Archive for December, 2008

I was in Texas visiting family for a few days, but now I’m back chillin’ (literally) in California.

Sigh! Another long year has passed. I’ve come to realize that EVERYONE is getting older, not just me. It seems just like yesterday when the kids were asking for Barbies and Power Rangers on their wishlists. Now it’s all about clothes and cologne. :-\

Thank you everyone for my wonderful gifts! Hope everyone had a great Christmas as I did.

On Christmas day, we went to go see Marley & Me - the movie with Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston (and the Labrador dog). Towards the end everyone inside the theater was crying, even grown men! If you are a pet owner, I do not recommend watching this movie because it is DE-PRESS-ING.

My next blog will be about the new year. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: Here’s a YouTube video of Vic in Vietnam - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fe6-4i_2lVw

So I’m going to break my trip out into subjects instead of days. This will be more helpful for those who want a few pointers for their own trip.

Getting There
We found really cheap tickets through Asiana Airlines. At first I was a bit skeptical because I’ve never heard of them before, and usually you get what you pay for right? Plus the flight was a bit longer than other airlines because we had to stop in Korea for a layover. To our surprise, the plane was rather new and clean. Bathrooms were well kept and stocked with toothbrushes and facial products. Every seat had a touchscreen monitor for movies. And the best part was they fed us 4 times to Korea, and twice on the way to Vietnam. Every meal was served in really nice bowls and dishes and drinks were unlimited (including alcohol!).

Short Layover in Korea (Incheon International Airport)
We had a short 1.5 hour layover in Korea. Killed some time by eating Spicy Ramen at one of the restaurants in the airport.

What’s interesting about the restrooms here are that the seats are lined with plastic. If you push the button on the left side, it’ll roll the old plastic away so a new piece comes out. So fresh and so clean, clean!

Tay Son Nhat Airport (Saigon)

The staff at this airport are really friendly and helpful. I had some trouble finding my way around and filling out some forms but I got assistance without asking. Tip: Remember to fill out the arrival/departure form they pass out during the flight. You will need this in order to leave the airport. You will need to bring the same form back when you come back for departure.

Weather
The weather during our stay wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was mildly hot and humid, but bearable. I wore jeans for the most part and didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. It helped that the sky was mostly cloudly, blocking out all the sun rays. I didn’t use sunblock or get dark at all. The weird thing is that it rains everyday, but ONLY for 15 minutes or so. It’ll randomly pour like crazy, but then it’ll stop and won’t come back until the next day. There’s always something open wherever you’re at, so duck in and cover until the rain subsides. One time we stayed dry at a TuttiFrutti yogurt shop where I ran into a friend from the states. Small world!

Tip: The humid and wet weather attracts a lot of mosquitoes so be sure to spray insect repellent all over your body twice a day! (Feet, legs, stomach, back, arms, neck, face, everywhere!) Once before you go out, and another right after you shower. I was A-Okay until the very last day when I skipped a spray session and ended up with two bites while standing outside in the dark. Grr!

Getting Around
We were pretty spoiled regarding transportation during our stay. Our host owned two cars and had a personal driver who drove us wherever and whenever we wanted. In Vietnam, you have to be pretty wealthy to own a car because of the tax rates. A BMW that costs $50,000 in the U.S. would cost at least $150,000 in Vietnam. I guess the idea here is to refrain people from buying cars which would congest the traffic even further.

But the few times we had to take a taxi, it only cost about $5 each way. Taxis here charge by distance, not by time. It’s 12,000dong for the first kilometer, and 10,000dong per km thereafter. Tip: Most locals recommend taking VinaSun taxi because they are clean and honest. Other companies such as VinaMet have been known to rip tourists off either by taking longer routes or not using a meter. Make sure the meter is running as soon as the car starts moving.

Traffic
Traffic in Saigon is a complete nightmare. There are literally millions of motorbikes on the road at any given time. Most streets don’t have traffic control so everyone just .. goes. You have to dodge other motorbikes, cars and people.

Crossing the street can be scary at first but it gets easy once you learn the system. Just look for a small break in traffic and start walking… keep your eye on oncoming traffic and make sure they see you so they can navigate around you. Don’t stop suddenly or make erratic movements…just hold your breath and keep going! Many will honk at you to get out of the way but don’t let it alarm you. The more you panic, the harder it’ll be.

If you are driving, you have to use your signal blinkers and honk quite often to warn others around you of your intentions. Surprisingly during my entire stay, I did not witness one single car accident. It’s a miracle!

Here’s a sample parking lot…it’s all motos!

Money / Exchange Rate
When I was there, the exchange rate was 17,000dong to a dollar. I brought some cash and a lot of traveler’s checks. Most banks close during the weekend so be sure to get all your money needs taken care of during the week. Otherwise, there is an HSBC bank on Nguyen Du Street (District 1) in the center of the city. The bank itself is closed but there is a small counter inside the ATM room that does money exchange every day. There are also small banking centers inside most Sieu Thi (Supermarkets), but those are hard to find if you don’t know the area.

Crime
There was almost no sign of criminal activity during our entire stay. Tip: The men riding cyclos look kinda shady so I would stay away from them. I heard that they sometimes rob their own customers. Many locals and websites mentioned that pocket picking and purse snatching happens often but I didn’t see or experience any of that. I wore a mini belt purse around my waste so it wasn’t easy to steal. (Inspired by Tiff’s Gucci belt bag).

Beggars / Hustlers
We only saw one beggar outside a supermarket but that was about it. Most of the time we encountered hustlers near touristy areas. Tip: Avoid people outside the gates of the Saigon Zoo who seem friendly at first, but are trying to trick you into buying expensive bottles of drinks. There were also children running around trying to sell candy and vouchers. It’s hard to resist them, but if you buy one, many more will come and bombard you. I guess it’s up to you whether or not you want to ‘donate’. I know it’s hard to say no.

Coffee Shops
The Vietnamese coffee shops are not like the ones in America. There aren’t any scantily dressed women serving you drinks. If you are looking for those types of girls, go to a massage parlor. People just drink coffee and chit chat or people watch. Here’s a group of us at Regina Coffee. All profits from this cafe are donated to charity.

I’ve heard a lot of people warn against consuming ice anywhere, but I had it in almost every restaurant and bar and didn’t get sick at all. I guess you just have to use your best judgment (plus a daily dose of Tums!).

Nightlife
I got a chance to visit 4 clubs/bars:

1) MTV Cafe & Bar - Vic performed with a dance group called Baby Action. Even though it was a Monday night there were still a lot of people there. I guess locals go to clubs/bars every night here, not just weekends like us Californians.

2) Gossip Club - Our group knew one of the DJs spinning that night (DJ Bishop? That’s what it sounded like in fob-speak) so we went to check it out. Pretty cool…we got situated dead center in front of the dance floor with VIP table service. I wonder if all clubs are like this in Saigon? We had a table attendant who made sure our drinks, ice, and smokes were never low. He also made sure our table was never messy…picking up napkins and toothpicks as soon as we put them down. And if someone reached for a cigarette, he would come right over and light it up quickstyle.

3) Cage - This was a rather obscure and small but cozy club owned by a Frenchman. Our group knew the DJ - DJ Quang - supposedly the best DJ in Saigon and reportedly makes $3k average a show?!… Vic got a chance to go on stage and perform for a lil bit as well. There was a 14 yr old girl and her mom who hung out with us (drinking too!). Tip: You can club, drink and smoke in Vietnam no matter what your age. No ID necessary!

4) Club 2000 - This place was very similar to MTV. Just people having drinks and watching live entertainment. Vic performed here as well. The crowd actually liked him and wanted ‘one more!’ but he thought they said ‘no more!’

Tip: Most clubs do not allow taking pictures or videos inside. Not sure why.

Restaurants
There are tons of restaurants to choose from. There are also many street vendors. I tried almost all types and didn’t get any bad stomach cases. However, again you must use your best judgment when picking places to eat at…make sure they look relatively clean.

99% of all restaurants give out moist towels before your meal so you can wipe your hands with before and during. These are used in place of napkins. Tip: Bring lots of tissue with you.

• Hoang Yen: Ordered some strange dishes such as purple colored chao (porridge). Our favorite dish was the eggplant soaked in sweet fish sauce topped with garlic chips. Everything else was weird…
• Tu My Restaurant: This restaurant is popular for their Banh Xeo (yellow crepes), but I thought it turned out too thin and crunchy. I like mine a little thick and slightly soggy. We also ordered Banh Khoc (mini banh xeo) which was very tasty (but not as tasty as TB’s mom’s!). The fruit juices and coffee here are also very good.
• Xoi Ga 15: Their specialty is Xoi Bap (sticky rice and corn topped with garlic chips). Must try.
• Pho Dau: This place has been in business for over 60 years but is very obscure. It’s located in an entire alley, lined with small tables and chairs. There’s no sign either so you have to be pretty local to know about it. Our hosts knew the owner so we got seated in a better part of the alley and served better types of sides that others.
• Random Com Tam restaurant: We tried a random restaurant next to the An Dong plaza. Ordered Rice+Chicken, Rice+Lap Xuong, and 2 smoothies. The entire meal cost less than $5. It was pretty decent for the price.
• Tan Hai Van: We ate here after clubbing one night. Their specialty is Mi (yellow noodles). I ordered the Mi Bo Kho (yellow noodle in beef stew) and it was sooo yummy.
• Some seafood restaurant: I forgot the name of this place, but it’s right across the street from the Caravelle Hotel. We ate here after one of Vic’s performances and ordered chao for everyone. Their Hot Vit Muoi chao (salted duck egg porridge) was THE BEST chao I’ve ever had in my entire life. Highly recommended!
• Korean restaurants: There are a growing number of Korean restaurants in Saigon. Especially in the area where were staying at near the Superbowl on Thang Long street. We ate at Korean restaurants probably 3 times. Once for pizza, another for BBQ, and also for pasta. All three were okay, but personally, Korean food back in the states is far superior.
• Thuc An Tay Ho: We walked around and found this restaurant on a corner by our place. It’s more of a drink beer+eat weird appetizers type of restaurant. We ordered their speciality which was Ca Chinh (fish) prepared two different ways: baked with lemongrass and hot pot. The fish itself was hard to eat because the skin was so slippery and there was barely any meat. I’m not a big fan of hot pot either. So this restaurant was a total miss for me..and expensive! grr.
• Lotteria: This is like a McDonald’s in Saigon. (There are no McD’s here so make sure to eat it before you come over!) Their menu consists of burgers, chicken and rice. We tried the Pho Burger combo. It was okay tasting, but American burgers are obviously better!
• Quan An Ngon: This place was recommended by many people online so we had to try it. The restaurant interior is very nicely decorated. Very busy but we had no trouble getting seated. Ordered Banh Mi + omelete, Mi Quang, and Banh Tam. Everything was decent, but not as good as everyone claimed. Their menu reminds me of Quan Hy on Bolsa.
• Crepe restaurant: (forgot the exact name) We passed by here on the way to the Reunification Palace and decided to stop for some dessert here. Got the Mango, Pineapple, Cherry Rhubarb crepe with Icecream…mmm.

Shopping

• Ben Thanh Market: This is probably the best place to get all of your souvenirs. Tip: Don’t buy the first thing you see! There’s probably a better deal steps away, literally. We circled the entire market at least three times before settling on anything. Vendors will quote extremely marked up prices. With a little haggling, you can probably bring down the price by 40%. If you haggle and they don’t agree on your terms, just say nevermind and walk away…most of the time they’ll call you back and let you buy it for your price.There are basically 7 sections: 1) Jewelry 2) Souvenirs 3) Kitchenware 4) Fresh Fruits 5) Dried Foods 6) Clothing and 7) Food Court. The toughest section to walk through is clothing. Vendors will grab your arm and ask you to buy things. Just say no! The walkways are very narrow so watch out for pickpockets.There’s a DELICIOUS Banh Beo stall located on a corner of the food court. A good sized portion costs only 10,000dong (less than a dollar). You can tell this place is legit because there’s at least 10 people sitting on short plastic benches scarfing these down. You can also place orders to-go if you’re in a hurry.
  
• Cho Lon: Located in Chinatown, different setup as Ben Thanh… They sell other things such as medicines, herbs, and beauty products. Not as many tourists here so maybe that’s why things cost a little more. Reminded me of Chinatown in LA. I didn’t enjoy it much, but it’s still worth a visit if you have time. I was looking for Chinese food but couldn’t find any! grr..
• Malls / Shopping Plazas: Places such as Diamond, An Dong, etc… are nice to browse through, but I wouldn’t recommend buying anything because stuff here is more expensive than in the states.
• MaxiMart: A Sieu Thi (supermarket) located near the Superbowl. This was the last place I went to in Saigon. On Sundays this place is packed with locals getting ready to meet up and “di choi” (hang out). There’s a nice looking fountain in the front and thousands of motos parked in the lot.

Hair Wash
The thing every girl MUST DO in Vietnam is to go get a “Hair Wash” (’Goi Dau’). What’s so special about a hair wash, you ask? Well, I went to one called Schwarzkopf Professional and it was quite an experience. I was expecting just a simple hair wash and a trim at most. But they sat me upright in a chair out in the front area and started shampooing my hair right there on the spot! I was shocked… what if the soap drips? They didn’t use water so the foam stayed, no dripping at all..phew! After 5 minutes, they moved me to a room in the back where I laid down into a hair washing sink.. I thought they were just going to rinse me off, but instead I got a 30+ minute upper scalp/neck/shoulder massage AND a pedicure at the same time. How much did it cost? 150,000dong which equals less than $10USD. Wow!

Massage
The thing every male MUST DO in Vietnam is to go get a body massage. I’m not sure but I think they can range anywhere from $20USD or more depending on where you go. The upper scale ones expect you to tip more so it could end up costing up to $100USD. The girls that service you are basically hookers, so be careful! They’re great eye candy.. lOOk but don’t touch! Better safe than sorry They might ask you what you want at the end (Happy Ending hmm???), just say NO! Or if you don’t care about your health or future well being, go for it…

Just something interesting I noticed… there are A LOT of “Free HIV Testing” posters in the city. Coincidence?

Tourist Attractions
There are so many things to do and see in Saigon. Here are just a few places we went and took pictures of:

• Phu My Hung: This is a very developing area located on the outskirts of Saigon. Lots of high rises, new businesses, showrooms, and homes. Here’s a community park we passed by:
  
• War Remnants Museum: This place used to be dubbed “American War Crimes Museum”. Inside are displays of airplanes, missles and guns used during the war. There are also a lot of graphical images of dead Vietnamese people. (Such as the My Lai Massacre) They also had a showcase for biological weapons used to destroy crops and farmlands… Vietnamese people who lived near or around those infected areas ended up giving birth to mutated babies…pretty sick. Coming out of this museum you really see a different side of the story.Here’s a tiger cage where they held prisoners:
  
• Churches and Pagodas: There are a lot of these in the city as well. However, we didn’t get a chance to visit any in particular. They all looked closed (no entry). Here’s a picture of us in front of a Catholic church across the street from Diamond Plaza:
• Saigon Zoo: From the outside it doesn’t look like much, but you’d be surprised too see how many different types of animals reside here. There were lions, tigers, seals, rhinos, hippos, elephants, deer, birds, monkeys, and so on… There’s even a petting zoo of harmless baby goats. Here I am pouncing around with the fake bunnies:
• The entrance is only 8000dong (50 cents!). Again, beware of the hustlers outside the gates. Don’t talk or make eye contact with any of them. Just buy your ticket and rush to the gate!Lookee! Princess Peach found her Mushroom Kingdom!
• Reunification Palace: This was one of our last stops. This palace used to be the president’s headquarters during the war. It’s like the White House basically.. Really cool fountain out front. Not much to see inside though…just a bunch of rooms with tables and chairs, but still worth a visit if you have time. Entrance fee: 15000dong ($1 almost)

Visiting Family in the Countryside
I visited my older sister’s family in the countryside for a day. It’s about 2 hrs away from the city. They have a huge farm and garden on their property. Too bad nothing was in season though…They had trees for Durians, Jackfruit, Rambutan, and more! grr. Ate a lot home cooking consisting of free range chicken… tastes very different from the chicken raised in the states. Can’t describe it, you just gotta try it…

I got to spend a lot of time with my 2 little nephews. They were so nice and well-behaved! They help out with all the chores, very studious, obedient, and they don’t ask for anything. Nothing compared to the spoiled kids we have here. Talked with them for a while.. they were so curious and were asking all these questions. I think my Vietnamese improved just from this one visit alone. We also spent a couple of hours karaoke-ing together.

Look! I didn’t make him throw the peace sign, he initiated it first! It’s amazing how much we have in common huh? They both left for school very early in the morning (6 or 7am). We were all sad..I hope to see them again some time in the near future…

Leaving Saigon
Our flight out departed at 1am. I really enjoyed the trip and would definitely come back again.

We had a long layover in Korea. I’ll post that story up later when I have time.

That’s it for me! Ta-ta!