Thursday, January 10, 2008

Vietnam Day 6

We arrived back in Hanoi at 4.30 am in the morning. Our guesthouse opened at 7am so we were literally stranded. No cafes were open and no one was in sight. We decided to sit by the nearby lake till 7 am.

Looks like the sun is rising behind the trees doesn't it? I thought so too. Its actually a lamp post.
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By about 5.30 am, lots of old folks were walking around the lake, exercising and doing tai chi. It reminds me of China. Some men even brought weights.

Portable gym (sorry, bad pic quality)
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Finally, the sun is up and we walked to the guesthouse to put down our luggage.
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We then headed to the French prison. Locals who opposed the French regime were imprisoned here. I never really liked visiting prisons because I always get an eerie chill running up my spine.
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This is the biggest and most modern building we have seen so far in Hanoi. Ironically, it is built on the prison grounds.
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Temple of literature - dedicated to Confucius. In 1076, Vietnam's first university was established here to educate Vietnam's administrative and warriors class.
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Names of scholars and their achievements are inscribed on these turtle stones.
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Interestingly, Confucius is not just a teacher to these scholars but some locals believe that he is a god.
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Local wet market.
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We spent the afternoon doing last minute shopping before we caught our evening flight back to our respective countries.Vietnam is supposedly famous for its cheap silk. I bought two scarfs for myself. Here's a tip: a silk scarf usually cost about 8 US. Anything more and you have been ripped off.

Adios Vietnam =) Till we meet again. It was a memorable trip!


Videos


A typical taxi ride in Hanoi. Taxi drivers love their techno!


Riding a motorcycle on the dangerous roads of Hanoi


Watch the local girls play cards in Sapa. Ferocious!


Kiddies playing "lego" in Sapa. I love bullying them :P


Old folks exercising in Hanoi around the lake


Finally, I'm done with updating my Vietnam trip. Hong Kong up next =)

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

House hunting

My family and I have been house hunting under the scorching sun (think 41 Celsius) the past two days. Here's what I learnt and here are some tips to share:-

- Never fully trust real estate agents. Even when they seem more sincere and loyal than your golden retriever.

- It pays to talk to the neighbours of the potential property. You never know what you might learn.

- House hunting is an arduous, arduous process.

- A good time to house hunt is in winter because many potential buyers hibernate. The market is quiet then.

- Never ever rush the process. You're not buying a bicycle.

- Check the ground level of the property. Its better to buy a property on top of a slope rather than at the bottom of the slope. Especially with crazy climate changes, flash floods may become more frequent.

- A property by the main road may be valued $50 000 less than a property in an inner road.

- Location, location, location. During a recession or slow growth period, value of properties in not-so-good areas may decrease but not for properties in good areas.

- Between two choices, try to buy a property in a rich/potentially rich area. So, even if you're thinking of buying a small-ish house, buy a property with rich neighbours (big houses). The value of the property will increase quicker. The area will be more favoured by the council. Example, your road may be made into a no-through road to decrease traffic flow.

- Try to buy a property close to the city or at least close to public transport.

- Close to a shopping centre or eateries is definitely a plus.

- Try not to buy a property facing a T junction. You wouldn't want car lights shining into your living room. Plus, many Chinese think its bad luck to have a property at a T junction. Even if you're not superstitious, steer away from buying such properties as you would eliminate potential buyers.

- Don't buy a house that's old unless you are prepared to renovate. If buying an old house (eg. 20 years or older), get a qualified architect (or an expert in the construction industry) to certify the safety of the house.

- Always be prepared to negotiate with the builder of the house. They will throw in freebies if they are nice =)

- Land = capital gain. Its not the size of the house but the land that usually determines the value. Therefore, the value of individual houses increase much faster than townhouses.

- Be patient

- Pray =)


Hope that helps!

Friday, January 04, 2008

Vietnam Day 4 & 5

We took the overnight "sleeper" train from Hanoi to Lao Cai and subsequently sat through a 1.5 hour bus ride to Sapa.
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Although communism has taken a backseat to capitalism, the communist mantra is most real at the train station. The train conductors wear khaki green army-like uniforms. THe station has a cold, stern feel to it. Its definitely not a place you want to curl up reading your favourite novel.
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Finally arrived in Sapa at 7 am the next morning. The town Sapa is fast becoming a commercial tourist attraction. There are several hotels there and some locals have switched from the agriculture industry to the tourism industry. Many young girls opt to be tour guides, picking up english from tourist. They are a cute young bunch. But dont be deceived by their looks or age, they are pretty streetwise and can be aggresive!

Tour guides
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Sapa town
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We placed our luggage in our hotel room, had a typical breakfast of pho and baguette (the French once occupied Vietnam) and freshened up. Note: When travelling and staying in cheapER guesthouses, always bring a sleeping bag. They do not change the bedsheets for you.

We then met our tour guide, Mimi and started our walk (perhaps 'hike' is a more appropriate word)

We passed through several markets and stores selling ethnic clothing
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Ann and I tried on ethnic clothing but decided that we look fat in it. Plus, its not exactly optimal hiking wear.
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After walking 500 metres towards the outskirt of town, there was a total change a scenery. Mind blowing. Surreal.

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A local's home
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Their kitchen
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Washing up area
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Curtains?
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Pic courtesy of Ann :P (to her credit, she didnt realised she captured his thingy.) Little boys run around without pants. Probably makes it easier to answer Nature's calls.
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After that we walked and walked to a village called 'Cat Cat'
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We had to climb some hills too
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Brave Ann conquered the hills with her thongs.
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Communism is evident
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Their main source of agriculture is paddy
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The local's culture is fascinating. Its a whole different world unknown to us. They still wear their tribal costume not merely to impress tourists but as their daily wear. Walking through the paddy fields, Mimi asked me, "So how old are you?" "22," I answered. "You married?" she continued. "Em...no. At what age do people get married here?" I asked with hesitance. "15 years old," she replied. You could imagine the shock on our faces. Me, being 22 years old, would probably have reached expiry date and should be taken off the shelf had I been born a local.

"So how many buffalos to get married?" we asked cheekily.

"Two," she replied.

A buffalo costs 200 US
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"Serious?? Chicken? How many chickens?"

"Six"

She then shared with us that her younger brother who is now 12 might be getting married soon. Has he reached puberty??? I asked her with reluctance whether he has a girlfriend. She said, "No need girlfriend. Just three days to find wife. Just see pretty, then get married." Males at their most primitive nature.


Potentially getting married soon whilst kids in the world we know are still burried in schoolbooks.
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Waterfall
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Local food. Fermented rice cooked in bamboo. That's our tour guide, Mimi.
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The locals do not waste time. They even make clothes while they walk from one place to another. They always have thread in their hands.
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Workers having a siesta
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After Cat Cat village, Mimi brought us back to Sapa. She told us to rest and have the rest of the day off as we had a bigger hike the following day. We spent the afternoon exploring the Sapa town.

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Walking in the markets. Cobra and scorpion in alcohol.
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Local craft. Very creative.
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Local school
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We even had real authentic Vietnamese coffee~!!
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With a Vietnamese bloke who is from the 'Tai' village. He is one cheeky chap who proudly told us that he has three girlfriends from three different villages.
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That night we joined Mimi and her friends at a local pub. Its probably the 'place to be' in Sapa.

Oh boy, the Sapa girls were aggresive. They dealt the cards like a pro. Tables were slammed. Cards flew in the air. They even played pool like men. They potted the balls without ease.

My first time playing pool with girls wearing tribal costumes
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About 12 am, we called it a night and headed back to get some shuteye.

The next morning, we headed to two more villages. There was a drastic change in weather from the day before. From sunshine to foggy and cold. A change which was a little too familiar :P

Taken in the morning. Seems a little ghostly? I changed the white balance settings :P
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Crossing a bamboo bridge
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While we huff and puff carrying just our body weight, the local women have to walk for miles on end with firewood on their backs. The baskets are about 20 kgs and because the sticks are so long, its hard to balance the basket on your back.

We struggle even walking 5 steps
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The locals made it look like they were carrying baskets of feathers.
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Walking through paddy fields
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Ben slipped from the rocks.
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This innocent thing is 'food'. Dogs here are bred for consumption =(
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Jumping stones
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Boys practicing their kung fu skills
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Wild plants growing in the paddy fields
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Local church
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Sapa version of our Malaysian 'getah'
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Cheeky!
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Playing with real Lego. The kids here are so happy and carefree playing in their own world. Their imagination is not restrained by computer games or the television set. They breathe fresh air and eat fresh veges and meat. Back to the basics. Back to the simple things.
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Kids toy. Its a horse.
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Animals run wild along the pathways.
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Cow lungs anyone?
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After we got back from the hike, we decided to go around Sapa on bikes!

I rode a bike!!
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Okay...I kinda rode a bike. Long enough till I lose my balance and start all over again. I thought bike riding was like riding a bicycle except with a motor. Boy, was I wrong. Its harder than I thought :P Sadly, I had to become a passenger. Nonetheless, it was fun!!! Being on a bike is much more thrilling than being in a car!

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After our bike ride, we quickly rushed back to the hotel to collect our bags. We had to catch a bus back to Lao Cai and then take the night train back to Hanoi.

Sapa was definitely my favourite part of the trip. I loved the people there. They are so friendly. I learnt so much from just going to Sapa. Going to Sapa refreshed my perspective on life. Living in big cities, being caught in rat races sometimes really screw up your perspective on life. The locals live such simple life yet they are happy. Perhaps thats what we need. To be contented with the small things.