Saturday, January 19, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Asia Trip...
I just got home last night after 17 days in Asia. What a great trip! Flew first to Taipei Taiwan which is a beautiful island off the coast of China. This time of the year is not the best for visiting Taiwan as it is cold and rainy but there is much to see there. Then flew on to Ho Chi Minh and took a taxi to the first hotel of two that I stayed at during my trip. It took a couple of days to get used to the time and date change and sleeping was kind of tough at first. Let me explain some of the rules that you learn when you get here...
First rule is never (NEVER) walk in front of a taxi. If you don't learn this rule you don't have to worry about learning rule 2. I learned this one quick and lucky for me not the hard way.
Rule 2 is what ever time something is planned can really be 30 before to 30 minutes after said time so get used to it.
Rule 3 is what ever is planned does not mean that is what is going to happen. Go with the flow and get used to it.
Rule 4 (kind of important one) never make eye contact or verbal contact with a begger. If you do either this can result in a permanent attachment that is not easily broken.
So those are kind of the first things you go thru when you arrive here. Vietnam is a fun place and the people are great. I have been in 3rd world countries before and you have to get used to the poverty that you see and not let it ruin your visit. Even though the political power is Socialist there is very little military presence and I found it to be one of the most open countries I have visited outside the U.S. I felt safe the whole trip with no hassels from police or military.
The food here is incredible with many places serving things I have never seen before and everything I tried I found to be great.
I didn't realize how much the people here celebrate calendar New Years. With the whole city lit up that made Las Vegas look small time the music and dancing was everywhere. Great party.
After the New Year we went to a place called Monkey Island. We hired a taxi for the day and drove about a hour to a ferry that took us to an island and then drove another 45 minutes then across a bridge to a Mangrove forest that has hundreds of monkey running around wild. They tell you when you enter to watch your hats, cameras, cell phone, or anything else that the Monkeys might grab and run off with. There are 3 different types of monkeys that go from small to about above your knee in size. There are salt water crocks there and many birds and snakes in the forest. Great place in a spooky kind of way.
The weather in Saigon was perfect. The humidity was not that bad and it was high 80s to low 90s during the day and high 70s at night. The bug situation wasn't that bad either with a mosquito bite here and there. I never got really chewed on from anything.
There are many other things that we did and saw but I am running out of energy and will save those stories for later...
First rule is never (NEVER) walk in front of a taxi. If you don't learn this rule you don't have to worry about learning rule 2. I learned this one quick and lucky for me not the hard way.
Rule 2 is what ever time something is planned can really be 30 before to 30 minutes after said time so get used to it.
Rule 3 is what ever is planned does not mean that is what is going to happen. Go with the flow and get used to it.
Rule 4 (kind of important one) never make eye contact or verbal contact with a begger. If you do either this can result in a permanent attachment that is not easily broken.
So those are kind of the first things you go thru when you arrive here. Vietnam is a fun place and the people are great. I have been in 3rd world countries before and you have to get used to the poverty that you see and not let it ruin your visit. Even though the political power is Socialist there is very little military presence and I found it to be one of the most open countries I have visited outside the U.S. I felt safe the whole trip with no hassels from police or military.
The food here is incredible with many places serving things I have never seen before and everything I tried I found to be great.
I didn't realize how much the people here celebrate calendar New Years. With the whole city lit up that made Las Vegas look small time the music and dancing was everywhere. Great party.
After the New Year we went to a place called Monkey Island. We hired a taxi for the day and drove about a hour to a ferry that took us to an island and then drove another 45 minutes then across a bridge to a Mangrove forest that has hundreds of monkey running around wild. They tell you when you enter to watch your hats, cameras, cell phone, or anything else that the Monkeys might grab and run off with. There are 3 different types of monkeys that go from small to about above your knee in size. There are salt water crocks there and many birds and snakes in the forest. Great place in a spooky kind of way.
The weather in Saigon was perfect. The humidity was not that bad and it was high 80s to low 90s during the day and high 70s at night. The bug situation wasn't that bad either with a mosquito bite here and there. I never got really chewed on from anything.
There are many other things that we did and saw but I am running out of energy and will save those stories for later...
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