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Sparkling Singapore & Ancient Vietnam Trip Journal
I've always loved aircraft and long-distance flights. We got the award-winning Singapore Airlines at LAX in about 30 hours of travel time ahead of us. With 8 magazines, 6 movies, 4 meals and a sleeping pill and went time and I quickly came loose and ready to explore. U.S. airports are not the people very friendly. Singapore's ultra-modern Airport, invites you to refrain from free internet terminals, cinema, rooftop pool, aromatherapy baths, oxygen bars, internal nature garden with waterfalls and koi pond.
I am part of the 28 singles. It was a smaller group than expected, but I understand some say he fell out of fear of bird flu. I felt I was part of the quality of officers experienced culture-vultures.
We started with an orientation tour to the top of Mt. Farber and spectacular views. Group was impressed by sparkling metropolis located between Malaysia and Indonesia. Singapore is the leader of SE Asia, a bustling port has been modernized by the East India Trading Company and the British Empire. It's called the Lion of the city and occupied 4 million souls. 76% are Chinese and other minorities all blend harmoniously. Singapore is a city, State, capital and country all in one, and draws 8 million visitors per year, but few Americans yet encountered.
We checked into the palatial hotel from the Four Seasons Regent. I got a set and I swear, this hotel wins award for kindest staff on this planet. We arrived at the right time with the "Great Shopping Festival" in full swing. There is no such thing as "retail therapy" to calm the mind jet lag. Orchard Road, a tree lined Fifth Avenue, was only a block away and the center of all life. Shopping is a national obsession with bargain hunting here and bloody sport.
There are 150 mega-centers with some that will never close. I am a slave and bought brand using authentic Rolex with documents, a fraction of its original price. We had 4 days here. So I had a lot yes, it's like Hong Kong on steroids. Arts Festival was in many places from painting and sculpture to music and dance. Clarke Quay at night on the river has become central to party with fashion swinging clubs until dawn.
We had an astute and friendly guide on behalf of Farida, who showed us all the sights, with a wonderful sense of humor.
We visited the National Orchard lush gardens with orchids 60.000, China Town with its markets and temples and Little India with intense aroma and bright colors. Then we went to the ultra-modern financial district, Merlion Park with fountain and its dominant historical colonial field which was founded by Sir Stanford Raffles.
We stopped to sip a Singapore Sling at the famous Long Bar in Raffles Hotel rooms, where they begin at $ 700 per night. Our other tours, including Jurong Bird Park and Night Safari at the zoo, is considered the best in the world, with its free roaming packs of 2500 animals.
In his spare time, we rode rickshaws around town, and took the cable car to Sentosa Island.
Some of us opted to head back to the zoo for Jungle Breakfast with orangutans. At night, Terry & I dinned the jumbo chili crab and rice cakes.
This vibrant island-state of Singapore is a clean bright with purple bougainvillea bushes lining highways. All cars are equipped with alarms, to sound if one exceeds the speed limit. No graffiti, no gangs, and firmly in the "controlled democracy ", it is the death penalty for drug traffickers. We all make jokes about how to obtain Caneda for chewing gum or Jay-walking.
It was a nice easy to see here. I usually feel like Jack Bauer in the series "24" on the road with my non-stop itinerary. Here I felt well rested when I started our 3 hour flight to Vietnam.
Arriving in Hanoi is like to enter another world with rice paddies, sampans, lotus blossoms, coconut milk and noodle soup. It's like a time machine dropped us back 15 century, this charming country immersed in history. It was far worse than I expected. There was, however attractive charm found in the nobility of honest people smile.
I've always been a fan of the Third World. Given to Singapore, dynamic, Hanoi was culturally stimulating. The city was dotted with lakes and in the shade of tamarind trees. It was a dichotomy, which ran with Chi-energy, and yet was calm at the same time.
We checked in the deluxe Sheraton Resort, an oasis of calm in the middle of chaos. Our fabulous guides Hong was named with us for 6 glorious days.
His first lesson was to teach us how to cross the street. The operation here is very busy 7 stripes pack with 2.4 million motor scooters. "It's just a game Chicken" he said. "Do not run, do not stop, just walk slowly that drivers can predict your direction. Will miss you! "This afternoon I was in fear stranded curbside realized 20 minutes this "lesson" went against every instinct of my survival. The whole family had passed a scooter, I understand, it is called "Vietnamese sandwich. "Everything was transported these mopeds, 8 piglets, a dozen chickens upside down, TV, tree and more. Pollution has thick and heavy. Inner city looked tired and worn out. Suddenly there was a monsoon downpour. People threw cloaks and it became a cape town. Traffic never slowed down. I ducked for cover. Dissipated so quickly as it began, life went on and the air was temporarily cleared. Finally, I went walking on the street and slow pace. All missing.
Sun shined every day on our tour, which included the Temple of Literature, One Pillar Pagoda, the French Quarter and Ho Chi flashes memorial. We lined with hundreds of people, and entered the tomb, where Ho Chi flashes are preserved body is visibly encased Lennon, as well as in Moscow. Armed Communist troops commanded us to remain in quiet reverence, no cameras, umbrellas, sunglasses, and no weapons on our website always.
Later we visited the Hoa Lo Prison, or the fiery furnace. Built in 1896, French, thousand political prisoners were tortured here in 1954. We visited the cellar with leg irons, torture equipment and "head cutter."
In 1960, the Vietcong used as a prisoner of war detention center of American pilots downed during the war in Vietnam. It was our pilots in captivity, that this place ironically named "Hanoi Hilton". Also, we walk the Old Quarter, where the each narrow band named for the ancient craft: Silk Coffin St St St grilled fish, etc. Hong us to the food market for turtles, sea slugs, pig heads and other taboos creatures for sale. "Thit Chow" is a dog stew, which is considered peasant food, and "country rat" is solemnly made in all the birthday parties. They say that it is much healthier than a "city rat."
Most meals were included rodents, fortunately were never offered. We enjoyed robust American and Japanese breakfast buffet and 10 gross lunches. Each restaurant was affordable. One evening I had dinner menu salad the jellyfish, fried eel, ginger crickets and sticky rice with roasted pigeons offer. It seems that the Vietnamese will eat anything what moves, because all the "tastes like chicken."
We participated Water Puppet Show, ancient art unique Hanoi. This mixture of music and dance on water was a source of entertainment of villagers for centuries.
Then we dispersed to explore city, Asia's oldest capital. Some went for massages and pedicures at prices that can not resist. Some shopping for souvenirs, while others had suits tailored for them. I had embroidered silk dress cut into my body in 4 hours Only $ 45. We also visited the handicraft village where it is advantageous in the art. Want "Monet?" None problem, just $ 25. Be careful, it's wet. There was also a beautiful lacquerware and ceramics. Currency was a great challenge for us as 10.500 Dong dollars equal to 65 cents. We felt like millionaires, but it was disheartening to learn that the annual per capita income is only $ 320! We tipped generously at all times.
Vietnam pulse located in the cities since the fair grace is in its villages. We rode through the countryside for all-day cruise on Halong Bay. The air was fresh, we passed rice fields, duck and shrimp farms. It was the harvest of rice, and hundreds of rice farmers struggled bent over their ponds. Shy and children smiled waved as we drove around.
We arrived at this UNESCO World Natural Heritage by UNESCO and joined our Private wooden ship junk. Quietly we sailed into a peaceful dreamscape, which seemed surreal to 3000 islands, which are steep limestone cliffs that emerged from the calm emerald sea. There was a timeless, haunting quality of this scenery. Nat. Geo. called "magic in stone and water." We enjoyed a fantastic lunch with fresh seafood caught crab and shrimp. It was a perfect day in the sun earth leakage and serenity.
The highlight for me was the journey of our group cyclo-tour through Old Hanoi last day. We turned the corner find the center of 28-wheel rickshaws lined up to peddle us in person for an hour through the narrow streets full of oncoming snowmobile traffic. There were Some near-misses at the red lights, which were always ignored. We all laughed, locals watched. Terry in 6'4''je considered huge even in America. Here he looked like King Tut sits on his throne as 90 pounds. distributed driver it effortlessly in line with our group.
Later we went their separate ways for independent investigations. After a few hours, I found I lost in the city without taxi. I had to go back to join others for dinner. I had no choice but to hire a ride scooter. Dressed in a skirt with her arms full of bags, I am assembling a small seat and off we went. On the highway, wrapped my hands and legs around the driver's like an octopus. He laughed all the way to the Sheraton.
We flew back to Singapore for a good nights rest at Le Meridian before our long flight home to Los Angeles to Tokyo. I was thinking about the way well done in the new knowledge about the history and culture. It was like visiting two different planet in one holiday. Contrast this trip can be seen from the photos in our current garden paradise of Singapore, the new renaissance of traditional Vietnam. That Asia is certainly a matter to be recalled.
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