… to Phu My, gateway to Ho Chi Minh City …

… formerly Saigon. Located on the Mekong River delta, Ho Chi Minh City has more than 9 million people in the city and the surrounding area, making it the largest metropolitan area in Vietnam and Indochina.

The day started with a two-hour bus ride from the port into center city, where we stopped at the main central square and the former Town Hall, now the offices of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. 

 

Next was a visit to the City Museum, followed by a tour of the re-named “Reunification Hall” – formerly the Presidential Palace, located in Colonial Saigon. The name “Saigon” is still used to refer to two parts of Ho Chi Minh City – Central Saigon and Colonial Saigon. 

The City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, founded by the French in 1864, was an interesting stop with a small selection of wild animals in a typical old-time zoo setting. The grounds also contained a Buddhist temple and stunning topiary.

   

Saigon has a Notre Dame Cathedral modeled after the one in Paris on a smaller scale. Another interesting side trip was inside the Central Post Office Building with beautiful vaulted ceilings.

  

Lacquer ware is one of the most important crafts in Vietnam. We visited a lacquer ware shop that specialized in using the old techniques to produce very modern designs. This lacquer ware incorporated mother of pearl, duck egg shells, paint, sand, and other materials to produce a textured picture or pattern on the finished pieces.

   

Street life in Ho Chi Minh City was bustling and busy, with thousands of motorbikes careening through the streets. Vendors sold a wide variety of food and drinks; the first photo is a stand selling some sort of beverage made by squeezing sugar cane. The photo on the right shows a vendor making orange juice.

   

Perhaps most amazing were the women with portable kitchens who walked with their equipment on a pole over their shoulders, and then set up a stand on any available corner, being immediately ready for business.

   

Another unique service in this area was the motorbike rest stops which were everywhere on the highway to and from the port. These private enterprises consisted of a pavilion-like structure sheltering lounge chairs and hammocks; they also sold beverages. Tired motorbike rides could take refuge in the shade, sacked out in a hammock or chair, and have a cold drink.

 

Ho Chi Minh City was a fascinating place to visit given its deep connection with the United States and its previous French history.

… to Nha Trang, Vietnam…

… the capital of Khanh Hoa Province, which is becoming well known for its beaches and excellent scuba diving. A quiet fishing village as recently as a few years ago, recent government and private investments have made it into a thriving resort.

Our first stop was the Cham Po Nagar complex – one of the few remaining relics of the ancient Cham culture. Construction began in the 7th century to mark the site on which Hindus had worshipped for more than 500 years. Originally consisting of 8 towers built without using mortar, only four remain today, containing shrines which are used for prayers and offerings. The main tower is dedicated to Po Ino Nagar, the Shiva’s only known female incarnation. The towers sit in a lovely park with aged bonzai and flower plantings, as well as a stunning view of the Nha Trang harbor below.

   

The photos below show the inside and outside of one of the small towers.

   

Unexpectedly, after our visit to the Towers, our guide led us through a dump (really!), and across the street to the Xom Bong Bridge, which spans the harbor. It was an amazing sight to see the fleet of brightly painted blue and red fishing boats, as well as a few of the unique round Vietnamese boats, thung chai. We crossed the bridge although it was quite high, the guardrails very low, the sidewalk narrow, and the oncoming traffic fierce. At one point a street vendor had blocked the walk completely, and we had to step into traffic to get past him. The first view of the bridge is from the Cham Towers. Note the vendor in the last photo.

 

 

Our next stop was the Long Son Pagoda, founded in the late 19th century and rebuilt several times since. This pagoda is most noted for its huge white Buddha, 78 feet tall, seated on a lotus blossom. Built in 1963, visitors must climb 152 stone steps to reach the Buddha’s platform; unfortunately, once there we couldn’t find anyone to take a really great photo! There is also a sleeping Buddha more than 40 meters long, as well as a shrine to the Buddhist monks who immolated themselves as a protest against the Vietnam War.

   

Back on the bus, we headed to a local silk embroidery shop. The artists create stunning works of art by transferring patterns for artwork onto silk, and then painstakingly embroidering the patterns. The upstairs had a workroom of more than a dozen embroiderers busily working. Prices were very low, with many of the smaller works selling for less than $100 very nicely framed.

 

Our final stop was the pristine Nha Trang beachfront, which stretches for miles. This area has only recently been developed into a world-class beach. Most exciting for us was the discovery of plentiful sea glass! The sand was filled with beautifully weathered glass and pottery, perfect for jewelry-making. The trees and shrubs had been pruned into a variety of fanciful shapes … very interesting!

   

One last indulgence was a short ride in the traditional Vietnamese pedicab or xiclo.

We’ll have to get back to that beach some day!

… to vibrant, exciting Hong Kong!

An overnight in Hong Kong – so much to do, so much to see! Hong Kong, the maker of trinkets. The most crowded place on earth. The hub of electronics. The heart of Asia. British – and Chinese. For a good intro, we booked an 8 hour excursion, the Best of Hong Kong. By luck we got Patrick, a tour guide/stand-up comedian. One sample: “My mother speaks nothing but Chinese. My wife speaks no Chinese. It’s the perfect set-up! I get to translate for both of them! They’ve never had a cross word!” He told us his father got a bird so that he would have someone to talk to – who wouldn’t talk back. Now his father takes the bird in its cage to the park for a walk – and some man-to-man and bird-to-bird interaction. He says he sees his future when he looks at the men in the park…

     

In the Bird Market we saw the men for ourselves. Some had more than one bird. The market sold all kinds of accessories for birds, too, including live grasshoppers and crickets, which you keep in the refrigerator until your bird is hungry.

The Bird Market is across the street from the Mong Kok Flower Market, our next stop. Nothing is grown in Hong Kong, so all the flowers sold are flown in from somewhere. Tulips, lilies and many other varieties come from the Netherlands. Roses, including American Beauty, come from Ecuador. The exotic varieties from South Africa and South America were breathtaking.

 

A short bus ride brought us to the Jade Market, our next stop. This market has fascinating things by day, including pearls, jade, coins, beads, watches, etc. and the prices are quite low (as is the quality of most of the things). It would have been fun to browse at length if it weren’t for the incredibly pushy salespeople.

 

All of these markets are on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong where the ship was docked. There are officially three parts to Hong Kong: Kowloon, Hong Kong Island, and the New Territories. Hong Kong and Kowloon are across the harbor from one another, and can only be reached by going through an underwater auto tunnel or taking the White Star Ferry. The bus took the tunnel and dropped us at the Victoria Peak Tram Railway, a funicular which climbs the extremely steep grade to the top. It was as hair raising as a roller-coaster! At the top, we had a wonderful lunch at the Café Deco, sitting by the window overlooking the stunning city skyline.

 

We had a little free time to shop the large Peak Mall before heading off in the bus to Stanley, called “Caucasian Town” by Patrick. Stanley Market was really fun. A great mix of all types of stuff for sale, reasonable prices and friendly sellers. There are also many great restaurants, although we didn’t have time to explore them. Truly something for everyone; Frank finally found the wooden fish temple bell he has been looking for since our last trip to China in 2005 (photo below right, in the middle)!

 

The biggest recreation area in Hong Kong is Repulse Bay, a pretty beach area with safety netting to keep out sharks. Patrick reassured us by citing the current statistics for shark deaths vs. deaths from falling coconuts, which are 10 times more frequent. Something to remember when visiting tropical places!

   

We climbed on a traditional sampan in Aberdeen for a quick ride around the harbor, ogling the rows of multi-million dollar yachts, which contrasted dramatically with the shabby old houseboats used by fishermen as homes.

   

The last stop on the tour was the Aberdeen Jewelry Factory, with a brief tour of the backroom area, and a much longer stay in the “showroom.” After a quick trip back to the ship to drop off our packages, we headed off the ship into the cruise terminal – which is also an immense upscale mall with more than 450 stores and 100 restaurants. Such a good idea! Although it adjoins the terminal, most of the shoppers are residents, and it was packed for a Sunday night. There was an amazing supermarket (City Super), a huge bookstore (Page One), and entire shopping neighborhoods arranged by the types of things sold. There was a “street” for upscale baby and child clothes and accessories; another for cosmetics; one for electronics; and even one for watches! It was mind-boggling! We ate dinner at Pizza Hut, which had some of the standard items, plus a few new ones. Strange menu choices: French Fries with Thousand Island Tuna Sauce, and the Thousand Island Sauce Series pizzas! Below, imaginative seating in the kids’ area, The Library Café, romaine artfully arranged in the cold case, and upscale clothing display.

 

 

On our second day, we ran some errands, and then ate lunch at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, the largest floating restaurant in the world - and part of the “Jumbo Kingdom.” The food was great, and the restaurant amazingly ornate. We took another sampan ride with friends, and then went back to the Harbor Mall to look for a few specific items. We hopped back on the ship just in time for the life boat drill.

   

Farewell, Hong Kong!