2 posts tagged “southeast asia”
Not many thoughts in the end haha! But here's the final part of it. The rest of the stuff I thought about and wrote during my trip can't be shared with you guys sorry!
Stoned
I admit Halong Bay was a beautiful spot and I can see how magnificent the location is. For the life of me though, I can't see how some of those rock formations got their names. I tried. I really did. But some of those names left me scratching my head! I could only nod in agreement when my guide pointed out the rocks to us, take a quick snap and then squint and stare very hard to make the connection! Maybe I just don't have a very good imagination. What were those Vietnamese fishermen smoki
Surreal
I've experienced many moments that make me go "WTF?!" but this ranks quite high up there on the surreal table. There I was, floating peacefully on a boat down Halong Bay. The sun was getting ready to set and we've just finished an afternoon of marvelling at the gorgeous rock formations and caves that the Bay boasted. As we came to the end of our tour, activities on the boat had pretty much wound down. Our guide was busy below deck as we neared Cat Ba Island, and we were all rather tired.
I was freezing, but enjoying the moment, as the evening breeze said hello and the rocks stared down at us instead. My fellow tourmates were either busy snapping photos, napping or chatting about their coming stay on the boat. Suddenly I heard the sounds of a harmonica. The song was faintly recognisable but I think it was Frank Sinatra's 'My Way'. I stopped to stare at the Korean guy who was playing, wondering if I was imagining the whole thing. I turned my gaze back to the cool blue water of the bay, and I chuckled.
Peace
After the assault on my privacy and senses that is Hanoi, it was nice to find solitude on Cat Ba 2 beach. As I write this, the place is practically deserted, save for the handful of staff and some bored-ass tourists mucking around. The only sounds in the background are the crashing of the waves and the spluttering of a motorboat heading out to sea. I did my 2009 lifeplan during my 2.5hours on that beach. It was definitely worth the 2km trek from my hotel.
During my trip to Hanoi in January, I jotted down a few thoughts in my Moleskin. I've finally gotten around to post them on my blog. Randomness really. Better late than never! Part 1 of 2.
Stay Cool
Chilling in Hanoi takes on a different meaning during the winter months (as I found out). With temperatures hovering around 18 Deg. Celsius in the day and dipping to a low of 13 Deg. Celsius at night, I've hardly taken off my jacket here. I even sleep with my socks on because it's freezing!
How anyone can stroll about in a pair of bermudas and a thin t-shirt is beyond me. In fact, I asked this British dude I met on my Halong Bay tour how he was the surviving the weather as such. He admitted, he wished he'd brought his jacket at least. I bet a lot of tourists realised their folly upon arrival, though to be fair, if you'd compared Hanoi to Ho Chin Minh, it's never so chilly in HCM.
Thank goodness for roadside stalls selling hot green tea to warm up your engines. They cost pittance and offer welcome relief. Plus they're great pit-stops after a long walk, so you can tank up on tea or coffee and a cigarette or two (or three) before getting lost again.
Fashion Forward
The Vietnamese folks never fail to impress me with their fashion consciousness. The younger folks are all about looking flashy with the latest brand names but it's the older generation who earn my admiration for their stylishness. They all looked so prim and proper whether in their colourful, traditional outfits or their European-influenced wear - full tweed suit, with matching vest and flat cap anyone? Like most of Hanoi and its buildings, the elder Hanoians ooze old school cool.
