cont'd (2) - Journey to Huong Pagoda

Boat lady. She single handed rowed the seven of us down, and UP stream. Boat journey was 4km, and all she had were a pair of oars, and muscles.


View along the river. It's very beautiful, as the limestone hills were not very high, yet fog covered in the early morning.

Junction at the river, with "road" sign...

This picture has no effects place on it. Timing. I like the glow behind my head :)

A set of tombs by the river bed. I wonder if the locals here practise Fung Shui. This spot certainly fits the bill perfectly.

Oh, one local custom here, and as in many parts of ancient Vietnam. Apparently, if a person were to pass away around this area, the body is not to be taken away from this area. By area I refer to the whole length of the river to the Pagoda.

One story exists, where a sickened girl came to pray at the pagodas here. Sadly she passed away whilst she was here. Her friend had to keep her death hidden from the locals, and carry her back home. How it was done... ???

cont'd (1) - Journey to Huong Pagoda

Riding the boat in the drizzle.


Ms Hoa getting some messages written to ....

Smoking a pipe, the Vietnamese way.

Part of the Pagoda structure. In actual fact, I don't really see any pagoda-like structure in this place. Not the usual pagoda designs anyway. It's more like a temple to me.

Journey to Huong Pagoda

The day started off wet. A full morning of rain from Hanoi to Ha Tay. We arrived at the river jetty around 7am, and had to wait for the rain to subside.


View of the river jetty. We're to take this little boats downstream towards the Pagoda.

Banh Cuon Breakfast at Ha Tay Province

A steamed rice paper variant, which you dip in the soup. The meat's grilled prior to being placed in the soup.

Minh's Jazz Club

Cha Ca, Hanoi

Cha ca, or translated loosely as "Grilled Fish". It's more of a hot plate of lightly fried fish fillets, dill and spring onion, placed on a convection grill.


Rice paper rolls, filled with fried shallots. The sauce given to us were not the usual fish sauce, but rather a concoction of it. No pungent fish sauce taste in it.

My bowl of pho with Cha ca. What made this dish unique is the shrimp paste used to flavour the meal. By my definition of good food, I attempted this paste once, and left it at that. The taste was overpowering, plus the fact that these shrimps were prepared ala winery (natural fermentation until bubble appear) simply turned me off. Nonetheless, an interesting meal for my first night in Hanoi...

Phuc Loi Hotel in Hanoi

My first night in Hanoi. The weather's rather cooling, definitely a tad better than in Saigon. However, the place is very dusty. So much more dust that Saigon. I wonder where it's all coming from.

This hotel is comfortable. It's located a short throw away from a shopping haven, and fair priced. Clean, with good amenities. Any visitors to Hanoi city would do well here. The rates are US40/night.

This was found at a junction of Le Than Ton St. Supposed to be an ice cream joint.


My breakfast. Not the healthiest, of course. Enough of lotus roots, raw vegetables and rice noodles.

Interesting interior concept. Comfy cushions, pebble and stone flooring that's uneven, potted plants. It'll make a cosy hang out for young teens.

I would recommend that they get some professional help with the flys. Those electronic fly swatters are not exactly hygienic for a food establishment.

Surprise on Sunday morning

I was on my way to get some breakfast this morning, and came across this public performance at the theater.

Bikers pulled over (or rather stopped) on the road to enjoy the performance.

A band of musicians, playing some classical piece, live.

Headed to Hanoi

I'll be in Hanoi from 14th to 18th April.

In the coming week, expect to see some posts on the capital city of Vietnam. Let's see how different it is from Ho Chi Minh.

Civilization

I seek...




Country Road
Take me Home
To the Place
Where I Belong.....




When people see you as extra burden, and not beneficial to them, it is as good an indication that the time has come to leave.

When good intentions are viewed as stepping across boundaries, it is plain simple help is not needed .

It is simple for me. I possess none, I take none, I use none. It is just me, my knowledge, and my experience. So take it, or leave it. I won't impose.



~~~



Only recently I was told of how embarassing it is to be a citizen of my Country. How much apathy and inefficiency is potrayed by the people that represents the Country in an official manner. She doesn't have the time to tell the world, so let me do my little bit.

Will the screwups at the Embassy in Switzerland please pull your act together. Please. A person's life is at stake, and they could give that classic answer-thru-your-arse response nonchalantly.

And whilst I'm at it, will the screwup that represents my Country please, stop speaking thru your arse and think of what you say. Go get a replacement brain if yours ain't working.


Damn!

Movie - Frontier(s)

I was browing thru some DVDs earlier this morning, hoping to find some new flicks to keep me entertained over the next one week.

Whilst I was flipping thru the pile of discs, the sales girl droned on and on and on about the new films that are available. Yupe, new indeed. New to me that is. I picked up Rambo 4, Ocean's 13, Jumper, and something titled Frontier(s). I didn't pay the synopsis much attention, as every discs' cover was text in either Vietnamese or French or sumthing like that. She assured me that everything's in English, with language subtitles of course.

So I paid. So I left. I recognized three of the titles, but the last was a mystery to me. I popped the disc into the drive, run the show, and voila! French! with English subtitles. Geezz... what a rip off.

Curious, I checked the web for some kinda synopsis. Afterall, the cover features some grossly mutilated person, and it stated Genre Horreur, and it stated Accord Parental. Ok. Fine. Guess what I found....

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/film/1835

It was features as one of the "8 Films to Die For, 2007". The website above rated it 10/10. Well, either it's a really good screenplay, or really good movie, or simply, really Bloody Disgusting.

Let's find out.

Fakes, anyone

Yes, that does look like an Oakley, doesn't it? Courtesy of a former bloc's market, a landmark that's rather well known locally, and to would-be visitors.

Guess how much it was worth?

They quoted me VND150,000. I bargained for VND120,000. I suppose its worth a lot less than that, but then I'm not exactly the haggling type. Either I like it, or I don't.

Oh well, I shouldn't be complaining, since I paid RM24 for a pair of Oakley! Hahahaaa......

Soooooo coooool.....

Even colours have accent

Full glory...

In Red...

In Green...

Orange...

Every Customer Is The Boss

My Sunday breakfast, on Le Than Ton St.

Gosh, it takes a whole lots of guts to advertise that. Even if the establishment is the Boss Cafe.

Ham Omelet with toast, iced milk coffee and orange juice. Healthy?

The bar counter. I believe the night would be rather cosy, with friendly staffs.

My new toy's on its way. Got it tested to sound great, with lots of space for songs. I know people will ask why not MP4. This is like generations old.

Well.... I want music. I'm not interested in lugging another video player on the go, when there's the notebook, the pda, the digicam. And I want it to sound real good, cos I go for vocalists. And it must be real small, to fit unnoticed in wherever I stick it.

Waiting eagerly now..... yummy!

Birthday wish come true

Dear May Li,

This year, I know what your Birthday wish will be. Whilst there is no way I could directly grant you that wish, I know every little prayer counts.

May your Birthday wish comes true.

Hang in there.

HTC Offerings

More sexy ladies in the lineup! My heart's thumping 3x the normal speed... My oh my....

New phones in the market

Oh my, Oh my.
Lookie what we've got...

Zinc II, a slide PDA phone, but no 3G features.


Atom V, the replacement of the Atom series by MWG

Like this Sony Ericsson?

My fingers are itching to change phone now.... my oh my....

Vietnamese lunch

Vietnamese economy rice, which serves roast meat, grilled meat, meat pate, fried meat, stewed meat, curry meat.... well, you get the idea.




This is an aubergine, or eggplant to some. It's stuffed with fish paste. Oh, and notice the rice. It's known as broken rice. Generally the grains are half the fragrant rice we get back home.