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Things We've Learned in Vietnam

With each country I spend time in, I like to compile a list of the interesting differences between my American/home culture and the culture I'm visiting.  Here are some of the neat things we've learned in Vietnam (so far!):

1. Sidewalks are for parking or riding your motor bike, not for walking.

2. It's ok to drive on the wrong side of the street. Also, red lights are only a suggestion.

3. Vietnamese cows are just smarter than American cows.

4. It's ok to ride your motorcycle (or bicycle) right inside a house or business. Park in the living room or kitchen, no problem!

5. You can drink iced beverages from restaurants without trepidation. Well, mostly.

6. If you hang out in a park, university students will come over to practice English with you.

7. Vietnamese iced coffee is the best coffee EVER. Even the instant stuff is pretty good. We are soooooo addicted to Vietnamese coffee!

8. There are three prices for everything - the tourist price, the expat price, and the Vietnamese price. Your bargaining skills must be very sharp here.

9. If a driver honks at you, they are not being friendly or encouraging in any way. It means you better get the hell out of the way, pronto.

10. Even when it's 110 degrees with no air conditioning, Vietnamese women will wear sweatshirts, jackets, tights, and full face masks to keep their skin from tanning.

11. There are toothpicks at every restaurant table. But if you're going to use them, you MUST cover your mouth with your other hand. Even the homeless street people cover their mouths when picking their teeth.

12. You should burn sticks of incense anywhere and everywhere! Seriously, in potted plants, cracks in the sidewalk, inside or outside, in random dirt patches. It's delightful! Buddy and I are going on an incense lighting rampage throughout Houston after we move there.

13. Buddhist chanting is mesmerizing and intoxicating.

14. It's important to put sunscreen on ALL the places. The sun is good at finding any spots you missed, even under your shirt.

15. When they say "big supermarket," they are NOT fucking around. Big C Supermarket is actually a shopping mall with bazillions of people and security. If you want to go into the grocery area, you have to check your purse in at the guard station and be subject to security pat downs upon exit!

16. You know you've finally acclimated to the heat when it's 100 degrees outside and you proclaim "oh good, it's cooled down."

17. Lots and lots of Australians visit Vietnam. Lots!!!

Da Nang

We spent the last 3 or 4 days in Danang and it was pretty fricking great!

Danang has the most beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear blue water. 

 

In the distance is a huge female Buddha that overlooks the bay. We took a motor bike up there and she sits at a huge pagoda. It was so incredibly beautiful!!!!

There is a river that runs through the middle of Da Nang, with several cool bridges to cross it. One is the Dragon Bridge, shaped like a dragon, and on the weekend nights it actually shoots fire and smoke out of its mouth!  It was really cool. 

So many nice people just randomly come up to us to chat in Vietnam. Everyone here is so friendly and welcoming! Especially the younger folks, who love to practice their English.  We've met some really lovely people along the way.

One day we took the motor bike up to Hai Van Pass.  It's a breathtaking view of Danang bay and the city, the pictures don't nearly do it justice.

Along the way we saw a gigantic pagoda up on a hill and we stopped to explore.

Last night we found the best sandwich shop in all of Danang!  In Vietnam, you just need a little cart and an empty street corner to have a "restaurant." Seriously.

Unfortunately, the drinks available at these places come in a big giant bucket with one shared cup.  I declined, but Buddy actually drank from it and he's paying for it today. He had the honor of taking the first dose of Cipro on the trip!

We loved Hoi An so much that we decided to return for a few days.  So we will be spending the next few days in Hoi An, then back to Saigon for one night before Siem Reap for our last week. 

Motorbike Day: An Bang Beach & Marble Mountain

Our first full day here we rode bicycles around Hoi An.  First let me say that it's 110 degrees Fahrenheit and second that I am not a big exerciser. So riding a bicycle all day in the searing heat is not exactly pleasant for me (or Buddy, by proxy!). We had to make a LOT of stops and frequent visits to our hotel room, which seriously contains the only air conditioning in this town. And my ass really hurts from that little bicycle seat.

So today we decided to rent a motor bike (for a whopping cost of $7) and drive to the beach. Thankfully Buddy knows how to drive a motorcycle! 

There are two beaches at Hoi An - one is the tourist beach, which we avoided, and the other is the "locals" beach called An Bang. We rode out to An Bang and it was spectacular!! The water is crystal clear and there were hardly any people around. We spent a good hour playing in the cold water and getting sunburned.  :-). 

Jane: I actually got in the ocean water and swam. Like ALL THE WAY IN. For at least an hour! I had Buddy take a picture for evidence:

After the delightful beach experience, we took the motor bike to a place called Marble Mountain outside of Da Nang where there are these crazy marble pagodas carved into the side of the mountain. I took a lot of pictures with the good digital camera, but I don't have a way to download them while we are traveling! Oops. So here are a few that Buddy got with his cell phone:

 

 

Also of note at Marble Mountain, I got seriously bamboozled by a very good sales lady and way overpaid for a gift. Even Buddy admits she had really good game, but I'm still kicking myself for how much I paid for a couple of candle holders. Oh well, you live and learn!

Hoi An

After the super fun 15 hour train ride, we arrived at Da Nang and were picked up by our hotel for a quick 20 minute drive to Hoi An. The drive through Da Nang left us wanting more, so we will definitely head back there for at least a couple of days. The sea and the beaches are gorgeous!

Arriving to our place in Hoi An, we immediately knew we made the right choice for lodging.  It's called Hoi An Greenlife Homestay and is situated in the main Hoi An town. But right behind it are lush green rice fields, as far as the eye can see.

Here is the little sitting area and balcony of our room:

And this is what we see from our balcony!

It's just beautiful!!!

Upon arrival we were completely exhausted from the train ride and both of us immediately took a nap.  We woke up hungry but it was dark outside and we were in unfamiliar territory, so we decided to see if we could find someplace nearby. 

We stumbled upon a really busy place that was definitely an authentic Vietnamese hang out - no English on the menus and nobody who spoke English to be found. We used a lot of gesturing and pointing at grainy pictures to order, having no idea what we would be getting.

My food was really good, maybe it was chicken with bok choi?  It was tasty!

Buddy received a strange look and some questions (in Vietnamese) from the waiter when he ordered, but since we had no idea what he was saying, Buddy just shook his head and gave a thumbs up. When his dish arrived, it was a blackish colored nest of fried bits on the plate.  Buddy just dove in and started eating the crunchy, chewy pile of stuff.  I asked how it tasted, he said "good," so I picked a piece for myself.

I looked closely at the bit in my chopsticks and picked out a bone.  I really couldn't figure out what I was looking at. Then I saw a little eye. Ok, I'll pick that eye out and usually when there's one eye you'll find a second...ok, pick that one out as well.

At this point Buddy says "stop looking at it and just try it. You won't eat it if you keep looking at it."  He was totally right, so I took a bite and chewed, chewed, chewed. It was very chewy. And deep fried. And crunchy. And chewy.

Having finished my adventurous bite of mystery meat, I looked more closely at what was left on Buddy's plate.  I saw a small foot and predicted that he was eating goose knuckles.  I don't really know what those are, but I've heard about people eating them in Asia and thought it seemed like a reasonable guess.

When we got back to the hotel, Buddy looked up the Vietnamese words for the dish he ate. Turns out it was a frog. And apparently I ate a frog's face.

Welcome to Hoi An!

Vietnamese Railway

We opted for some adventure and, instead of flying, took the overnight sleeper train from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang.  I like trains - they are usually a nice way to see the countryside and a more relaxing travel experience than dealing with airlines.

Well, I'm not sure that this one would count as more relaxing, but it was definitely an experience we won't forget!

The train left Saigon at 11 PM, to arrive in Da Nang around 2 PM.  First thing we noticed is that the train cars look a lot like prison cells.  And the beds weren't much of an improvement over what I suspect one gets in prison. But by this time we had already bought the tickets and were committed, so we tried to get "comfortable" and settle in for the night.

The thing is, you don't get to choose your bunk mates.  4 beds per compartment = 4 people who share a prison cell for 15 hours.  So just as we are settling down, a 20-something guy shows up with his friends, drops off his baggage in the compartment, and takes off for a smoke.

One of the pieces of "baggage" he brought was a heavyish cardboard box that he stored under Buddy's bed.  Immediately a very strong, distinct and unpleasant odor filled the cabin.  It was really bad. Like, REALLY BAD. Buddy had a truly panicked look on his face and wanted to get off the train altogether, while I was trying to convince him (and myself) that we would get used to it after a while.  He even busted into the box while the guy was gone, just to see what the hell was in there (it was two of these: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-does-the-durian-fruit-smell-so-terrible-149205532/ )

THANK GOD that someone else on the train had the guts (and the language skills) to complain. A train conductor came into our prison cell and looked at me and Buddy accusingly.  We immediately pointed to the guy in the top bunk, they had an exchange, and then the putrid durian fruit got thrown off the train. Success!

Another neat fact about the Vietnamese Railway is that it's really fucking loud.  The metal box itself is quite squeaky, and the 6 screaming children two bunks down just echo and echo throughout the car.  Also, because they don't want you to get hungry or thirsty while you're sleeping, a very loud woman with a food cart comes through the corridor every hour or two, screaming in Vietnamese about her beverages.

Needless to say, we did not have a restful nights sleep.  It was pretty miserable, in fact.  But in the morning we gave the screamy lady some money for coffee and just tried to enjoy some of the scenery.

That part, at least, was gorgeous.  :-)

Last days of Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is just a really cool place.  Both Buddy and I loved it!  It's a strange mix of modern and ancient, high tech and low tech, pure chaos and total relaxation.

We spent four full days in Saigon (plus a little extra), just wandering around, talking to people, eating amazing food, seeing the sights, and lots and lots and lots of sweating.

Here are a few pics of our Saigon adventures.

 

They made her eyes just a touch too big and creepy!

 

 

 

 

 

Ho Chi Minh says "hey girl, heeeyyyyyyy!"

 

This was a sign for a tour company.  The "silk worm" I get - go see where the silk is made.  But we have no idea what "minority pig" is about.  It was tempting to take this tour just to see!

 

Sushi flavored chips?  (I tried them, they were not sushi flavored.)

One night we wandered around for hours and stumbled upon a restaurant that was very busy and full of locals (usually a good sign!).  They had some very interesting items on the menu.  Neither of us were willing to try the simmered crap or ox penis.

 

 

In Vietnam, oranges are actually green.

 

Coconut juice for Buddy, in an actual coconut!

 

Amazingly beautiful Hindu temple we stumbled across one day.

 

 

Made it to Hoi An

Will write more later. Just letting you know we arrived at our next destination.

AMAZING FOOD in Saigon

We have really enjoyed our time in HCMC thus far.  I'll have more pictures later, but wanted to talk about the awesome motorcycle food tour we went on a couple of nights ago.  

In Saigon there are approximately 11 million people and 6 million motor bikes. Motor bike (motorcycle) is absolutely the number one method of transport in this city, and it's really crazy to experience both as a pedestrian and a rider!  Thankfully the speed limit is really low (around 35 MPH) and everyone usually wears a helmet.  Surprisingly there are very few accidents in the city - the drivers are skilled and pay close attention to what they're doing.

Our 2nd night here we went on a street food tour with Back of the Bike Tours (http://backofthebiketours.com).  The two young female drivers picked us up at our hotel, gave us helmets, showed us how to ride on the back of their bikes, and we took off across town for a four hour, five stop, eating extravaganza.  Both girls were super friendly, energetic and funny - we had an awesome time with them.  We met up with another two couples and their drivers, then weaved through the insane traffic of HCMC on the back of these bikes.  It was freaking awesome!

We got to visit several different districts of Saigon, which was really cool.  We were definitely outside of the touristy areas and into the real heart of the city - and on a Friday night, to boot. We were the only non-Vietnamese people at the various restaurants/food vendors.  The city has so much energy, too!  A very vibrant feel.

First stop was for a dish called Banh Trang Nuong, which was kind of like pizza.  The base is a type of rice paper and they top it with butter, cheese (only a little bit), onions, and various meats.  Then you dip the pieces into a spicy chili sauce and/or tamarind sauce.  Yum!

Oh that reminds me - I kept saying "yum!" about the food and the tour guides would laugh. Apparently that word means "horny" in Vietnamese. "Yummy" is ok, though.

At the 2nd restaurant we tried something called Cut Chien Bo.  It's quail that is deep fried in butter and served with the most delicious baguettes. I wasn't too keen on the quail, but mostly because it was pretty greasy.  Buddy enjoyed it though - he ate two quail heads!  He says the beaks were a little bit crunchy.

Next stop we tried duck leg with a side of noodles in a dark broth (Mi Vit Tiem).  The duck was amazing!  I've never been a big fan of duck, but this was the bomb.

By the fourth restaurant we were getting a little full, but this one was definitely my favorite. Buddy tried his hand at cooking the Banh Xeo (hopefully we will have pics of this later).  They use a small cast iron skillet over an open flame to fry up a crispy rice flour crepe.  Once the crepe is nearly cooked, various meats are added (shrimp, pork) along with some bean sprouts.  Then at the table, there were piles of fresh lettuces and herbs that you roll up with the crepe into a rice paper - like a small burrito - and dip into a sweet fish sauce.  It was so amazing!!  I can't wait to have this dish again, definitely my favorite so far.

As a "treat" (?), our hosts then challenged us to try balut. First let me say that at the beginning of our trip, I committed to trying foods that I normally don't eat.  I've eaten way more meat these past few days than I normally would.  But balut is quite a step further, and I'm proud to say that I went for it. Buddy actually made it through the entire thing (!!!), whereas I only drank the juice and took one big bite.  I couldn't keep going after the first bite, but Buddy powered through the whole thing!  Our tour guides were impressed with him.  If you don't know what balut it, check this out:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut_(food)

The final stop was an ice cream/fruit shop that was really great, although I was so full by this time that it was hard to fit anything else in!  We were cracking up with our tour guides and they were asking us to teach them some English bad words and slang.  It's funny, Buddy and I both cuss *all the time*, but when the girls asked us for some good cuss words we kinda froze. Couldn't think of anything besides f-ck and sh-t!  I feel like we really under-represented ourselves there.  :-)

Avocado Smoothie

We've found all sorts of cute restaurants and coffee shops here - this is Buddy drinking an avocado smoothie. Note to Jane: I tried it and it wasn't completely disgusting, only mostly disgusting.