi in October last year, the only thing we had in mind was - not month end (cos I cant take leave during month ends) and not too near Chinese New Year as things would be expensive. It can only be 2 weeks cos sis can only take 3 weeks off and she has to stay in Malaysia for at least 1 week. I guess lady luck was smiling upon us seeing our determination to visit our neighbouring country up north. March is a great month to travel to Hanoi - not too cold in Sapa but cool enough weather in north of Vietnam and the rain wasn't pouring.

As we booked so early in advance without any planning, we opted for flying in and out from Hanoi but at later stages realise that going back to Hanoi is not very wise, hence taking advantage of the Air Asia promotion in February, we got the free tickets flying back to KL from PP.

With additional option of able to fly back either from Hanoi or PP, there's even more possibilities of itineries. So crazy us came out with not 1 or 2 possible itineries... but instead... SIX!! = ="

There were consideration to drop Sapa and go back another time, or drop Halong Bay (but I'm
reluctant) or drop the Mekong Delta, just take a bus from HCMC to PP. So many possibilities...

The differences of the itineries...

1. Include Sapa (but omit Bac Ha) and Halong Bay but only 1 day in Hanoi and 1 day in HCMC
   
2. Let go of Sapa, spend 2 days in Hanoi and HCMC respectively
   
3. Include Sapa, travels up to Hoi An and back to Hanoi for flight back
   
4. Bac Ha on Sunday but Sapa on Monday (edit: realised there is no market in Sapa on Monday later on = ="), take a bus to Saigon from Hoi An, stopping over at Nha Trang. To Halong Bay first before departing for Sapa, Bac Ha. Omit Danang
   
5. Sapa on Saturday, Bac Ha on Sunday. Travels to Halong Bay thereafter. Take a bus to Saigon from Hoi An, stopping over at Nha Trang. Omit Danang
   
6. Sapa on Saturday, Bac Ha on Sunday. Travels to Halong Bay thereafter. Take a train from Danang to HCMC, not stopping at Nha Trang.

We opted for itinery no 6. Reasons being the connecting bus from Hoi An to Nha Trang and Nha Trang to HCMC is too near, also that the possibility of motion sickness from travelling by bus should we attempt to read

Side note: Little P said I ought to blog it up, when I told her I was at itinery no 6 then :P

Next post on Vietnam 2008

Backdate to 16/3/2008

Note: Wrote this down in Lotteria, easiest to be the only fast food chain I've seen in Vietnam thus far. Both at railway stations - one up north in Hanoi and the other here in Saigon. (edit: saw KFC in Saigon town later on)

It is now 5.20 am in the morning. We have just arrived via train SE3, the Reunification line, at 4.30 am. The train ride was an experience - we were kept awake and handful by a little male monster and an old lady who seem to have dinner at 4.00 pm, went to sleep at 6.00 pm before waking up again at 10.00 to have another meal. Never mind about that, I'll leave that story to later.

Travelling March - this time a little venture up north to skinny Vietnam -- the skinny geographical area, the tall thin buildings, the lean slim Vietnamese :)


Side note: Upon boarding AK762 10 days ago in KL, the bet I made in January, the realignment recently in office, the not so happy encounters back home... miraculous left behind, at least temporarily.

Side note: A little kind picture to nullify the pessimistic post below

Were there times when you feel a little down in the dumps and wanted a company, regardless of hanging out at the mamak stall, sipping a cuppa at the coffee corner or just sitting at the swing outside your house? And that sometimes it is just that one person who you wish to keep you company when that stupid nagging thought continuously tugging at the end of the corner of your heart, adding heaps of weight with every of its tug?

Were there times when there are certain facts that you wish you never learned? Cos learning it distort someone's image in your heart. Changing from something good to something less good or bad. Maybe that was a blessing in disguise, for all we know deep down in everybody live a little bitch, even in fictions. Remember Dumbledore and Snape? The good one is not all good while the evil one isn't totally evil. Or when you received forwarded emails telling you there's always someone who loves you but it never did mention that at the same time there's always someone who hates you.

There's always two side of a coin. For all we know people might said they do so and so for the benefit of us but the truth behind probably benefits them the most. Or you heard, "I didn't want to hurt your feelings," but the truth is their every actions cuts through your heart.


Side note:
CALVIN: Know what I pray for?
HOBBES: What?
CALVIN: The strength to change what I can, the inability to accept what I can't, and the incapacity to tell the difference.
HOBBES: You should lead an interesting life.
CALVIN: Oh, I already DO!