Vietnam - Hanoi: Day 3

I had a terrible night's sleep with backpacker's alley being a busy locale until 3am and restless dreams the rest of the night. However, we were up bright and early to head out for our flight to Hanoi.
We took Vietnam Airlines up. It's just two short hours and the flight seemed alright though I was half awake for most of it. :)

Our airport pickup for Hanoi Boutique hotel was there to greet us for the hour journey in to the city. It was quite nice to see the mountains and countryside on the drive in.

I was struck by the orange or red roofs everywhere. I'm not sure why, but it seems somehow strange to see them. I wasn't withit enough to take photos but maybe later pictures will reveal what I am talking about.

The city is smaller, thus fewer motorbikes but still a ton! Most buildings are tall and narrow which I haven't quite come to understand because space doesn't seem to be that much of a problem. Perhaps it is money....

Our new hotel is lovely and the staff is very friendly. We are located in the Old Quarter which is pretty convenient for seeing most things.

So after settling in, we headed out to explore. The streets are filled with stores/vendors and the honking of horns. The cyclo riders made frequent attempts to get us as customers but we walked on. After a bit of meandering we found the Hoan Kiem Lake and had a walk around that.

In search for lunch we took a very long detour and somehow ended up in the northwest along the shores of Ho Tay (West Lake). Thankfully, the boats had food so we ate on the Potomac. Though the food was pretty average we watched our first downpour.

Once refreshed, we took a bit of a wander along the lake shore which seemed to be the backside of the South American embassies. There wasn't much to see other than a few crazies swimming in the water getting their next meal perhaps.

So, as the next downpour began we caught a taxi back to our hotel.

In the evening we went to a popular place recommeneded by Lonely Planet called 69 for drinks and dinner. It was pretty good and thus was our first afternoon in Hanoi!

More to come,

-T
Sent from my iPhone

Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City: Day 1 & 2

The last stop on my around the globe travels during this summer holiday is Vietnam. Craig and I have a two-week adventure planned with a friend, Roman, joining for most of it.

We started with our flight from Narita to HCMC. This is Day 1 technically but nothing to report. The flight is about 7 hours and there is a two-hour time difference between the two countries. That should orientate you. ;)

Our day in HCMC began with a Vietnamese breakfast of Pho and coffee. I am reminded of our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Salem when I drink the coffee here.

Once fueled we were off to see the sights. Not being too into planning we wandered the streets taking in the city. We walked through the Ben Thanh Market, which was like most covered market areas. One difference I really noticed was that people were very touchy and eager to sell us something. Sadly for them we weren't really interesting shoppers.

Our next stop was to have a quick drink to hydrate in the heat and decide our next plan of action. We sat near the intersection of Le Loi and Pastuer which gave us an amazing view of the seemingly thousands of motorbikes pass through amidst the cars. Motorbikes are the mode of
choice here and they are crazy!!!!

We headed to see the Reunification Palace from the outside on our way to the War Remnants Museum. The museum was fairly interesting with lots of gruesome photos and "bad" America explanations but in general it was ok. I am wondering what the tone in the north will be.

In the evening, we went for a sunset/night view of the Saigon River from the Majestic Hotel's Skybar. It was a nice way to relax and have a few drinks away from the city. I continued to be awed by the ferry boats going from shore to shore chock full of motorbikes in both directions.

After a scenic evening walk around the ritzy part of town we had dinner at the much talked about Quan An Ngon restaurant. The food was good but I'm not convinced it is worth the hype.

At last we made it back exhausted at the very mediocre and over-priced Bi Saigon. The room was ok but no double beds and odd decor. Plus the six flights of stairs to the room wasn't so desireable after a long day of walking around. But for a couple of nights one can survive.

Thus ends our visit in HCMC. We are both looking forward to Hanoi.

More to come,

-T
Sent from my iPhone

Short Oregon Visit

Due my somewhat crazy travel schedule this summer, I was only home in Oregon from July 18 - 24. My main purpose was to just hang with my family and to relax.

Somehow I still ended up seeing many friends, which was great. I made a visit to the Old Spaghetti Factory, one of my favorite childhood restaurants; met my Dad's softball team; visited more friends; shopped (yes more!) and in general just felt good to be home for a few days.

So, not much to report here. Photos are on the way as always. I will post links later to pics.

Next stop - Japan!

-T

Spain - Goodbye for now

My last day in Spain was spent in transit. My aunt kindly got up early with me to take me to the train station in Malaga. Since we were told it was hard to find due to construction in the area we left early.
The 30-minute drive led us almost directly to the station. We only had to ask one person on the way. I picked up my pre-reserved ticket through renfe at a ticket machine and went to wait to get on the train.

The train reminded me of the bullet trains in Japan with nice seats and refreshment cars. My sunrise in Spain was seen from the train window as it sped through the country towards Madrid.

We arrived on time and I caught a cab to the airport without any troubles at all. As we drove through the city I thought how we should have spent more time there and that I need to come back soon. How have I not been to Europe before?

So I've fallen in love with a country. There's more to see so I will be back!!

Thus ends my adventure through Spain. More from my travels to come.

-T
Sent from my iPhone