Tomorrow I will leave Vietnam, the place I've called home for he last eleven months. I feel like I should write a blog post before I leave, but truthfully I'm not quite sure what to talk about. I guess in these sorts of circumstances, it is easiest just to make a list of what I will and won't miss.
What I Won't Miss:
Cockroaches in My Room.
Although honestly, by the end of my stay here I had become cool with the roaches. One night I woke up to see a roach chilling by my bed. I was about to kill it, and then shrugged it off. It's just a bug. Besides, by this point I've eaten grasshoppers so hanging out with another type of bug is no big deal. So I guess scratch out "cockroaches" and put in "rats". Because, I'm not cool with rats yet.
Cool Young Moto Dudes.
These are the young motorbike drivers who never wear helmets, speed through traffic lights, and hold down their horns. Suffice to say, they irk me quite a bit. That being said, one time a cool young moto dude rode past me super fast. I automatically started getting angry until I realized that the guy was actually a good friend of mine. Life is different on the road.
Not Understanding Anything.
This is a double-edged sword. Sometimes it's cool not to understand anything because then you don't have to listen to other nearby people's conversation. But other times, it is of course very frustrating.
Riding Motorbikes:
Sometimes. Riding motorbikes can be great but sometimes when it's raining or cold, I wish I could take another mode of transportation. (OK, I could. But I'd rather not take the #3 bus to work)
Things I Will Miss:
The Food.
There is a great variety of awesome food in Vietnam. From pho to bun, nem to nem chua, thit cho to thit ran. I hope to try and make some Vietnamese food back in the states but I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to eat dog for awhile.
The Places:
Hanoi is great for a while. But there are tons of other great areas around Vietnam. Probably my favorite place to visit is still Cao Bang.
Riding Motorbikes:
Can be great fun a lot of the time.
Karaoke/Bia Hoi/Street Stalls/Cafes
Lots of Other Things I Can't Think of Right Now
And of course...
The People:
I can not even begin to touch on all the great experiences I've had with all the wonderful people I've met here in Vietnam. So I'll just leave you with a short video. Thank you to everyone who has supported me this last year. I hope to see you back in the states. And to everyone in Vietnam, thank you and I hope to see you in the future. Hen gap lai.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Hosting My Family
It's only about a week until I leave Vietnam and it's really starting to hit home that this great past year is coming to an end. But I'll save the introspective ending blog for another time because I still have to talk about this past month when my parents and aunt came to visit me here in Vietnam. I won't be delving too deep in all the emotions and observational aspects that occurred, mainly because I have a lot to cover and I'm also currently sick. Therefore, for the time being, I will just cover all the main things that happened.
The first weekend we visited Ha Long Bay, which is Northwest of Hanoi. The trip included a boat tour through amazing rock formations jutting out of the water. In the bay, there are many small floating houses where fishermen (and women) live. We also visited a cave which was pretty spectacular. The only downside was that there were tons of people walking through the cave so there was really no time to stop and look around. We stayed at Cat Ba City on Cat Ba Island. While the island itself was lush and green and pretty, the city was somewhat crowded and noisy. Note to future travelers: if you like peace and quiet, when coming to Ha Long Bay be sure to stay in one of the many little bungalows on the smaller islands.
The next week we flew to Cambodia to visit the Angkor ruins around Siem Reap. It was interesting to see the differences between Cambodia and Vietnam. Cambodia seemed much more small and quite. Of course, we were only at Siem Reap and just came from the second largest city in Vietnam. The ruins were--surprise!--also very spectacular.
However, while the ruins were very cool, after seeing them for a couple days I got kind of ruined out. I was glad when on the last day we did a change of pace and visited a floating village. All the village houses were on stilts because every year the lake nearby floods and the villages become like the houses we saw in Ha Long Bay. Also, the day before we had visited a museum that showed the deadly affects of the landmines used during the era when the Khmer Rouge were in power.
But the best part of the trip was going out for dinner with my family and my friends and host family. I let my aunt take all the pictures for those occasions, so once I get them from her I will have them posted.
All in all, it was a great time and I enjoyed being the tour guide for my family in Hanoi.
The first weekend we visited Ha Long Bay, which is Northwest of Hanoi. The trip included a boat tour through amazing rock formations jutting out of the water. In the bay, there are many small floating houses where fishermen (and women) live. We also visited a cave which was pretty spectacular. The only downside was that there were tons of people walking through the cave so there was really no time to stop and look around. We stayed at Cat Ba City on Cat Ba Island. While the island itself was lush and green and pretty, the city was somewhat crowded and noisy. Note to future travelers: if you like peace and quiet, when coming to Ha Long Bay be sure to stay in one of the many little bungalows on the smaller islands.
The next week we flew to Cambodia to visit the Angkor ruins around Siem Reap. It was interesting to see the differences between Cambodia and Vietnam. Cambodia seemed much more small and quite. Of course, we were only at Siem Reap and just came from the second largest city in Vietnam. The ruins were--surprise!--also very spectacular.
However, while the ruins were very cool, after seeing them for a couple days I got kind of ruined out. I was glad when on the last day we did a change of pace and visited a floating village. All the village houses were on stilts because every year the lake nearby floods and the villages become like the houses we saw in Ha Long Bay. Also, the day before we had visited a museum that showed the deadly affects of the landmines used during the era when the Khmer Rouge were in power.
But the best part of the trip was going out for dinner with my family and my friends and host family. I let my aunt take all the pictures for those occasions, so once I get them from her I will have them posted.
All in all, it was a great time and I enjoyed being the tour guide for my family in Hanoi.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saigon
Earlier this month I went to Ho Chi Minh City with Bryn to meet up with some of our SALTer friends who are currently working in Cambodia, Michael and Liz. Despite my last post ranting about the vices of being a tourist, we were unabashedly tourists on this trip. We stayed in District 1, a tourist corner of the city, ate at the tourist joints, and even went with a tour group full of other foreigners to visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. I guess some times you just have to give in to tourism.
Despite this (or perhaps because of this, I'm not sure), it was a really great time. Michael and Liz are really cool people (Michael also went to Goshen College) and we had a great time hanging out. The first full day there we checked out various museums and the Independence Palace (now called the Reunification Palace) where in 1975, a tank from the North Vietnamese Army crashed the gates, signalling the dissolution of the South Vietnamese government. The palace was huge and lavish. It featured a dozens of different rooms and areas, including a movie theatre. It was easy to see how this palace would have been the antithesis of everything North Vietnam stood for. I wish I could have taken picture, but stupid me forgot my camera. But here's a picture pulled from Wikipedia:
The next day we went on a tour to see the Cu Chi Tunnels located about three hours away from Saigon. These tunnels are a very impressive underground network where guerrilla fighters lived and hid during combat. It was also the base for operations during the Tet Offensive. Our tour guide was a very interesting man. He was a very good tour guide in retrospect. However, during the tour he would be prone to rambling about strange cultural observations or highly personal information about himself. But on the other hand, he did have a pretty crazy life story. He is half Vietnamese and actually fought during the war on the American side because his father was a Filipino ambassador in the U.S. during that time. After the war was over, he stayed behind and spent four years in a re-education camp. He offered a very welcoming perspective since while he said he respects and loves Vietnam, he knows for a fact that a lot of what the current Vietnamese government says what happened is--in his own words--BS. He was able to level criticism of both the American and the Vietnamese side and also tell personal accounts about his experiences with the tunnels.
As for the tunnels themselves, they were very impressive. And small. We had the chance to go through a section of about 100 meters and it was a very tight fit. Pretty crazy when you consider that this section was enlarged some for tourists to go through.
We spent the rest of the time in Ho Chi Minh City, exploring and going to different restaurants and parks. One day we talked with some Vietnamese English students in a park. It was a cool time, although I think prefer Hanoi to Saigon. Saigon just felt a little too Western. However, it was a great place to retreat to for a weekend.
Despite this (or perhaps because of this, I'm not sure), it was a really great time. Michael and Liz are really cool people (Michael also went to Goshen College) and we had a great time hanging out. The first full day there we checked out various museums and the Independence Palace (now called the Reunification Palace) where in 1975, a tank from the North Vietnamese Army crashed the gates, signalling the dissolution of the South Vietnamese government. The palace was huge and lavish. It featured a dozens of different rooms and areas, including a movie theatre. It was easy to see how this palace would have been the antithesis of everything North Vietnam stood for. I wish I could have taken picture, but stupid me forgot my camera. But here's a picture pulled from Wikipedia:
The next day we went on a tour to see the Cu Chi Tunnels located about three hours away from Saigon. These tunnels are a very impressive underground network where guerrilla fighters lived and hid during combat. It was also the base for operations during the Tet Offensive. Our tour guide was a very interesting man. He was a very good tour guide in retrospect. However, during the tour he would be prone to rambling about strange cultural observations or highly personal information about himself. But on the other hand, he did have a pretty crazy life story. He is half Vietnamese and actually fought during the war on the American side because his father was a Filipino ambassador in the U.S. during that time. After the war was over, he stayed behind and spent four years in a re-education camp. He offered a very welcoming perspective since while he said he respects and loves Vietnam, he knows for a fact that a lot of what the current Vietnamese government says what happened is--in his own words--BS. He was able to level criticism of both the American and the Vietnamese side and also tell personal accounts about his experiences with the tunnels.
As for the tunnels themselves, they were very impressive. And small. We had the chance to go through a section of about 100 meters and it was a very tight fit. Pretty crazy when you consider that this section was enlarged some for tourists to go through.
We spent the rest of the time in Ho Chi Minh City, exploring and going to different restaurants and parks. One day we talked with some Vietnamese English students in a park. It was a cool time, although I think prefer Hanoi to Saigon. Saigon just felt a little too Western. However, it was a great place to retreat to for a weekend.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sa Pa
A couple weeks ago The Gioi Publishing House paid for a trip to Sa Pa for Bryn and me. Sa Pa is in the Northwest in Lao Cai province. Many ethnic minority groups such as the H'mong, Dao, and Tay live here. During the France's occupation, many French people would come here to escape for vacation to escape the Ha Noi's harsh climate. Therefore, it is currently a major tourist hub.
That's the bad news. There are tons of tourists in Sa Pa. We went during the off season and we were still constantly running into tourists. This was unpleasant for me because I hate being a tourist. Why?
Exhibit A: When Bryn and I arrived at the train station in Ha Noi, a man in plaid clothes walked over, looked at our train tickets, and started showing up to our car. At first we thought he worked for the train station. However, when we finally got to our car it was obvious that he was just a guy who wanted money. So that he would stop bothering us we gave him a couple bucks for pretty much showing us something we could have found ourselves.
Exhibit B: In Sa Pa, the majority of the ethnic groups are the Black H'Mong people. You could see H'Mong women strolling around the center in their colorful clothing, usually with a basket of goods on their back. We avoided them like the plague. They were constantly coming up to us wanting us to buy their handicrafts and when we refused they would take it personally. I really wished that I could simply have a normal conversation with one of them since their English was quite good. One time a woman came up to me and began asking about me and what I was doing. I talked with her for a bit hoping to God the ball wasn't going to drop and that this wasn't all a set up to get me to buy something. Of course it was. But I can't really blame her or any of the H'Mong people when selling handicrafts are probably one of their biggest sources of income.
Exhibit C: When heading back to Ha Noi, Bryn and I asked a security guard at the train station where we were supposed to go. It turned out that the train time had gotten changed and so he helped us change our tickets for the new time. Nice of him right? Except that of course he wanted money. So I paid him 50,000 and walked away fuming. I could understand the other people trying to get money out of me, but this was a security guard who worked for the train station.
That is why I hate being a tourist. Personal interactions are absent and instead what you get or opportunities to be taken advantage of. I would argue though that many times this is the fault of the tourist. If you come to another country and experience it from a distance like a Discovery Channel TV show all the while indulging in your own culture's comforts, all you are contributing to the country is money. Therefore, it makes since that the people there want to get money out of you. What else do you have to offer? Of course, many times it's impossible not to be a tourist, especially if your time spent traveling some place is so short. I guess, my only comment I can give on that is to realize your a tourist and what you're experiencing is a tourist's journey and not fully representative of the local's actual lifestyle or behavior.
Not that I'm so high and mighty and not a tourist myself. After staying in Sa Pa for a while I succumbed to eating Western food a lot (because it was available) and found myself acting curt with everyone because I assumed everyone was trying to rip me off. I was even a little snappy with the hotel staff who were actually very friendly. Finally, this broke down one day when one member of the hotel staff found out I spoke some Vietnamese and we had a conversation. Also, I would be naive to think that just because I live with a host family and have Vietnamese friends that I am not a tourist.
All in all though, the trip wasn't bad. It was actually quite pleasant. There is a reason why Sa Pa is a tourist hub and this is why:
The landscape in Sa Pa is simply breathtaking and you are able to access the countryside rather easily.
The first day there, we got into Sa Pa at around 6:30am. That day we went to a H'Mong village nearby called Cat Cat.
Later that day we climbed Ham Rong Mountain which features beautiful flower and rock gardens around the base.
The next day we rented motorbikes and drove to Silver Waterfall. In the first picture you can see a H'Mong girl behind Bryn who was trying to get us to buy something.
I'm not sure why you would need wi-fi on top of a waterfall but I guess it doesn't hurt.
We also visited Golden Waterfall.
After lunch we drove around the country for a while.
That night at a pub we met a man from New Zealand. He apparently has a cafe in one of the H'Mong villages and lives next to a H'Mong family. Talking to him gave me a new perspective on the H'Mong people. He had a lot of admiration for them and was very happy living amongst them. Normall, I try to avoid Westerners in Vietnam, especially in tourist places. However, it is always great when you meet a really cool Westerner, someone who actually makes an effort to interact with the people and experience the culture.
So Sa Pa was good but it was also touristy. I would like to return sometime although I hope I don't return to find five-star resorts everywhere. But I guess if tourism is good for providing the local minority groups with substantial incomes, that is more important than me having a fun weekend away.
That's the bad news. There are tons of tourists in Sa Pa. We went during the off season and we were still constantly running into tourists. This was unpleasant for me because I hate being a tourist. Why?
Exhibit A: When Bryn and I arrived at the train station in Ha Noi, a man in plaid clothes walked over, looked at our train tickets, and started showing up to our car. At first we thought he worked for the train station. However, when we finally got to our car it was obvious that he was just a guy who wanted money. So that he would stop bothering us we gave him a couple bucks for pretty much showing us something we could have found ourselves.
Exhibit B: In Sa Pa, the majority of the ethnic groups are the Black H'Mong people. You could see H'Mong women strolling around the center in their colorful clothing, usually with a basket of goods on their back. We avoided them like the plague. They were constantly coming up to us wanting us to buy their handicrafts and when we refused they would take it personally. I really wished that I could simply have a normal conversation with one of them since their English was quite good. One time a woman came up to me and began asking about me and what I was doing. I talked with her for a bit hoping to God the ball wasn't going to drop and that this wasn't all a set up to get me to buy something. Of course it was. But I can't really blame her or any of the H'Mong people when selling handicrafts are probably one of their biggest sources of income.
Exhibit C: When heading back to Ha Noi, Bryn and I asked a security guard at the train station where we were supposed to go. It turned out that the train time had gotten changed and so he helped us change our tickets for the new time. Nice of him right? Except that of course he wanted money. So I paid him 50,000 and walked away fuming. I could understand the other people trying to get money out of me, but this was a security guard who worked for the train station.
That is why I hate being a tourist. Personal interactions are absent and instead what you get or opportunities to be taken advantage of. I would argue though that many times this is the fault of the tourist. If you come to another country and experience it from a distance like a Discovery Channel TV show all the while indulging in your own culture's comforts, all you are contributing to the country is money. Therefore, it makes since that the people there want to get money out of you. What else do you have to offer? Of course, many times it's impossible not to be a tourist, especially if your time spent traveling some place is so short. I guess, my only comment I can give on that is to realize your a tourist and what you're experiencing is a tourist's journey and not fully representative of the local's actual lifestyle or behavior.
Not that I'm so high and mighty and not a tourist myself. After staying in Sa Pa for a while I succumbed to eating Western food a lot (because it was available) and found myself acting curt with everyone because I assumed everyone was trying to rip me off. I was even a little snappy with the hotel staff who were actually very friendly. Finally, this broke down one day when one member of the hotel staff found out I spoke some Vietnamese and we had a conversation. Also, I would be naive to think that just because I live with a host family and have Vietnamese friends that I am not a tourist.
All in all though, the trip wasn't bad. It was actually quite pleasant. There is a reason why Sa Pa is a tourist hub and this is why:
The landscape in Sa Pa is simply breathtaking and you are able to access the countryside rather easily.
The first day there, we got into Sa Pa at around 6:30am. That day we went to a H'Mong village nearby called Cat Cat.
Later that day we climbed Ham Rong Mountain which features beautiful flower and rock gardens around the base.
The next day we rented motorbikes and drove to Silver Waterfall. In the first picture you can see a H'Mong girl behind Bryn who was trying to get us to buy something.
We also visited Golden Waterfall.
After lunch we drove around the country for a while.
That night at a pub we met a man from New Zealand. He apparently has a cafe in one of the H'Mong villages and lives next to a H'Mong family. Talking to him gave me a new perspective on the H'Mong people. He had a lot of admiration for them and was very happy living amongst them. Normall, I try to avoid Westerners in Vietnam, especially in tourist places. However, it is always great when you meet a really cool Westerner, someone who actually makes an effort to interact with the people and experience the culture.
So Sa Pa was good but it was also touristy. I would like to return sometime although I hope I don't return to find five-star resorts everywhere. But I guess if tourism is good for providing the local minority groups with substantial incomes, that is more important than me having a fun weekend away.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Ninh Binh
This last weekend my friend Trinh invited me to visit her hometown of Ninh Binh for the weekend. Ninh Binh is a province around 100km south of Hanoi. We left at 8:00pm on Friday. Going with us were her friend, her two brothers, her sister in law, her brother's three year old and six year old daughters, a neighbour, and her older sister. We all packed into her brother's SUV which seated eight. We arrived at her house around 11:30pm. Her parents were very kind and very happy to meet me. Like many families in Ninh Binh, Trinh's family is Catholic. Therefore, instead of the typical ancestral and Buddhist figurines found in many Vietnamese homes, there were pictures of Mary and a large statue of Jesus. They didn't have an ancestor altar but they did have picture of their grandparents on the wall with a small jar of incense underneath.
During the car ride I had spent a long time talking with Trinh's older brother despite the fact that he knew very little English. Trinh's older sister would occasionally make jokingly make a comment about me marrying Trinh. I got a lot of those comments over this weekend.
That night I shared a bamboo bed with Trinh's brother and father. I woke up the next day and took some picture around the house.
Huge dump trucks drove fast down this road in front of the house. While I was taking pictures, a dog ran into the middle of the road and got run over by a dump truck. Guts spilled out everywhere. Guess what we had for lunch.
Of course we didn't have the same dog but we did eat dog meat which was a little difficult to do after witnessing that scene.
However, before we had lunch we went to visit Phat Diem Cathedral. This cathedral was built around 100 years ago under the guidance of the priest Tran Luc. Parishioners prepared this once unstable sight by driving thousands of stakes into the flood plane followed by layers of earth, gravel, and bamboo rafts. It was here that Graham Greene watched the Viet Minh battle the French, which he would later right about in The Quiet American.
It is probably the most interesting church I have ever scene. Unlike St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi, this stone structure isn't just a knock-off of European style architecture. It actually more resembles a Buddhist temple. However, as you can see, it features crosses and statues of the saints. Carved into the stone are also scenes from the passion.
Trinh told me that the cathedral was bombed during the war.
"Của Mỹ!" said her sister. (By America!)
I knew by her expression she was just joking around but I didn't know what to say so I just said "Xin lỗi. (sorry)"
Her family laughed and we continued walking around taking pictures. The site included smaller chapels around the larger structure as well as a grotto.
There are sometimes when the American War (Vietnam War for all you North Americans) is brought up and I'm not exactly sure how to act. The Vietnamese are never accusatory when they talk about it. However, it is clear that it is a victory they are proud of and they hold firm to the belief that they were in the right and America was in the wrong. I do agree that America was in the wrong during the war but since I didn't live through it, it's hard to feel any sort of feeling either way. Later that day I would meet a neighbor of the family who was a soldier during the war. He told me that he killed 15 American soldiers. However, he assured me that now America and Vietnam are friends. I told him that I was glad for that.
We came back and I met some relatives. Trinh has five brothers and one sister. Her father also has five brothers and I don't know how many sisters. Therefore, every hour or so I would be introduced to another uncle, aunt, or cousin.
That evening we drove around the countryside and took pictures.
That night we went to mass at the local church. It wasn't as big as the stone church but it was still quite large. It's been a while since I've gone to Catholic mass so I'm not sure how much was unique to Vietnam. However, at the end of the service, a brass band played some music which I never remember experiencing at a mass before. It caught me off guard because I didn't see them in the back of the church. I felt like I was at a pep rally.
Trinh's brother helpfully ran around the church during the mass to take pictures for me (try to spot me in the first picture).
I ended up going to mass three times that weekend. The next day I went with Trinh at around 10:00am. There were probably around 2,000 people there. Most of the people were sitting outside on plastic chairs.
The evening I visited some more relatives. One man showed me around his garden where he grew mint and his pond, which was full of fish. He told me everything in hand gestures although it would have actually been more helpful if he had spoken Vietnamese.
At around 4:00pm we went to evening mass. I joined a group of men walking around the church I think to symbolize walking Jesus's walk to Golgotha.
It was quite the musical experience. Chanting mixed with bells, flute playing, a brass band, and large drums. I've never seen this at a Catholic mass:
Some more pictures.
We came back, packed, and left for Hanoi. On the drive back we added two more people. It was a pretty uncomfortable four hour drive. I finally got back to my house around 12pm. It was an exhausting but exhilarating trip. Before I left, I thanked Trinh's parents. Trinh's mother told me to come back and visit again. I hope someday I can.
During the car ride I had spent a long time talking with Trinh's older brother despite the fact that he knew very little English. Trinh's older sister would occasionally make jokingly make a comment about me marrying Trinh. I got a lot of those comments over this weekend.
That night I shared a bamboo bed with Trinh's brother and father. I woke up the next day and took some picture around the house.
Huge dump trucks drove fast down this road in front of the house. While I was taking pictures, a dog ran into the middle of the road and got run over by a dump truck. Guts spilled out everywhere. Guess what we had for lunch.
Of course we didn't have the same dog but we did eat dog meat which was a little difficult to do after witnessing that scene.
However, before we had lunch we went to visit Phat Diem Cathedral. This cathedral was built around 100 years ago under the guidance of the priest Tran Luc. Parishioners prepared this once unstable sight by driving thousands of stakes into the flood plane followed by layers of earth, gravel, and bamboo rafts. It was here that Graham Greene watched the Viet Minh battle the French, which he would later right about in The Quiet American.
It is probably the most interesting church I have ever scene. Unlike St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi, this stone structure isn't just a knock-off of European style architecture. It actually more resembles a Buddhist temple. However, as you can see, it features crosses and statues of the saints. Carved into the stone are also scenes from the passion.
Trinh told me that the cathedral was bombed during the war.
"Của Mỹ!" said her sister. (By America!)
I knew by her expression she was just joking around but I didn't know what to say so I just said "Xin lỗi. (sorry)"
Her family laughed and we continued walking around taking pictures. The site included smaller chapels around the larger structure as well as a grotto.
There are sometimes when the American War (Vietnam War for all you North Americans) is brought up and I'm not exactly sure how to act. The Vietnamese are never accusatory when they talk about it. However, it is clear that it is a victory they are proud of and they hold firm to the belief that they were in the right and America was in the wrong. I do agree that America was in the wrong during the war but since I didn't live through it, it's hard to feel any sort of feeling either way. Later that day I would meet a neighbor of the family who was a soldier during the war. He told me that he killed 15 American soldiers. However, he assured me that now America and Vietnam are friends. I told him that I was glad for that.
We came back and I met some relatives. Trinh has five brothers and one sister. Her father also has five brothers and I don't know how many sisters. Therefore, every hour or so I would be introduced to another uncle, aunt, or cousin.
That evening we drove around the countryside and took pictures.
That night we went to mass at the local church. It wasn't as big as the stone church but it was still quite large. It's been a while since I've gone to Catholic mass so I'm not sure how much was unique to Vietnam. However, at the end of the service, a brass band played some music which I never remember experiencing at a mass before. It caught me off guard because I didn't see them in the back of the church. I felt like I was at a pep rally.
Trinh's brother helpfully ran around the church during the mass to take pictures for me (try to spot me in the first picture).
I ended up going to mass three times that weekend. The next day I went with Trinh at around 10:00am. There were probably around 2,000 people there. Most of the people were sitting outside on plastic chairs.
The evening I visited some more relatives. One man showed me around his garden where he grew mint and his pond, which was full of fish. He told me everything in hand gestures although it would have actually been more helpful if he had spoken Vietnamese.
At around 4:00pm we went to evening mass. I joined a group of men walking around the church I think to symbolize walking Jesus's walk to Golgotha.
It was quite the musical experience. Chanting mixed with bells, flute playing, a brass band, and large drums. I've never seen this at a Catholic mass:
Some more pictures.
We came back, packed, and left for Hanoi. On the drive back we added two more people. It was a pretty uncomfortable four hour drive. I finally got back to my house around 12pm. It was an exhausting but exhilarating trip. Before I left, I thanked Trinh's parents. Trinh's mother told me to come back and visit again. I hope someday I can.
Cowabunga! Adventure in Cao Bằng Day 4
Tuesday April 12, 2011.
This next day we left around 8:30am. This time we took a detour through Ba Be National Park. It was incredibly pretty. There was a large lake and a small village with stilt houses. It reminded by of Mai Chau but even more beautiful. Unfortunately we were way behind schedule so we had no time to stop and admire the scenery. However, at one point we noticed a cave right by the side of the rode. We checked it out for probably a total of five minutes and then continued on our way.
Bryn was basically on empty at this point so we were quite relieved when we found a person with a small gas pump in the little village. We also stopped here in the village for lunch. Surprise! We had pho again. Because we had taken this detour we weren't able to keep our promise and visit the pho shop owners in Bac Kan.
However, we did revisit the cafe in Thai Nguyen. The lady working there was very happy to see us. I also met her husband this time. I think Vietnamese women enunciate more than Vietnamese men because I always have an easier time talking with women in Vietnamese. However, I was able to understand some things that her husband told me. He told me he had an older sister who lived in Texas and that she was married to an American there. The lady also told me that she had a very beautiful 20 year old daughter and if I come back to Thai Nguyen she will introduce her to me. I said "ok" although I honestly don't know when I'll ever be back to Thai Nguyen.
After chatting a bit more we began our last leg of the journey---and probably the absolute worst part of the entire trip. Trucks after trucks spewed dirt and dust in our faces. Soon, it was dark and harder to make out the road. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we reached Hanoi. Because of the detour, it had taken us around 13 hours to get back. To treat ourselves, we went to KFC. I was actually a little embarrassed walking into KFC. It was filled with people and we looked like we had just come back from mining.
All in all, it was an awesome trip and that I will probably always remember. I'd also love to do another motorbike trip up north in Vietnam sometime.
This next day we left around 8:30am. This time we took a detour through Ba Be National Park. It was incredibly pretty. There was a large lake and a small village with stilt houses. It reminded by of Mai Chau but even more beautiful. Unfortunately we were way behind schedule so we had no time to stop and admire the scenery. However, at one point we noticed a cave right by the side of the rode. We checked it out for probably a total of five minutes and then continued on our way.
Bryn was basically on empty at this point so we were quite relieved when we found a person with a small gas pump in the little village. We also stopped here in the village for lunch. Surprise! We had pho again. Because we had taken this detour we weren't able to keep our promise and visit the pho shop owners in Bac Kan.
However, we did revisit the cafe in Thai Nguyen. The lady working there was very happy to see us. I also met her husband this time. I think Vietnamese women enunciate more than Vietnamese men because I always have an easier time talking with women in Vietnamese. However, I was able to understand some things that her husband told me. He told me he had an older sister who lived in Texas and that she was married to an American there. The lady also told me that she had a very beautiful 20 year old daughter and if I come back to Thai Nguyen she will introduce her to me. I said "ok" although I honestly don't know when I'll ever be back to Thai Nguyen.
After chatting a bit more we began our last leg of the journey---and probably the absolute worst part of the entire trip. Trucks after trucks spewed dirt and dust in our faces. Soon, it was dark and harder to make out the road. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we reached Hanoi. Because of the detour, it had taken us around 13 hours to get back. To treat ourselves, we went to KFC. I was actually a little embarrassed walking into KFC. It was filled with people and we looked like we had just come back from mining.
All in all, it was an awesome trip and that I will probably always remember. I'd also love to do another motorbike trip up north in Vietnam sometime.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Cowabunga! Adventure in Cao Bằng Day 3
Monday April 11, 2011.
I made a goof in the last post. Bryn and I didn't really get lost this day. We always knew generally where we were, we just had a lot of trouble finding our destination.
We left the hotel around 9am. Today we would visit Pac Bo cave where Ho Chi Minh spent time gathering revolutionaries after his return from China. He didn't have to go very far when he returned because the cave is right on the Chinese border. The drive there was a lot less intense than the previous days' drives. It only took about three hours to reach the site.
The road went straight to the border and dead-ended in a parking lot. We parked our vehicles and took followed some Vietnamese tourists to a path through the forest.
This is Lenin Stream.
After obliging to take pictures with some excited Vietnamese girls, we decided to walk up a stone path that went up a mountain.
We were both pretty sure that the cave wasn't up this way but we had plenty of free time to explore. However, soon the steps disappeared and the climb became steeper and muddier. The climb also became increasingly more difficult. We stopped a few times and wondered if we should continue since we were getting really sweaty and tired and we had no idea where the path was taking us.
We decided to keep going but after another half an hour or so we realized that this path could very well just lead into China or to another village. So we came back down.
We ran into the group of girls again who were now joined with a group of guys. They were sitting down to have a picnic and they pointed out where to go. We followed their directions that led to steep stone steps. Climbing up the steps we ran into a pretty Vietnamese lady with her child. We must of looked like wimps huffing and puffing up those steps. I tried to explain to her that we had just climbed a mountain. We made small talk for a bit and then continued on with walking with her and her kid. We ran into her husband and mother and sat and had a rest half way up the mountain.
While Bryn rested with them, I decided to book it up to the top as fast as I could. When I got to the top, the path turned into a small dirt path that led to a construction sight. I was really confused. Off to the left was a stone marker that said "China" in Chinese. Bryn and the Vietnamese family came up later. Bryn heard somewhere that the cave Ho Chi Minh worked at had been destroyed and wondered if maybe this was a marker for where the cave used to be.
I thought that this could not be right because I remembered that our former colleague Shane had visited the cave and had taken pictures and had mentioned a table where Ho Chi Minh worked at. I tried to ask the pretty lady where the cave was. However, I didn't know the Vietnamese word for "cave" so instead I asked where his house was. She understood and told us that it was down the mountain. So we climbed back down. At this point we were extremely tired. We had also forgotten our water bottles in our motorbikes.
So this apparently was the cave that had been destroyed. However, I still wasn't satisfied. I knew that Shane had gone into a cave and had mentioned a table.
By now we were really hot and thirsty and so we went back to the parking lot and got some iced tea at one of the many small stalls located there. It was then that we noticed that two paths split off from the parking lot. There was another stone path that went out towards some rice fields. No one was on this path. We grabbed our water bottles from our motorbikes and went along this path.
Finally, we reached it.
It was just a large crack in the side of the mountain. But we entered it and it was definitely a cave. It was incredibly dark and damp but it was just light enough for me to make out large bats swooping around. I realized then that I'm afraid of bats. Or at least groups of large bats in a pitch black cave. Therefore I only went a little ways in before I decided I had seen enough of the cave. Still didn't see a table though. Perhaps I didn't go far in enough.
The trail kept going so we decided to keep following it. We came across small thatched house and a marker for the China/Vietnam border.
The following picture is photoshopped so you can make out the surrounding view and the shack. Maybe sometime when I have more time I will do a better job.
I checked inside and lo and behold a table!
(If you don't see a table it is because the picture is from a weird angle, it is sticking out from the wall right under the window)
Apparently in this shack Ho Chi Minh held the eighth Party Central Committee Meeting. I was very glad that everything finally came together in our search for the cave and the table. I could now leave satisfied. I guess we probably should have brought some sort of guide book with us. It would have saved us a lot of trouble. But in the end our method was more of an adventure and ultimately more rewarding.
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