22 Jun 2008 (Sun)
The backpacking trip started this very day. This is my first time leaving home so long. Mixed feelings inside me. Excited, nervous, happy, sad.
Finally all our plannings, itinerary is coming true one by one. Being the first to reach the airport, I regret to inform the rest of them that our flight is DELAYED for 3 hours! And yes, it was really boring.
Introducing backpacker rookie... That thing behind me weighs 10kg, the one in front weighs 7kg. Not easy eh. Notice my skin colour, I was quite fair then.
And introducing filght passenger rookie.. Thanks to the rest for giving up the window seat to this rookie. Night view of SG = Light bulb. Its the brightest country of all at night. There's a lamp to every few metres of road. So much for saving electricity eh.
(After waiting and waiting for the delayed delayed flight...)
Our road map:
Hanoi >>> Halong Bay >>> Hanoi >>> Sapa >>> Hanoi >>> Hue >>> Laos >>> Nakhom Phanom >>> BKK
I guess i shall blog it place by place. Lets get started in Hanoi.
Vietnam - Hanoi
Reached Hanoi in the middle of the night. We're quite surprised that people from the hotel actually still came and pick us up. Oh ya, we met a group of people from NTU, having their grad trip, and we actually chose the same hotel!
In Vietnam, all their cars are left-hand drive. Seated at the right front seat gets me tempted to step on the accelerator.
And yes, the traffic there was busy. And when i say busy it really means BUSY!! Not many traffic lights there. Not a chance to get across the road. I was terrified to get myself across those road junctions in the first day. At the end of the day, we revealed the secret of crossing roads in Vietnam. And that is JUST CROSS. Look at your destination. Walk towards it briskly and no one gets hurt. Cool eh. Despite the horrible traffic in Hanoi, everything was in a mess, yet everything flows.
We found the post office. Bought the calling card. And we've got postcards for ourselves!! We hope to receive them when we're back home. (And yes we did!)
Some random pictures taken in a temple.
The signboard outside W.C reads "500 Dongs for one"
500D for a section of toilet paper
or
500D per pull??
We don't know.
This is one of their foodcourt there. Handsigns works well when we couldn't understand them and they couldn't read us.
One of the highlights you cant miss in Vietnam..
Water Puppets Show (升龙水上木偶戏院)
The setting of a pool in the middle, with local musicians stationed at the side platform. The first part of the show introduces the musicians and their instruments. Next is the puppets. There were 17 short stories performed. Some were hilarious, some were draggy. Fall asleep somewhere in the middle of the show thou. Haha.
Those people controlling the puppets were partially submerged in the pool.
We had our dinner at the 路边摊, its rice-noodle soup with chicken shreds. (The chicken meat there was really tough, its as if they are trained for marathon) The tables and chairs were less than a metre tall. Our legs went numb after dinner. I wonder how will taller people fold their legs there.
Locals earn a living by selling fruits they've grown. The pineapples are mini-sized, one whole pineapple for one person.
A shop filled with soft toys. Issit a lil too over?
Another shop full of lanterns.
We were in some wet market, we came across this stall selling all kinds of sanitary pads and diapers. Take a closer look to the left. I never knew Caryn was into business selling adult diapers!! Wahaha..
Ho Chi Minh Museum
Saw Ho Chi Minh's embalmed body in the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. It was solemn. Everyone have to remain quiet. It was a nice experience to me.
十年树木 百年树人. I like this phrase said by Ho Chi Minh.
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