Last weekend Jill and I took a trip to Vietnam. The cruise Jill's parents were on was making a stop in Saigon, and I had never been to Vietnam, so we figured we'd make the trip there. We got in Friday morning (Jill's parents arrived Friday afternoon) and we had a full schedule the entire time.
Jill had arranged for us to have a private tour guide for basically the entire trip, which was great because it was just the four of us as opposed to a big tour group. Friday afternoon we got a city tour of Saigon. Our first stop on the tour was the Independence Palace (aka Reunification Palace), which was the home/workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. This is also the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975 (courtesy o' Wikipedia). The structure of the building itself is not incredibly impressive (I mean it's just basically a square building with a fountain in front of it), but to visit such a historically significant place was pretty cool. We got to go inside and see some different meeting rooms and an underground bunker with situation rooms and escape tunnels.
Front of the Palace
View looking out from the front of the Palace
The next stop after the Palace was the War Remnants Museum. We heard prior to visiting that the museum displayed a very one-sided/anti-American view of the war, and I would have to agree that was the case. Knowing that ahead of time was helpful, and I would still recommend anyone to visit it, but just be aware that it does not paint a very rosy picture of the United States. There were a couple of different exhibits most of which were photos (some of which are extremely graphic) and displays of various artifacts (uniforms, bombs/weapons used, etc.). Jill and I both realized very quickly after arriving in Saigon how little we really knew/understood about the Vietnam War, and despite the bias, I still found it to be interesting to get a "Vietnamese" perspective.
Outside the museum there were planes/tanks/guns on display. I didn't
take any photos from the exhibits inside because a lot of it was
photos...and the photos weren't really anything that I would want to
share here
After the War Remnants Museum we stopped by the Saigon Notre Dame Basilica, which was built by French Colonialists between 1863-1880 (courtesy o' wikipedia). The French were in Vietnam for a long time, but it's still a little funny to see a Catholic church in Asia. A lot of the architecture in Saigon has that European influence which made the city unique as well.
Across the street from the Basilica is the Saigon Central Post Office, which was also built in a European architectural style in the early 20th century.
After dinner Friday night Rick and Karen headed back to their ship, and before heading to bed Jill and I stopped for a drink on top of the Rex Hotel, which is a famous hotel in Saigon. During the Vietnam War, the hotel hosted the American Military command's daily conference, and the rooftop bar was a well-known hangout for military officers and war correspondents (wikipedia).
Saturday morning we all made the 1.5 hour drive from Saigon out to the Cu Chi tunnels. "The tunnels of Củ Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Củ Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam,
and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of
the country. The Củ Chi tunnels were the location of several military
campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the Tết Offensive in 1968.
The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots
during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes,
hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous North
Vietnamese fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the
Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces, and helped to counter
the growing American military effort." (wikipedia).
Despite the fact that there were a ton of other very large tour groups, the visit to the tunnels was very interesting. Along with seeing the entrances to the tunnels, there were also displays of various types of booby traps that were used, sites were bombs were dropped, old tanks, and even a range where you could fire different weapons that were used during the war. After visiting the tunnels it's easy to see why the Viet Cong were such a difficult enemy...
This was a guide demonstrating a "hide".
Where'd he go?
My turn!
Oh shit...
That's as far as I could go...
I would have made a terrible Viet Cong...
Nightmarish booby traps...
Me going HAM, Rambo-style with an M16 Rifle
You could actually go into a section of the tunnel. I was only down there for about 3 minutes which was more than enough time to experience it. They have actually expanded the tunnels to accommodate fat Westerners, so when the war was going on the tunnels were even smaller than this. I was the only one that went down there - Jill, Rick and Karen were just fine staying above ground.
If you make it to Saigon the Cu Chi tunnels are a must-see. Just be ready to battle hordes of people from other tour groups.
On the way back to the city we passed through a grove of rubber trees, so we stopped for a few photos. JIC.
When we got back to the city we all grabbed some lunch at our hotel. After everything we had seen it was really interesting for Jill and I to talk to Rick and Karen about their perspective on the Vietnam War. After seeing things from a very "Vietnamese" perspective it was great to hear the experiences/opinions of two Americans who lived through such a significant and complicated part of history. It was also just great to catch up with them and hear more about their experiences on their cruise. This was their first trip to Asia, and they seemed to be really enjoying everything they had seen and done to this point.
After lunch Rick and Karen had to board their ship again because it was heading out to their next destination (North Vietnam). After hanging at the hotel pool for a couple of hours (we stayed at the Park Hyatt Saigon and it's an amazing hotel - we were very lucky to be able to stay there. Great location, awesome building/staff. Highly recommend it, and that's not just because I work for Hyatt.) Jill and I got ready for a Vespa tour of Saigon. Essentially, you get driven around on the back of a Vespa and stop at a few different locations to try some local food/experiences. This may have been my favorite part of the trip because it gives you a completely different perspective of the city. Like...you see it how the locals see it. Everyone in Saigon gets around on a scooter. And the traffic is so chaotic - there are no rules...seriously. I was honestly a bit nervous before we started, but that went away pretty quick once we started and Jill and I both really enjoyed it.
Watch this video for an idea of how crazy the traffic can be
The first place we stopped for food had some interesting items on the menu. We had some noodles, some soup, and some frog legs. The legs were actually good. Seriously tasted like chicken, and all the other stuff we ate was good too.
There were 7 other people in out little Vespa gang. Walt and Irene (in the corner) were a nice couple from Calgary. We sat and chatted with them at most of the places we stopped.
In addition to a couple of food stands, we stopped at a very out-of-the-way coffee shop that had some very talented singers performing. We also stopped for drinks at a pretty rowdy bar with live music. Along with the Cu Chi tunnels I would say a Vespa tour is something you must do if you go to Saigon. It was just a very unique way to experience the city, and there is no way Jill and I would have done the stuff we did without going on the tour.
The hotel is in a great location, and there are a couple of cool sites nearby that I wanted to see lit up after our tour was over.
Opera house that is literally across the street from the Park Hyatt Saigon
City Hall (statue of Ho Chi Minh in front) is just a couple of blocks away
On our last day we visited the Mekong River which was a 2.5 hour drive from Saigon. This was also a very interesting experience because we got to see how people outside of the city live. We took what was essentially a very large, motorized canoe out onto the river, and made a few different stops along the river.
The first stop was through a "floating market" where people actually live right off, or on (they live on their boat), the river.
Another big church
We got off the boat at a little village. There were some shops, and at this one you could sample some snake wine. I consider myself somewhat adventurous, but I just couldn't bring myself to try this stuff...
Me being creepy with babies again...
At another stop we got a live musical performance. There was a couple of singers, but we had no idea what they were saying...
At one point we got off our original boat and were paddled down a small tributary by this little woman. We got to wear the hats as a part of the experience, and they actually did a great job of providing shade.
The last stop of the day was a "floating restaurant" type place. We were running a little behind (we were being dropped off at the airport straight from the river), so we got our food to-go....which was a really bad idea because we didn't even want to eat it, but Jill felt bad because we skipped our lunch (which had been included as a part of the tour) the day before. So on our way back to our van, we had to pretend like we were enjoying some kind of fish (which was completely whole - head, bones, tail-everything), rice, and what I think was pork. Oh, and it all came in plastic bags, and all we had for utensils was chopsticks, so it was an interesting ride back. Throw into the mix the refreshing spray of brown Mekong river mist that was being kicked up by the wind, and Jill and I had had enough of the river tour.
We made it back to the airport with plenty of time, and our trip to Vietnam had concluded. It was a busy few days, but probably one of my favorite trips overall just because we got to see/experience a lot of different stuff. I feel like I say this about everywhere we go, but definitely check out Saigon if you have a chance. Again, if you can arrange a private tour guide I would do that too - much better than doing it with a bus full of people.
Jill's parents are here in Hong Kong now, and will be here for the next couple of days before heading back to the US. They survived their first trip to Asia, and I think are much more confident in their abilities to travel to other parts of the world.
Hope all is well with everyone!
Til' Next Time,
Luke & Jill
P.S.
I realize that in my blogs I complain a lot about big groups of tourists, and I realize that in doing so I am being a complete hypocrite. Jill and I are the biggest tourists of all. Like I should probably start wearing a fanny pack on our trips. So, I know there is no getting around annoying tourists (of which we are guilty of being), and I know we are extremely lucky to be able to do what we do. So, I just need to take a deep breath, enjoy myself, and remember...
This was our first Chinese New Year, and we celebrated by making a trip to Bali. Jill's parents (who are currently on a cruise around Southeast Asia) arrived last Wednesday, and we all went to Bali for the long weekend (offices were closed Friday and Monday for CNY). 2014 is technically the year of the horse, but I really question that because if it was the year of the horse I think the Broncos would have put on a better performance...holy crap, that was terrible.
On our previous trip to Bali we didn't do anything besides hang out at the hotel (we stayed at the Grand Hyatt Bali again this time). For this trip we planned to go out on a boat to do some snorkeling and fishing, and a day trip to Ubud to see the town, rice terraces, temples, etc. Jill kept/keeps referring to the trip to Ubud as "Eat, Pray, Loving", but I still don't really know what that means since I haven't seen the movie or read the book...
Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating, and the boat trip was cancelled. Besides the first day (which was just a bit overcast so it wasn't even that bad) the weather was fine the entire time we were in Bali, but the sea conditions were rough which is what caused the cancellation.
The "Eat, Pray, Love" trip was very interesting.
The trip lasted almost all day because it's a 1.5 hr drive from Nusa Dua (where we were staying) to Ubud. The first stop on the tour was the Monkey Forest in Ubud. We'd been told some horror stories about a Monkey Forest in Bali where the monkeys steal your stuff, and then their owners will give it back to you, but only for a price. The guide assured that this Monkey Forest was legit, and he was right. The monkeys are the same species as the ones Jill and I saw on our first hike in Hong Kong, and if you recall from one of the first blogs, those monkeys were not shy. These monkeys weren't shy either, but they were a little bit more calm than their cousins in Hong Kong.
You could buy bananas to feed the monkeys, and there were a lot of battles for the fruit. This guy, however, had it all figured out. His "rest genitals on my plunder" strategy seemed to work great because while his friends were battling over scraps he was lazily enjoying his lunch.
There was a Hindu temple in the forest. Indonesia is primarily Muslim, but the island of Bali is 90% Hindu, with the remainder comprised of Muslims, Christians and Buddhists.
After the Monkey Forest it was on to exploring the city center of Ubud.
There was another temple in the city center
There was a lot of shopping. Lots of touristy crap, but there were also a lot of boutique shops with actual clothes/crafts as well.
Mean mug of the century
A Hindu Offering. These are laid out twice a day and were all over the place (not just in Ubud, but everywhere). They typically consist of flowers, incense and a small piece of food of some kind.
Yep - those are wooden wieners.
After Ubud it was on to the Tegalalang rice terraces, which were pretty awesome to see. Got to eat lunch with this as the view which was great.
Next stop was the Tirta Empul temple in Tampaksiring just north of Ubud. The temple is built around a Holy spring where Hindus go to purify themselves.
You couldn't enter the temple without a Sarong, which is supposed to contain your impure thoughts. Good luck with that when I'm stylin like this, ladies.
If I'm a Hindu God, I'm giving extra points to whomever offers me a whole, roasted chicken
I opted for the non-submersion version of the holy water purification. Who knows if I was purified, but at the very least the water felt great because it was really hot
After the temple the trip was over and it was back to the hotel. Bali is great because you can relax on the beach and/or experience some very interesting culture. If you make it there I encourage you to do both. Here are some other random pictures from the trip.
Sunset in Seminyak, which is about a half hour North of Nusa Dua.
Sunrise from the beach at our hotel. I woke up at 5:00 AM to watch a KU basketball game, but the internet wasn't working so I watched this instead.
Stray dog just chillin on the beach enjoying the sunrise too.
I came across this little rascal on my way back from an early breakfast one morning. I posted a pic of a little gecko that Jill caught in our hotel room in Hawaii in a post a while back, and if we can keep successfully capturing amphibians/reptiles I may try to create a photo series. The gecko and frog (or toad, not sure) were safely released after being photographed.
Jill's parents make a stop on their cruise in Vietnam next weekend, so Jill and I are going to meet up with them for a while and spend the rest of the weekend exploring after they depart for their next destination. I am very interested to hear how they are liking Asia!
This past weekend Jill and I and another couple hiked stages 1 and 2 of the Maclehose Trail in Sai Kung, which is about an hour and a half from where we live. The hike was a little bit longer than we anticipated (24.1 Kilometers), but we had an awesome time. We got to see some awesome scenery (the smog wasn't too bad that day) and have lunch on a white sand beach. I have another hike through work next weekend that's going to be another 25K, so it's good to know I can go that far and won't collapse in a heap in front of my coworkers...
We made the BIG loop around the reservoir
There were a couple of beaches along the trail. There is a drug rehab facility just to the left of the trees down there. Not too shabby a locale for some rehab. This is not the beach where we stopped for lunch.
Even though this was a relatively clear day, you can still see the smog.
Some of the trails we've hiked wind through little villages. This one had that too. Most of the villages have people living in them, so it's a bit weird just walking through what feels like someone's back yard, but one of the villages we walked through was abandoned or at least looked that way.
This place looked like something out of a museum.
On another note, glad to see the Broncs got the W and are headed to the Super Bowl! I hope Mr. Manning and the Donkeys can teach Richard Sherman for the Seahawks some manners. What a clown...
Hello all and Happy New Year! I realize it's been a while since the last blog, but just wanted to check-in and hope that the Holidays treated everyone well. Jill and I are back in Hong Kong and trying to get back into a routine.
Not much new to report on our end, but we did recently receive some photos of our volunteering activity in Kowloon to help kids learn some English (we did this back in October...not sure why it took so long for the organization to send us the photos, but better late then never!).
We did this through Jill's work and it was a lot of fun. We had three hours with the little ones, and to teach them some English we reviewed animals, colors and parts of the body. And for lunch we brought in stuff to make hot dogs - the hot dogs went over really well. The kids loved them. The kids were really shy at first, but by the end they were laughing and pretty talkative. Jill and I really had no idea what we were doing, but it ended up working out great.
That's all for now. Again, wish everyone a great 2014!
Even though it's not a recognized Holiday over here, Jill and I have an awful lot to be thankful for. We're getting together with a big group tonight for our first "Friendsgiving." And we're also excited to welcome to Hong Kong, Ms. Morgann Cook! She and Jill have been in Thailand for the past few days, so we're excited to show her around the city.
Wishing everyone a safe and very Happy Thanksgiving!
As some of you may or may not know, this year’s Champions Classic will be taking place on the evening of Tuesday, November 12th.
In what should be an awesome early-season double header, KU is playing
Duke, and Michigan State is taking on Kentucky at the United Center in
Chicago.
Unfortunately, I will be in a meeting Wednesday morning while the games are going on, but I am recording and watching both of them when I
get home from work Wednesday evening. So, please, please do not text / email / communicate in any way, shape or form with me regarding the outcomes of the games.Most of you probably wouldn't anyway, but just wanted to make sure.
Some other factoids about Tuesday night’s games according to ESPN in case you were interested:
It
will be the first time that four top-five teams in The Associated Press
poll will play in the same doubleheader at the same venue since the
2008 Final Four, when all
four No. 1 seeds (Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA and Memphis) played in
San Antonio
The
Kentucky-Michigan State game is the first match-up of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in
the AP Poll since Feb. 23, 2008 (Memphis vs. Tennessee).
It
will be the earliest matchup of the top two teams in college basketball
history, which was previously the Indiana-UCLA game on Nov. 29, 1975.
The two top-rated recruits in the
ESPN 100
class will square off, with KU’s Andrew Wiggins facing Duke’s Jabari
Parker. The fact that their game is being played in Parker’s home town
of Chicago adds another layer of intrigue. This will be a great test to
see if Andrew Wiggins can live up to the crazy
amount of hype that’s been piled on him.
In
all, these schools combined to grab eight of the top 10 and 11 of the
top 15 freshman recruits on the ESPN list. Kentucky’s haul, which
includes No. 3
Julius Randle,
No. 5 Andrew Harrison,
No. 7 Dakari Johnson,
No. 8 James Young,
No. 9 Aaron Harrison, is widely considered the top recruiting class in history.
The
four coaches, Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, John Calipari of Kentucky, Bill
Self of Kansas and Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, have combined for 2,471
wins, 23 Final Four appearances
and seven national championships.
In
summary, this year’s Champions Classic is a college basketball fan’s
wet dream. I think I
am almost as amped up as this guy (except it’s for KU…and
for basketball). I’m gonna get a good white base coat going, and if
Krzyzewski wears a visor it’s coming off!
Jill’s
going to be in Beijing for work, too, which means I can release as many
profanity-laced tirades at the TV as I want to with no fear of retribution.
Let's do this Jayhawks!
All that being said, and as big a game as this is, this game's significance is nothing compared to the sacrifices our Veterans make for our country. Here's to you, Veterans.
