Morning Harbor View

 
 

Hong Kong Ho

So after a record-setting 28 consecutive working days I was REALLY ready for a vacation and I had one planned...one fit for a King: King Kong!...I mean Hong Kong...uh moving on,

Meeting up with the 'rents in Hong Kong made for a great long weekend to begin what was to be a Great Loooong Vacation. After reunion hugs at baggage claim, we sped to our luxury Hotel and took a turn around the neighborhood. A quick trip around the block provided an interesting view of a giant Yacht-shaped mall, and several other Mall-shaped Malls. Whew, that's enough craziness for one evening.

Yacht Shaped Mall

 
 

View from the Peak

 
 

Day One:

We got an early start and did the big tour day starting with the cable car to the peak, which we found took some alternative forms of payment... "octopus?"

Pinkies Out, this is High Tea

 
 

Then off to Stanley Market for some shopping. A fishing village in the Harbor, then a pearl factory. Top it all off with High Tea at the Peninsula Hotel, which I am now aware is quite hoity-toity thing to do. I wore my new pearls.

All Currencies Accepted

 


Octopus...it's everywhere you want to be 

Would you like to try...

Day Two: We had some adventures in dining. My mom had business partners in town who were more than happy to introduce us to some traditional food. Any meal that come in little bamboo boxes and employs a Lazy Susan is cool with me! For your viewing pleasure I give you a pictorial progression of the meal:

Dim Sum!!...

 
 

...and more...

 
 

...and dim sum more

 
 

Dim Sum, done well.

 
 

Sad to go...but on the next Adventure!!!

 
 

Hong Kong was fantastic, would have loved to stay longer ...but we had more of the world to see: On to Vietnam!

Day One, Vietnam:

A quick flight from Hong Kong landed us in Danang, back in my old host country of Vietnam. From the airport we were given a 5 hour luxury tour (read "airconditioned van") of the country side (read "gravel highways") of Northern Vietnam. It was oddly familiar and strangly comforting to hear Vietnamese and see the water buffalos and rice fields again. On to Ha Long Bay

Back in 'Nam

 
 

Kickin' Back in Ha Long Bay

Traveling with the parents definitely "afforded" me a few opportunities that were not available to my budget the first time around. Such as a private 5 hour boat tour of the mystical limestone islands of Ha Long Bay.

Family Portrait in Hanoi

 
 

Mom, Dad, Daughter and Uncle Ho.

Hanoi Times

We swept into the Capital city in a swarm of motorbikes that buzzed around us. The pace of the big city took the pulse of our trip up a notch, but I fell right back into the accelerated speed of life. Feeling exhilerated by the race I convinced mom and pops to venture out to the city center. We enjoyed an evening at the Traditioal Water Puppet Theater and a late evening coffee on the rooftop of my favorite Hanoi secret, Cafe PhoCo, overlooking the lake.

Down the Coast

After the thrill of Hanoi, we made our way south. Stoping a night in Hue and catching a morning spin in a cyclo,

then on to the comparatively catatonic (did someone say "tonic"?) Hoi An. Trading buzzing motorbikes for swaying palm trees and semi-paved highways for sandy stretches was a welcomed change of scenery.

My Favorite Vietnamese View

 
 

My last time in Hoi An I was intoxicated by the town's antique charm. Well, this time my buzz came from lounging on the private beach under a palm umbrella, Mojito at my side.

Hoi An: A Different View

An entire day spent listening to the waves of the South China Sea play a game of tag with the gulls and a lethargic water buffalo combing the white sands.

Night of the Dragons

After a long relaxing day on the beach we decided to go into town for dinner. We sat and watched geckos indecisively jolt and twitch across the walls and ceiling on the veranda of a canal-side restaurant.

After enjoying a 5-course Vietnamese meal we navigated through the throngs of people as night and the dragon festival took over the streets. Adolescent boys in bands of 5 to 20 dressed in dragon costumes, danced to drums, and visited shops supposedly to chase out bad spirits. They climbed 25 ft. poles and set off flares and sparklers. The streets were filled with tamborines, and singing, and spectating, lanterns and dragons swinging everywhere. My quiet little Hoi An, possessed. But in a good way.

Dragon Festival

 
 

Enter SEV

Saigon, my old stomping grounds. My parents and I landed around 8 and I sent them off to the hotel while I waited to meet the SEV crowd coming in at 10...or so I thought. Turns out, their flight was delayed to midnight so I decided to indulge in an old thrill and grab myself a "xe om" (motorbike guy) and spin around the city. It wasn't 20 seconds of speeding through the chaotic streets of Saigon that I was back in love with my old city.

Hair still windblown, I made it back to the airport in time to welcome the crew off the plane, even had a sign made up. I got to whip out some of my mad Vietnamese negotiating skills and arrange a couple cheap taxis to their hostel. Then I hopped back on my xe om and met them for some 1am brews at the foreigner bar at the top of the backpacker street.



Worlds colliding, head spinning with euphoria, exhileration, and just plain happiness I was back in my element. Surrounded by great friends and fully anticipating another week of exciting adventures to come. Viva la Vie Vacacion!!

Out for Pho

 
 

Nothing like a steaming bowl of beef and rice noodles at 1am to cure jetlag. Andrew and Kin had a chilie eating contest, Kin won hands down.

Pho for Fun

Our elevated adrenaline levels combined with a few hours of jet lag defied all normal circadian rhythms so there was no incentive to end the evening early. Reunited (and it feels so good) with my buddies called for an adventure, even if it was of miniture proportions. Eddie, Andrew and I decided it was time for street food. Luckily I knew just the place: a local haunt that served up hot vermicelli beef soup.

Along the way, we met Kin, a young boy selling cigarrettes far past a reasonable bedtime hour for any boy his age. We invited him to join us and he happily fell in step. His infectious giggles harmonized well with Andrew's novice slurping.

Bussin' It

 
 

Not much leg room, but we made the best of it. Cool kids sit at the back.

Group Traveling

After a day in Saigon we hit the road in a bus we'd rented for the entire week. $25 a head wasn't too steep a price for private chauffeur. However, we didn't calculate the price our bodies would pay spending several hours bonding knees to chins, asses to ankles in our sardine tin transportation. But never fear, we'd lived in tight quarters for the better part of a year and had learn to play nice...for the most part. Reading books, listening to music, and finding alternative uses for Sean's frisbee made time roll by a little easier.

P.S. Thank God for the iPod. Open the window.

Night Life Nha Trang

 
 

March, Sprite and Sean. Three Canadians in Nha Trang couldn't be more at home.

Nha Trang!

Making our way up the South China Sea we finally landed in Nha Trang. Nice stretch of beaches and a good night life too. So we were all anxious to re-animate after the long bus trip there. Some drinks, and good music, and even an old school fooseball table were excellent for limbering up our nearly atrophied limbs. With nothing ahead of us but a couple of days to spend on the islands, we were feeling gooooood. And if the lights and electricity happen to go out while the rain pours outside the bar...who cares? Candles give a good ambiance.

Ladies Night at Red Sun Bar

 
 

Nicole, Susanna, and Lani. Nothing wrong with the camera. This rendering is actually a very accurate depiction of how I remember the evening.

Party Boat No.4

 

Good looking crew, don't you think? 

Day on the Islands

Meeting for breakfast at 9 seemed inhumane, especially after having to shake off the clinging remnants of the night before. But it was worth it in the end. A day of island hopping, singing, snorkeling and even a floating bar! It was Party Boat No.4 and it was nothing less than a pleasure cruise.

Our boat was crewed by a rambuncious and lovable bunch of shirtless Vietnamese guys who loved blasting the music and shouting "Don't be lazy, let's be crazy." Our rowdy antics even drew the attention of other party boats who watched longingly from the decks of their lesser vessles as we enjoyed dance parties, fruit parties, Karaeoke and did I mention the floating bar?

good times, good times.

Sprite takes Flight

 
 

The day was perfectly ended by a round of leaps from the roof of the boat. The afternoon light softening to evening, one last warm sea splash was in order.

Temples Along the Way

 
 

Roadside Temple breaks up the 6 hour drive

Back in Saigon

 
 
Models in Training. Andrew Marc and Eddie sporting their brand new, tailor made raw silk suits. Lookin' Good Fellas

Drum Festival

  

Seoul's international drum festival comes but once a year.