Luang Prabang Part I

After a long journey during which the rain started falling heavily, we decided to take our friends recommendation and chose the Sokdee guest house(Ban Vatnong Khamkong Road, tel:(856-71) 252 555).The rooms were only$9 with air-conditioning or $5 for a fan room. We took air-conditioned rooms even though we didn't end up using it much. The rooms were clean with hot water, cable TV and of course especially friendly and helpful staff.

We took a rest for an hour, had a hot shower then hit the road for a wander. The rain had stopped and we soon realised that Luang Prabang is really a quiet paradise: there are NO horns, No crazy traffic and No shouting. Another good thing is that we came here at the end of the raining season and there were not many tourists around which means we can enjoy ourselves even more. Luang Prabang people are so friendly, they smile and greet everyone every time they see them. We went to have a drink at a restaurant near the guest house and we saw a group which included an old Lao man who now lives in the USA. We left there after one drink because we couldn't stand his loud voice but we feel bad now because we didn't know that he's deaf until the girl in that group told us on our last day before we left.

Our regular restaurant, mainly for breakfast, was called L.P.B. restaurant(Khemkhong road,tel 212634) where the food was really nice. We were served by an hilarious waiter who was always laughing and making jokes with all of the customers in a nice way. He is a short guy with a face that makes you laugh right at the first time. By the end of our trip, whenever we ate there, he knew what we wanted. I gave the restaurant some ideas about their seating, lighting and decor and I hope it helps attract customers.

The next day we took a tuk tuk to some waterfalls. We got stuck in the shops in the parking area and, after buying some fishing pants and climbing up about 20 minutes, oh my god, an amazing water fall appeared. The water was a bit cold for me but there were lots of people swimming. I wish I could have swum there. We took heaps of pictures of the waterfall. There was a tiger up there which was saved from hunters a while ago, as well as some big black bears. People donate money for keeping these animals alive. The tiger needs a lot of food every day.

The tuk tuk ride cost us $12 including a small tip because we ended up staying 4 hours instead of the 1 hour trip we asked for. Even though at first the trip was a bit scary because of the roads, we soon got used to it. In the next few days we took some more day trips.

Tobe continued

Vientiane Part II

Shopping time! I love shopping and we decided to go to the Morning market, a lovely market located in the center of Vientiane under a building designed like a pagoda. There were a variety of different things from handmade handicrafts to DVDs, cigarettes and clothes. Things are not really expensive here compared to western countries but I think it's a bit similar to Viet Nam. I went crazy shopping here buying heaps of silly stuff and trying different foods.

People who sell in the market are so lovely but we have to play our own games - bargaining and we all did well with sometimes about 50% off, which is amazing. I don't think buying DVDs in Lao is a good idea because it's more expensive than in Viet Nam where we only pay about $1.20 and we had to pay $2.50 in Lao, and we're not sure about the quality. I realized that handicrafts and lantern should be bought in Luang Prabang where they are made and it's much cheaper than in Vientiane.

Lao beer is good :) I drank lots of them plus lots of soft drinks with mint flavor which matched my shirt color :) In the afternoon, we went to the sunset restaurant where we sat right on the bank of the Mekong with fantastic views of the sunset. It's a nice spot. Beer Lao is normally $1 or 10,000K but it will be more if you drink it in a western style bar or in a big restaurant, and in local small places it's as cheap as K8000.

If you are a easy going, please try the BBQ food along the Mekong river where they sell the best grilled fresh fish or pork or beef. They serve sticky rice with most of their food but you can ask for steamed rice if you prefer. Lao people eat sticky rice for all their main meals from breakfast to dinner so do not be surprised because their sticky rice is the best.

We hired a tuk tuk for wandering around in the evening for only K30,000($3) for 20 minutes. Tuk tuk is the most common transportation in Lao, do not worry about the traffic because Lao people follow the traffic laws very well and the drivers care about their customer's safety but as usual, try to play the bargaining game :). I love playing this game. It doesn't mean that I am tight as I always give them something extra as drinking money if they are good.

We took a VIP bus(this is a double decker bus which is very popular in western countries and recently appeared in Ho Chi Minh city) to Luang Prabang for only $16 with freezing air-conditioning and horrible smelly toilet and security guard with a gun. We were wondering why there was a guy with a gun outside the bus when we stopped for a break. Finally, we found out that last year some rebels attacked the bus and the goverment decided to always send one security guy along with the bus. Anyway, the trip was fine and we arrived in Luang Prabang safely in the afternoon after 11 hours on the bus. I would say that we had no complaints about the trip but 11 hours is a bit too much for sitting on the bus even though the scenery was beautiful :)

Tobe continued

Vientiane Part I

It is difficult to believe that Vientiane is a capital city because it is so small. But it has lots of old temples, many French buildings which still remain beautiful and lots of trees along the streets. There are also lots of streets which need to be improved but they seem to be doing that right now.

It's very beautiful along the Mekong river where most of the hotels, guest houses and restaurants stand but this is also the worst part for walking because the road is really bad. We drove around Vientiane by motorbike and talked to many monks and they speak quite good English. They gave us a lot of good information about how Laos monks live, the standard of living here and how they are educated.

We went to a Vietnamese noodle soup where people speak both Vietnamese and Lao, my friends ordered small and big bowl but I ordered Jumbo which means huge size with all ingredients. The noodles were great and it made my day. Our journey started by going to the bank and changing money from USD to Kip, the local currency ($1=K10,000.) Laos currencies are all in notes and some of them look really old and it can be quite fragile if you treat it hard :)

We went to That Luang (the great Sacred Stupa), built in 1566 by Saysetthairath, "is said to contain relics of the Lord Buddha himself and is the country's most cherished religious monument". This is an amazing place with a golden colour and lots of dismembered buddhas and it's a bit scarey for me but I think this is a good place to visit beside many others.

On the way to That Luang, we stopped at Patuxay(Victory Gate), this gate located on Lanexang Avenue and it was built in 1960 to commemorate those who died in past wars. It looks great with a French style and opens for visiting from 8am to 5Pm daily.

On the way back, we went to Wat Sisaket temple. This temple is located in the center of the old city and was built in 1818 by King Anouvong and is Vientiane's oldest remaining temple having survived the destruction of the city by Siamese in 1828. This is the place you must go when you are in Vientiane.

To be continued

Sabaidee

I've just returned from a trip to Laos with my Aussie friend who lives in Hanoi and his mother who comes from Melbourne. We flew with Vietnam airlines where they serve a terrible bread roll and water as a meal. We arrived in Vientiane after about an hour's flight at about 8pm. The customs staff are similar to Vietnamese customs staff with serious faces for the travellers who are coming to spend money in Laos. Interesting that they laugh when they talk with each other. Is that wierd? I suppose it's their job to be serious.

Wow is the first word I said when I get out of my hotel in the morning for a wander. The Laos people are so sweet, soft and friendly. I felt like I am at home in Nha Trang because we almost look the same in appearance. Unfortunately, I cannot speak Laos or Thai. Laos people can speak Thai because they are right next to each other and their languages are similar. I tried to speak Laos to them according to the small section in the guide book but I always got confused about saying hello and people just looked at me and smiled.

There are many expensive hotels and residences around due to many foreigners working and travelling to Laos and equally there are many dodgy guest houses, mostly full with backpackers on tight budgets. We stayed in the Soukxana guest house in front one of the most expensive resorts in Vientiane, a place I couldn't afford of course. Anyway, I was really pleased with the Soukxana which was really clean and had friendly staff. It was only$8 for a fan room or $13 for an air conditioned room. The Soukxana's not located along the river but just a few minutes walk and very quiet.

It's hard to compare cities but Vientiane is so different to where I am living right now- Hanoi. You can see the capital really developing with lots of old roads being improved and homes and buildings going up. Vientiane is much quieter than what I expected. I was really surprised about the traffic situation; there are more cars and 'tuk tuks' than bicycles and motorbikes and people follow the traffic rules which impressed me a lot.

We hired two motorbikes and our adventures will be in the next posts.

Laos

I am in Laos at the moment and will be posting as soon as I get back to Hanoi.

Beer and Steak

It's no wonder that Bao Lam beef steak restaurant is always crowded because of their German
Braustein draught beer which is only 5000Vnd and really cold, fruit juices, other drinks and the food is excellent. In actual fact, the beef steak is a bit oily but very tasty and there are lots of different dishes to try.

Garlic bread is my favorite besides the beefsteak and stir fried chicken wings. They also serve some favourites like fried rice and fried noodles. Due to southern accent, the staff are always a bit doubtful when they take my order and I also can't understand them sometimes because they also aren't from Hanoi but the lady-owner is really friendly and nice. I just come there sometimes for coffee in the morning or at noon for the air-conditioning to hide away from the heat of 39 degree of Hanoi.

Bao Lam Restaurant
42B Bat Dan
Hanoi

Newspaper Boy

I have been intrigued by this boy for a few months but this morning was the first time I talked to him. He normally doesn't want to talk to other people about himself or his family. He is a disabled boy who can't walk at all. He sits on a bicycle, using his hands to pedal and control the bike. He started his newspaper business 8 years ago which means when he was 10. He doesn't look like 18 at all, a very baby face with a good smile that makes people think he loves to be alive and happy with what he had and has now.

He starts his day at 6am and ends up at about 10pm, hopefully with no newspapers left. It's difficult to imagine how hard such a life must be, all day using his small hands to pedal around for thewhole day to earn a small income? Around Hanoi in small lanes and big streets, he cycles to earn about 30,oooVnd a day. A good thing about him is that he tries his best even though he is not in the best physical condition and lots of people try to help him by buying his magazines.

I see lots of boys and girls who hang around, doing nothing, putting their hands out to their parents for money. Lots of people don't want to work to earn money, even though they are strong and there are thousands of jobs waiting for them. They are some who prefer to act sick or pretend they have a really urgent family problem to get sympathy and money.

This boy should be an example to them all.

Ha Long Bay Part II

I was really surprised about the motivation of small business operators here.There are a few girls in small boats hanging around very early in the morning, at about 5am, trying to sell all kinds of stuff, from rice wine to chewing gum or vegetables but all really expensive. From what I've seen and heard the people here are so nice and friendly. They are calm and always smiling. Maybe they are do that for their business but at least they know how to smile.

The boat stopped at a fishing village for whoever wanted to buy fresh seafood or check out the fishing lifestyle. There are many floating houses located nearby and they have constructed lots of floating nets to keep the seafood in for selling. I bought some crabs and some prawns to bring home for a meal. I realized that it is more expensive than in Hanoi but I think the quality is better. Maybe I don't know how to bargain or that's the price for ocean service.

I understand that people can live in all kinds of conditions, but I don't think I could live in the middle of nowhere for my whole life. People who live in this area seem very happy with their life. I saw quite a few guys and girls dyeing their hair with different colors and by the way they were talking, it seems that nothing can affect their life and they do really enjoy their life. They earn quite a lot of money from their seafood business and they go to Hai Phong twice per week. They have all of the latest entertainment such as DVDs and the latest music. The local children have their own school. They have a pretty good life with whatever they want.

Vega travel is a very well organized tour company, and this tour was well worth what I paid. The tour guide was good, the boat and the bus were clean and driven well, and the bed was very comfortable and clean. I think this is my high recommendation for whoever comes to Vietnam and wants a good tour agency. Vega travel: 24 Hang Bac- Ha Noi - Viet Nam -Tel: (84-4)9262092- Fax(84-4) 9260910 - Email: vegatravel@fpt.vn or go to their website: http://www.vega-travel.com/.

Sorry about no posts but my work has been busy and I had some time away for the Independence day holiday.

Ha Long Bay Part I

I took a two day, one night boat trip to Ha Long Bay with Vega Travel this week for a short break. Halong Bay is such an amazing place for a quiet and relaxing time, to get away from the motorbike horn, the shouting and the job stress. It is no wonder that this is one of the world natural heritage sites. Here is my story.

The tour company picked me up from my house then we headed to Ha Long Bay, the trip taking us about three hours. The weather wasn't too good in the morning but it got better and the sun came out finally. I loved sunbathing on the top roof, and I took heaps of pictures and enjoyed drinking wine and cold beer. I took a small group trip with only eleven other people, a few from Spain, England and Viet Nam. The food was good on board the boat, we were served seafood, of course, and spring rolls, soup and salad and they also prepared a special menu for vegetarians as well.

We went to what they call 'Surprising Cave' at first and this is a real wonder with an amazing cave with light and interesting rock formations. "Do you know what makes women happy?" asked my tour guide. Look at the picture below and you will get the answer :)

After the cave, we went to Ti Top island where the boat stopped for awhile for us to climb up to the top of the hill which has an amazing view of Ha Long Bay. We left Ti Top to go kayaking nearby and swimming. This was the first time I'd ever tried kayaking and it was great. We swam until about six in the evening when we had dinner. I was a bit drunk at about eight after finishing off my wine and a few beers. I went to bed early but I woke up early the next day to catch the sun rise,at 5.30 in the morning. It was so quiet, nothing much happening around, just the boat engine going sometimes on and off. Sitting on the top of the boat in that peaceful atmosphere made me feel life is so nice and I just forget about the busy stress of normal life.

To be continued...

Prawn and Banana Fried Spring Rolls

This spring roll is one of the most popular choices at my workplace. See if you can make them at home.

Ingredients

Medium size prawns: 100g cut into half lengthwise
Ripe banana: 2 bananas cut into 8 pieces (first lengthwise then horizontally)
Sesame oil: 5 ml
Chicken powder: ¼ teaspoon
Cooking oil: 200 ml
Rice paper: 8 pieces

How to make:

Peel off the hard shell of the prawns; wash thoroughly then drain well
Pour a little cooking oil into a sauce pan; heat until hot; when the cooking oil reaches 80 degrees C, put prawns, sprinkle sesame, chicken powder in & stir in 5 minutes.
Place half a prawn and a piece of banana on a rice paper before rolling it into a roll.
Pour 200 ml cooking oil into a pan; heat until hot then put spring rolls in and fry until color of the “nem” turns brown. Serve hot

KFC Arrived In Hanoi

I can't believe the government has accepted KFC in Viet Nam, first in Ho Chi Minh city a few years ago and now in Ha Noi.

It seems that Vietnamese people love this kind of fast food. However, lots of my friends have told me that this is not special at all and quite expensive but kids are loving it. I dont understand why adult people also eat it alot. I tried it once in Saigon in the last few years, another time on the way to Anglesea in Australia and I hated it.

To compare the income of the average Vietnamese and the price of KFC in Viet Nam, you can see that not many people can afford this kind of fast food. There are a few Vietnamese fast food restaurants in Hanoi such as 123 or ABC and so many small fast food restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City which are quite sucessful with some dishes similar to those at KFC. I wonder why people like to eat fast food when they have so many options to choose from on the street in Vietnam, as well as some good Thai food, Indian food, for a more reasonable price. We can easily understand why kids love to try these foods but parents should say something to them and they don't. In the evening most days, especially on the weekend, these places are packed and hard to get a seat. Why is that?

My Work Place

Over the last few months, Wild Rice restaurant where I work has had quite a few parties booked and I have had to arrange some of them. The table settings and flower arrangements depend on the purpose of the occasion.

For example, in the picture below, we arranged this table for a dinner meeting and it took us one hour to get it perfect.

And in the following picture, we arranged a huge party at the Temple of Literature where we served almost 200 people. It took us 3 hours to arrange these tables.

Moon River Retreat is a peaceful place which has four rooms with garden and river views. This is one of the most popular boutique destinations now. With Vietnamese design in the old house and the guest rooms and a garden with starfruit trees, along with the view of the Red River will make a stay here really memorable.

I always enjoy organising parties for work or for myself, I don't know why. Maybe it's because I have been working in the tourist industry for a long time. I suppose there is some satisfaction in this kind of work, making a place look nice and seeing the guests' reactions.

Key Cut

I broke my motorbike key the other day and I decided to have a new one cut. When I think back to about 10 or 15 years ago, there used to be a man or lady using a file to make the key with hundreds of movements up and down and it took them about 15 minute to finish the job and it used to cost about 3,000Vnd. But like in the picture below, you can get your key done in a few minutes by machine and it's the perfect size and it costs you from 5,000Vnd up to 20,000Vnd. The quality and and the look of the key is much more professional than in the past and you can see this business alot in Hanoi like groups of mushrooms around street corners.

I talked to the guy who cut my key and he told me that he earns about 100,000Vnd per day which means he cuts about 20 keys everyday. That's not a bad income. This job is not physically demanding as he only sits on a chair for the whole day. However, ocassionally he has to run very fast to escape from the police who do not allow people to trade on the pavement. I think they bribe the street police to sit there, who knows?

There are many key blanks for you to choose and they are not very different in price.

Emperor Restaurant

Why do people always say go to the Emperor Restaurant? Because, it’s won the best fine dining awards for Hanoi several times. That's a good reason. The restaurant is so beautiful and you can choose to sit in their old wooden house called the Patio or in the very nice garden between the bar and the old French building. Also, there is the nice narrow balcony looking down over the lovely garden. It is such a nice space and design to have a good relaxing time here with very well trained staff who respect customers space.

The food is delicious with the highlight being the salads and spring rolls, especially the fried spring rolls in the Hue style or soft shell crab with onion sauce and green papaya salad. If you are a fan of poultry, try the grilled chicken with lemongrass or stir fried duck with tamarind sauce, this is a little bit sweet but it’s really nice.

Whatever you choose from this menu is going to be spot on. Just go! One more important thing is you need to make a reservation in advance or you have to drink quite a few drinks at a very nice bar waiting for your turn.

They have live traditional music every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday night in the garden and flamengo peformances on Tuesday and Friday in the bar.

Here is the address: Empereor Restaurant
18 Le Thanh Tong Hanoi
Tel: 84.4. 826-8801/2
Email add: emperor@fpt.vn