hold on to yourself

Hold on to yourself….this is a long one.

A brief rundown on the daily events during my amazing time in Vietnam:

Day One: January 12, 2007 San Fran, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City

• Flight for 14.5 hours from San Francisco to Hong Kong in the very back of the most crowded airplane I have ever been on.  Simply painful.
• Flight for 2 hours from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City in the “upper deck” portion�of first class.  I never thought I would see the day.
• My mom and I had our first taste of Vietnam as we got in the cab and realized that there are no rules to the road.  The noises my mom made as we got close to hitting several hundred people on scooters were reminicent of when I first started to drive.

Day Two: January 13, 2007 Ho Chi Minh City

• Woke early to a big buffet breakfast.  What a luxery it was to wake up to more food than you could ever possibily think of.
• Walked into town with the family and practiced crossing the street without getting hit.  My brother’s words were correct: “Go slowly and look down.  Whatever you do don’t look at the oncoming traffic.”
• Had a drink at the top of a hotel.
• Went back to our hotel and sat by the rooftop pool for half the day.
• Had dinner a the Rex hotel with an old lounge singer who serenaded mom.  Of course all the songs were western oldies…no Vietnamese music in Veitnam, oh no!
• Walked back to the hotel and noticed that a park was filled with scooters and couples making out.  I guess they don’t have makeout overlooks like we do in the states.
• Stopped at a department store which was craziness (and so cheap!).

Day Three: January 14, 2007. Ho Chi Minh City

• Started the day with poo pains.
• Had tea and miso soup for breakfast (to feel better).
• Gathered up my energy and walked to an incredibly crazy market with ladies trying to get us to look at their things. It was too hot and humid for me to get into the shopping extravaganza mood, but my brother and dad came out fairly nicely. Dad bought 6 watches, my bro bought 3 pairs of shorts and man cologne. My mom and I only found a Vietnamese outfit for Amelia and a 7UP.
• As my mom and I were sitting outside waiting for the boys to finish their shopping spree (quite the role reversal) we were approached by many beggars.  One woman in particular was on her knees because she was without the bottom half of her legs or feet.  From the torso up she was beautiful.  We watched as she quickly attempted to cross the street (which is hard enough to do with legs).  Man I felt so sorry for her.
• Brian met a “girl” in the market and they exchanged numbers. He made plans to meet up with her later that night.
• Went back to the pool (I was addicted to the rooftop pool) and had pho.
• Went to chuch which was like a carnival….neon lights lit the alters, the masses crowded inside, and swarms of people on scooters waited outside with cottoncandy and toys…a lot of energy was in the air.
• Went to the Lemongrass restaurant for dinner which was amazing. Brian did a good job of accidentally falling up the stairs in the restuarant.
• Shopped for the most inexpensive handbags (of which I ended up buying four of by the end of the trip).
• Brian met up with his “lady friend.”
• I went with the parentals to a super slow internet cafe.
• My parents started to worry that maybe Brian was being setup by the “girl” and some her friends were going to mug him. I explained to my mom that Brian was like a gorilla in this country…he was 2938798 times the size of any of the guys I have seen.  He would be ok.
• Brian came back to the hotel at 12:30am to report that the “girl” was actually a prostitute.  They started their night by going a bar where other prostitutes were on display and he asked her if she was one as well but she denied it. They then attempted to go to a karaoke bar near the hotel but it was closed so they went to the hotel bar instead.  I guess she used that as a sign that he wanted more so she said “$100.”  He was shocked because she was dressed and acted so normally.  My bro says nothing happened, but when he returned to my hotel room (without the “girl”) I must say he seemed pretty proud of himself that he went out with a prosititute.

Day Four: January 15, 2007 Ho Chi Minh City

• Woke up at 5am excited about getting to go to the breakfast buffet. Tried to hold out until 7am by listening to my ipod.
• Ate breakfast by myself realllllllly slowly until my mom showed.
• Walked with the parentals to the Ho Chi Minh City Museum and watched a Vietnamese wedding photoshoot (I wasn’t too interested in the museum…more interested in the photography session going on).
• My dad purchased a coconut as a mid-day refreshment.
• Went to the Reunification Palace which gave me better insight into the Vietnam/American war. For some reason I was really enthralled by the interior design.
• Went shopping with my mom for more handbags (an addiction).
• Arrived back at the hotel to find a cleanly shaven brother (which we didn’t actually notice until an hour or so later).
• Went out for a Chinese dinner at a place with so much action and excitement. We had the cutest waitress who used tongs to pick up the mess that my brother was so good in leaving all around his plate.
• Returned to the hotel and went up to the pool.  (notice the slight image of my brother walking in the photo above).

Day Five: January 16, 2007. Ho Chi Minh City to Dalat

• Woke up at 5am for a flight to Dalat.  The flight was a good half hour long which might be the shortest flight I have ever been on.
• Left the hot, humid, exhaust filled air of Ho Chi Minh City and arrived to the cool, clean, and dry Dalat air.
• Took a deep breath.
• Drove for an hour to get to downtown Dalat.
• Checked into the old French hotel and proceeded to walk to the downtown markets.
• Had pho at a hole in the wall home with the cutest Vietnamese grandpa and grandpa I have ever seen.  I wish I had taken a photo. The pho was amazing (the best on the trip).
• Bought eye glass frames for Cooper for $6.00.
• Walked through the market with the best produce I have ever seen.  Dalat is known for their amazing fruits and vegetables…such a treat!!
• Went to “Larry’s Bar” (the guy who started DHL) at the Sofitel hotel.  Had the “Dalat special” while my dad drank cleaning fluid.
• Walked to a “French restaurant” (a hotel lobby restaurant that my dad had been to before and wanted to go back to for their “French cuisine”). The food was probably the worst on the trip but at least my brother got his buffalo wings.
• Brian and I decided to venture to the local discotechs. Along the way we saw a policeman rundown a guy (both of whom seemed to not have much endurance) and he proceeded to beat and tazer the “criminal” while onlookers completely surrounded them with their scooters. I guess the police like to show the public the ramifications of bad behavior.
• Went into a discotech. The scene was unforgettable. Throughout the night various singers of all sorts of styles performed and in between each set techno music would play at which time the locals would get their groove on.  Boys would dance with boys and the girls kept to their own corner.  The guys were so incredibly funny to watch simply because they had no rhythm at all …their style was similiar to William Hung from American Idol (I fit in perfectly!!).  When the dance floor cleared Brian decided to strut his stuff which caused the crowd to get all hot and bothered.  He would breakdance, do the robot, and even taught a group of guys a new dance step (which they were VERY excited to learn).  When I got out there with them the girls pulled me into their group…such an odd social scene!

Day Six: January 17, 2007.  Dalat

• Another buffet breakfast at a French cafe across from the hotel.
• Walked with dad and mom around the Dalat lake which was about 4.5 miles. Along the way we stopped at a Wally World-esque botanical gardens with some good and tacky decorations.  Horses roamed free at the side of the road…a few even were down for a nap (I hope!).
• Once we returned Brian and I rented a motorbike and drove to a waterfall and toboggin ride where there was no other tourist in sight (so rare!).
• After we returned we went out for friend rice and soup.  I had the best sweet and sour shrimp soup with pineapple. Just thinking about it makes me drool.
• Dad then decided that he needed a haircut so we watched as he sat like a little boy and didn’t move his ever twitching muscles one bit (another rare sight!).
• We walked into town and I came upon a bicycle with the largest and most insteresting fish in small little bags.  I have yet to see something like this in America.
• I bought Amelia a little local Vietnamese outfit created with handmade material.
• Went back to the hotel and I saw Cooper’s bro with brown hair. Crazy.
• At 4:40 the school around the corner let out for the day.  Kids flooded the streets with their white and blue uniforms. I ventured out to see how many kids would perform for me while I took pictures.  One kid was so excited that he through a lit firecracker at me (not sure what his intention may have been).
• My mom read about some really incredible chips and guacamole at the Dalat golf course (which surprisingly got our juices flowing) so we made the trip.  Unfortunately they didn’t have guacamole.  Instead we shared nachos and fried mushrooms while sipping a drink in honor of my Grandma Kopp: grape juice and ginger ale with vodka.
• Went to the French cafe where we had breakfast and played pool.  I don’t know how to hold the stick.
• Ate dinner at the French cafe (luckily they had pho!).

Day Seven: January 18, 2007. Dalat to Nah Trang

• Another buffet breakfast (if you have not figured out by now, all the hotels had extensive buffet breakfasts to wake up to…sinful!).
• Hired a driver to take us to Nah Trang for our next leg of the journey.  The sites along the way were incredible…small simple towns, extreme agriculture, rice fields on one side of the road and grayness/mud on the other, home after home without much, if any, electricity.
• Stopped for lunch at a bar that didn’t have food but offered to make us whatever they could come up with.  My mom and I only ate the rice.  When finished, our car and driver were both gone so we thought we had lost everything and were stranded in an unnamed town.  Luckily he returned.
• After driving for 7 hours, we arrived at the pier where a boat was to take us to our hotel which was located on its own island.
• The island was reminiscent of a scene from Jurassic Park.  The hotel was incredible and was obviously trying to become a Veitnamese Disneyland (or something). The pool was the largest pool in Vietnam, white sand beaches, 5 different restaurants to choose from, an amusement park, game room for kids with 4D movies, a cave-like discotech, shopping, and projects in the works for expansion. However, no one was around.  There wasn’t a soul on any of the rides, no one at the game room, no one in the pools, no one in the discotech, and virtually no one at the hotel.
• We went to our large-arse rooms and Brian and Dad put on their complimentary robes during our cocktail hour.  We did a minor fashion shoot.
• Had dinner then walked around the amusement park (still no one on them) and did the bumper cars.
• Brian and I went to the disco which had the loudest music/bass I have ever heard (I am not trying to sound old, even Brian said it was too loud). I felt the bass shake my heart and lungs.  When we entered the host quickly rushed us to a clamshell seat. Once we got adjusted we noticed that there were no other customers around…but they had 293759273 security guards and 29879273 waiters/waitresses!!  We ordered our drinks (thinking it would be rude to just leave) and every 2.5 seconds someone would peak around our clamshell to see if there was something they could take from our table.  We didn’t stay long.
• We went back to the hotel to sit with my mom and dad as they watched some cheesy lounge singers rock back and forth and try to sing American songs with their thick Vietnamese accents.

Day Eight: January 19, 2007.� Nah Trang

• Woke to the most elaborate breakfast buffet of them all.
• After eating more than one person should consume in one sitting, we ventured to the beach and claimed our spot on under the wicker umbrellas.  The water was just the way I like it: clean, clear, no seaweed, no rocks, no coral, warm, and not too salty.  Mmmmmm.
• Tried to go to the shops with my mom but apparently they were closed and the security guards wouldn’t let us meander (a very common theme while on the island…they controlled our every move).
• Took it easy but then had a bit of an emotional argument with my bro.  We got over it and went to dinner. Ended the night with the really bad lounge singers again.

Day Nine: January 20, 2007.  Nah Trang

• Mom and I considered doing yoga but no one was prepared to lead us so we left the gym.
• Went to the buffet and viewed a kid barfing up his meal (the parents made no effort to take him away from the restaurant).
• To the beach again.  Dad and Brian attempted a kayak race, but my dad had issues balancing on the kayak with the two little Asian guys he was with.  Unfortunately, I guess they couldn’t work out the balance problem so they went without my dad (which he was fine with…he had a good time trying to work with them to get on).
• Sat at the beach and swam/body surfed with Brian.
• Lost my sunglasses in the water.
• Relaxed by the beach and pool all the live long day.
• Went to an outdoor seafood buffet with the waves crashing in the background (at this point I am buffet-ed out).
• Brian went out with a Russian girl.
• Went to the discotech with my mom and dad (Saturday was a little better night to go than Thursday).  Danced/bopped with my dad and mom.  My dad kept his sunglasses on the entire time…one stylish dude.
• Brian went to the mainland with the Russian gal and came back with a hickey. No questions asked.

Day Ten: January 21, 2007.  Nah Trang to Hoi An

• Took a cab to the local airport. The driver had issues pumping the gas pedal in the car which made everyone nauseous.
• Flew to Danang and drove to Hoi An (to another cheap five star hotel).
• Grabbed a bite of pho and cao lau in the market.  If you are ever to eat anything while in Vietnam, most certainly have your fare share of pho but also seek out some cao lau.  This blog has a little bit of insight into what it is like. My mouth is watering again.
• Walked around the market/tailor shops.  Hoi An is the place to go to get tailor made clothes and all the good cheap souveniors you could think of.
• While going through the produce area, we listened to the women talking to one another…it literally sounded like a chicken coop.
• Went back to the hotel and had dinner.

Day Eleven: January 22, 2007. Hoi An

• Another breakfast buffet.
• Mom, Brian and I went into the market and I got souveniors for my office, etc. We stopped at the mermaid resaturant for more cao lau and clay pot food. Hoi An had INCREDIBLE food. Probably the best on the trip.
• Spent the second half of the day at the hotel and listening to Vietnamese marimbas while sipping Saigon beer.
• Went into town agian for dinner at a local favorite.
• Brian and I tried out the discotech scene but Brian thought something shady must be going on as a side business so we didn’t stay long.  Again, people swarmed us with their need to make sure our table was clean. If Brian put a pistachio shell down, someone would be there to snatch it up and throw it away. This would never happen in America.
• We left the discotech and Brian played “kick the cock” a Vietnamese hacky-sack with some guys on the street.
• Listened to the acoustic trio at the hotel.

Day Twelve: January 23, 2007. Hoi An to Hue to Hoi An

• Dreamt of popping a zit which turned into a rice noodle.
• Went on a bumpy bus ride to Hue.  Saw “marble scultptures” made by marble sculptors (which I am dubious of), saw the citadel, a pagoda, and a moselium.
• Unfortunately, I was in a fairly cranky mood (as exhibited in the photos) which I think began when we hired an English speaking guide for the day who was way too hard to understand.  That and the fact that the private bus that we rented for more $$ than necessary made us all nauseous.
• On the way back it was dark enough to see into all the little homes which are very dimly lit and sparce with the clutter that we see in the US.  Much different than looking into the the little apartments in Berkeley.
• When we returned we went into town for another local favorite restaurant which was amazing.  Following dinner we went to the Tam Tam for ice cream then went back to the hotel to listen to our acoustic trio one more time (they were really good!).

Day Thirteen: January 24, 2007.  Hoi An to Ho Chi Minh City

• Our last full day in Vietnam.
• Ate the last big buffet breakfast.
• Learned that my mom woke up in the middle of the night, got a beer out of the fridge and had a drink or two of the cold bubbly.  (she had a cold for the second part of the trip, so her sleep walking is understandable).
• Walked around Hoi An for the last time and spent all my dong (Vietnamese currency).
• Brian created a song about my dad and his hearing loss:  “Mmmm what’s this,? Mmmmm mmmmm what’s that?”
• Had our last amazing Vietnamese-ish meal in a fantastic restaurant.
• Went to the airport and flew to Ho Chi Minh City. Back to the craziness of the city and the 2935793275297 scooters.
• Went to a restaurant for a for dinner then to bed for a few hours before our 4:00am departure to the airport.

Day Fourteen: January 25, 2007 Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong to San Fran

• Started the painful trip back after very little (and bad) sleep.  Luckily Brian and I had exit aisles so we could spread our legs out.
• Left Vietnam at 6:00am on Thursday, 1/25….arrived in San Francisco at 7:30am on Thursday, 1/25
• All I can say is: amazing trip, but now I have jet lag up the wazoo.