Sunday, 25 December 2011
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
I went to a nice Thai restaurant last week with my friend Tuan. He's never eaten Thai food so it was an experience for him, and I LOVE Thai food so I wasn't about to say no to a trip to restaurant that serves pretty genuine stuff!! We had thai curry which tasted pretty good (Tuan enjoyed Thai curry much more than Indian curry - our Indian meal was the only time I've ever seen him not finish a meal!) and some beef thing, and also one of the special dishes in the restaurant:
Deep fried morning glory with a chili sauce. Yum! It was billed as deep fried morning glory and prawns on the menu but there were only 2 pathetic prawns in the sauce, however the fact that the morning glory was really tasty with the chili sauce made up for it.
Also finally had one of the strange Vina desserts called che which is some kind of soupy dessert made with something like taro and served with assorted coloured jelly kinda stuff and coconut milk. It's very popular in Vietnam but I've never eaten it before coz it looks a little strange as you can see from those pics in the link. It was on the menu at the Thai restaurant tho so we had some of that along with sticky rice with mango. I still think Asia isn't so great on the whole dessert thing!
Going to New Zealand on Friday!!!!!!!!!!! Trying to decide right now if I should spend some of my 12 transit hours in Seoul going into the city to have a look around or not. It would give me something to do but what if I get lost? I've no idea how easy Seoul is to navigate without speaking Korean!
NEW ZEALAND!!!
Deep fried morning glory with a chili sauce. Yum! It was billed as deep fried morning glory and prawns on the menu but there were only 2 pathetic prawns in the sauce, however the fact that the morning glory was really tasty with the chili sauce made up for it.
Also finally had one of the strange Vina desserts called che which is some kind of soupy dessert made with something like taro and served with assorted coloured jelly kinda stuff and coconut milk. It's very popular in Vietnam but I've never eaten it before coz it looks a little strange as you can see from those pics in the link. It was on the menu at the Thai restaurant tho so we had some of that along with sticky rice with mango. I still think Asia isn't so great on the whole dessert thing!
Going to New Zealand on Friday!!!!!!!!!!! Trying to decide right now if I should spend some of my 12 transit hours in Seoul going into the city to have a look around or not. It would give me something to do but what if I get lost? I've no idea how easy Seoul is to navigate without speaking Korean!
NEW ZEALAND!!!
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Sunday, 4 September 2011
Had a day off on Friday for Independence Day so I went out for a walk around the city. There wasn't much happening but I guess it made a change. Walked past Truc Bach lake and watched people walk past this bin to throw their rubbish in the bin. Perhaps the sign should be written in Vietnamese?!
Also finally got a pic of the statue to John McCain who was shot down into the lake.
I walked past Uncle Ho and the massive line of people waiting to see him then went through the Old Quarter to a cafe for a couple of hours to read my book. Walked along the railway line for a bit - would hate to live in one of these houses. The constant noise of passing trains would suck!
Then I walked back home through the Old Quarter via the market for some pineapple. Finally got a pic of the random chairs by the side of Chau Long street - I have no idea who sits on them but they've been there as long as I've lived in this part of town!
Full set is here
Also finally got a pic of the statue to John McCain who was shot down into the lake.
I walked past Uncle Ho and the massive line of people waiting to see him then went through the Old Quarter to a cafe for a couple of hours to read my book. Walked along the railway line for a bit - would hate to live in one of these houses. The constant noise of passing trains would suck!
Then I walked back home through the Old Quarter via the market for some pineapple. Finally got a pic of the random chairs by the side of Chau Long street - I have no idea who sits on them but they've been there as long as I've lived in this part of town!
Full set is here
Sunday, 31 July 2011
My cousin came to visit so I've been busy this past week!
Met Ashley at the airport on Monday evening and we headed in to the Old Quarter to his hotel to find they had no idea about his reservation. Thankfully Tuan was with us and we went across the road to a hotel where he knew the dudes and we managed to get Ashley sorted with a decent room. The next day I met him for lunch then sent him off into the wilds of Hanoi, and then successfully met him a few hours later in a bar close to where I work. After he got a couple of beers in him I got him on the back of my bike to drive him through the mental rush hour to the Old Quarter to arrange the rest of his trip.
As I had to work in the days I didn't see much of him, only meeting him for dinner, and he went to Ha Long Bay too but on Friday we went out to the North Korean restaurant. Food was as strange as last time, but this time the entertainment was happening. The waitresses got up on stage and sang some songs, much to the delight of the South Korean businessmen!
On Saturday Tuan came to meet us and we went for some noodles for breakfast at a popular place. Some TV people were there and wanted to interview some white people. Of course as they were Vietnamese they refused to accept it when I said no so kept pointing the camera in my direction even after I made it clear I didn't want that. A camera isn't subtle so when they point it right in my direction when standing in the queue it's pretty obvious what they're up to! Not the smartest people those ones. Was tempted to smash their camera so they would finally get the hint! Ashley didn't mind though so they got some film of him. After that we went for some coffee on midget stools then went out to Bat Trang pottery village and had a look around.
We then drove out to But Thap Pagoda and stopped for guava on the way
This turned out to be a good thing as the guy selling them pointed us in the direction of a short cut through the countryside. It was a bit of a drive to get there but it was quite nice driving through some of the small villages and countryside. Couldn't look at too much as I was focusing on not killing myself, but what I did see was very pretty! We got to the pagoda and walked around - not many tourists make it out there so it was pretty quiet, but it did start to rain halfway round.
We had to drive back to Hanoi in the rain which was not nice once we hit the main road. Ended up covered in muddy spray.
Once back in Hanoi we went for some Bun Cha at the place Tuan took me before and then went to sit at Bia Hoi corner until it was time for Ashley to leave to go get ready for his overnight bus down to Hue.
Pics are here!
It's always nice to have someone visiting and it gets me out doing things. More of you need to come and visit!
In other exciting news the Communists finally let me receive a package from home! Now have a sock puppet sitting on top of my TV courtesy of Mr Morris!
Met Ashley at the airport on Monday evening and we headed in to the Old Quarter to his hotel to find they had no idea about his reservation. Thankfully Tuan was with us and we went across the road to a hotel where he knew the dudes and we managed to get Ashley sorted with a decent room. The next day I met him for lunch then sent him off into the wilds of Hanoi, and then successfully met him a few hours later in a bar close to where I work. After he got a couple of beers in him I got him on the back of my bike to drive him through the mental rush hour to the Old Quarter to arrange the rest of his trip.
As I had to work in the days I didn't see much of him, only meeting him for dinner, and he went to Ha Long Bay too but on Friday we went out to the North Korean restaurant. Food was as strange as last time, but this time the entertainment was happening. The waitresses got up on stage and sang some songs, much to the delight of the South Korean businessmen!
On Saturday Tuan came to meet us and we went for some noodles for breakfast at a popular place. Some TV people were there and wanted to interview some white people. Of course as they were Vietnamese they refused to accept it when I said no so kept pointing the camera in my direction even after I made it clear I didn't want that. A camera isn't subtle so when they point it right in my direction when standing in the queue it's pretty obvious what they're up to! Not the smartest people those ones. Was tempted to smash their camera so they would finally get the hint! Ashley didn't mind though so they got some film of him. After that we went for some coffee on midget stools then went out to Bat Trang pottery village and had a look around.
We then drove out to But Thap Pagoda and stopped for guava on the way
This turned out to be a good thing as the guy selling them pointed us in the direction of a short cut through the countryside. It was a bit of a drive to get there but it was quite nice driving through some of the small villages and countryside. Couldn't look at too much as I was focusing on not killing myself, but what I did see was very pretty! We got to the pagoda and walked around - not many tourists make it out there so it was pretty quiet, but it did start to rain halfway round.
We had to drive back to Hanoi in the rain which was not nice once we hit the main road. Ended up covered in muddy spray.
Once back in Hanoi we went for some Bun Cha at the place Tuan took me before and then went to sit at Bia Hoi corner until it was time for Ashley to leave to go get ready for his overnight bus down to Hue.
Pics are here!
It's always nice to have someone visiting and it gets me out doing things. More of you need to come and visit!
In other exciting news the Communists finally let me receive a package from home! Now have a sock puppet sitting on top of my TV courtesy of Mr Morris!
Monday, 4 July 2011
From the fancy pants hotel onwards!!
We got to Sihanoukville as the heavens opened but as checking in took so long (fancy welcome drinks!) it had pretty much cleared by the time we were ready to explore. We walked along the private hotel beach to a nice restaurant by the sea which had amazing food on offer. We were very lazy in Sihanoukville and other than a brief trip into the town to get supplies and enjoy (real) bangers and mash we stayed at the resort using the peach, the pool and the spa. From there we had a crappy overnight bus ride to Siem Reap on a bus with broken air con (couldn't turn it off and they had it set to blast out all night long so we pretty much froze) but once there we checked in to another nice hotel, the one I stayed at last time with my sister. We didn't do much the day we arrived other than shop and swim in the pool but as there are lots of shops and a big market in Siem Reap this meant we were busy for most of the day! The next day we went out to Angkor Wat and saw some of the temples on the circuit. Just as we came out of the second to last temple a monster storm rolled in so we left actual Angkor Wat for the next day and headed back to the hotel for some relaxing. We got up early the next day and went to Angkor for sunrise, then as Nina had never ridden an elephant before we had to do that! We then ventured further afield in our tuk tuk to another temple then stopped at the landmine museum on the way back to Siem Reap - it was less depressing than you'd imagine it being! On our final day in Siem Reap we intended to go out to see the sunset but there was another major storm raging so we stopped at the museum instead. Sadly the storm cleared while we were inside so sunset probably would have been nice after all, but you can pretty much guarantee that had we gone it would have just rained on us.
After Siem Reap we headed back to Phnom Penh and on the last day we went to the Palace and had a nice meal by the river before we had to head to the airport for Nina to get her flight. Once she'd gone I was rather lonely and bored! Went for a massage and a facial to try to alleviate that boredom and then the next day in the afternoon I flew to KL. Spent the majority of my time there shopping and indulging in good food (including an awesome roast with real Yorkshire puds!) but I did head up to the Genting Highlands for a day trip. It is about an hour from KL and is up in the mountains (as the name would suggest :op) but I picked the worst day to go. Woke up to rain and although it had stopped by the time I got there it was still pretty cloudy. Made the cable car ride to the top of the hills a bit spooky as at one point the clouds were so thick you couldn't see the car in front or behind so the only way to be sure you were actually moving was when a car would pass by in the opposite direction. At the top of the hill there is a resort with a bunch of casinos and an indoor theme park/shopping centre thing going on and there is also an outdoor theme park. When i first got there pretty much every ride was shut because the clouds were so bad but gradually they started to open and there was some fun to be had! I don't think I'd bother going back there again as it was pretty tacky and full to bursting with Chinese people who had come to gamble but it gave me something new to do this trip. Have been to KL several times now but I can still find something new each time!
Got back to Hanoi last week with a massive bout of food poisoning so suffered with that for a couple of days, then went back to work. I now have a full time post so have a bunch of induction sessions to go to over lunchtime this week and I have to get back in to the world of full time work. That's gonna be hard!
The pictures are here!
We got to Sihanoukville as the heavens opened but as checking in took so long (fancy welcome drinks!) it had pretty much cleared by the time we were ready to explore. We walked along the private hotel beach to a nice restaurant by the sea which had amazing food on offer. We were very lazy in Sihanoukville and other than a brief trip into the town to get supplies and enjoy (real) bangers and mash we stayed at the resort using the peach, the pool and the spa. From there we had a crappy overnight bus ride to Siem Reap on a bus with broken air con (couldn't turn it off and they had it set to blast out all night long so we pretty much froze) but once there we checked in to another nice hotel, the one I stayed at last time with my sister. We didn't do much the day we arrived other than shop and swim in the pool but as there are lots of shops and a big market in Siem Reap this meant we were busy for most of the day! The next day we went out to Angkor Wat and saw some of the temples on the circuit. Just as we came out of the second to last temple a monster storm rolled in so we left actual Angkor Wat for the next day and headed back to the hotel for some relaxing. We got up early the next day and went to Angkor for sunrise, then as Nina had never ridden an elephant before we had to do that! We then ventured further afield in our tuk tuk to another temple then stopped at the landmine museum on the way back to Siem Reap - it was less depressing than you'd imagine it being! On our final day in Siem Reap we intended to go out to see the sunset but there was another major storm raging so we stopped at the museum instead. Sadly the storm cleared while we were inside so sunset probably would have been nice after all, but you can pretty much guarantee that had we gone it would have just rained on us.
After Siem Reap we headed back to Phnom Penh and on the last day we went to the Palace and had a nice meal by the river before we had to head to the airport for Nina to get her flight. Once she'd gone I was rather lonely and bored! Went for a massage and a facial to try to alleviate that boredom and then the next day in the afternoon I flew to KL. Spent the majority of my time there shopping and indulging in good food (including an awesome roast with real Yorkshire puds!) but I did head up to the Genting Highlands for a day trip. It is about an hour from KL and is up in the mountains (as the name would suggest :op) but I picked the worst day to go. Woke up to rain and although it had stopped by the time I got there it was still pretty cloudy. Made the cable car ride to the top of the hills a bit spooky as at one point the clouds were so thick you couldn't see the car in front or behind so the only way to be sure you were actually moving was when a car would pass by in the opposite direction. At the top of the hill there is a resort with a bunch of casinos and an indoor theme park/shopping centre thing going on and there is also an outdoor theme park. When i first got there pretty much every ride was shut because the clouds were so bad but gradually they started to open and there was some fun to be had! I don't think I'd bother going back there again as it was pretty tacky and full to bursting with Chinese people who had come to gamble but it gave me something new to do this trip. Have been to KL several times now but I can still find something new each time!
Got back to Hanoi last week with a massive bout of food poisoning so suffered with that for a couple of days, then went back to work. I now have a full time post so have a bunch of induction sessions to go to over lunchtime this week and I have to get back in to the world of full time work. That's gonna be hard!
The pictures are here!
Monday, 13 June 2011
Am in an internet cafe with a lame keyboard but am waiting out a tropical storm so thought I'd write here!
Am in Cambodia with my good friend Nina. Had a long journey to get here - a flight to HCMC where I stayed overnight and then a bus across the border the next day but it was worth it! Met Nina the day after I arrived and we had a chilled couple of days in Phnom Penh, then we got the bus down to Kep, by the sea. Sadly it overheated and broke down about 1 1/2 hours into the journey so we had to wait for over an hour at the side of the road for a replacement bus. Eventually when we arrived it was chucking it down ao we weren't particularly impressed. It stopped raining for just long enough for us to walk along the coast to the crab market and have a really nice dinner of super fresh crabs and prawns but then it begain to rain just as we left. It continued raining the next day so we headed off to Kampot and the rain stopped just as we got there and held off just long enough for us to spend a few hours there and get back to Kep before the rain began again. Thankfully there was less rain today so we spent the day on the beach at Rabbit Island, a very quiet chilled place and we've just got back from stuffing ourselves again with crab and prawn. Tomorrow we are going to Sihanoukville to stay at this fancy pants hotel and we are really rather excited about this! Will write more when I have access to a fully functioning keyboard!!
Am in Cambodia with my good friend Nina. Had a long journey to get here - a flight to HCMC where I stayed overnight and then a bus across the border the next day but it was worth it! Met Nina the day after I arrived and we had a chilled couple of days in Phnom Penh, then we got the bus down to Kep, by the sea. Sadly it overheated and broke down about 1 1/2 hours into the journey so we had to wait for over an hour at the side of the road for a replacement bus. Eventually when we arrived it was chucking it down ao we weren't particularly impressed. It stopped raining for just long enough for us to walk along the coast to the crab market and have a really nice dinner of super fresh crabs and prawns but then it begain to rain just as we left. It continued raining the next day so we headed off to Kampot and the rain stopped just as we got there and held off just long enough for us to spend a few hours there and get back to Kep before the rain began again. Thankfully there was less rain today so we spent the day on the beach at Rabbit Island, a very quiet chilled place and we've just got back from stuffing ourselves again with crab and prawn. Tomorrow we are going to Sihanoukville to stay at this fancy pants hotel and we are really rather excited about this! Will write more when I have access to a fully functioning keyboard!!
Monday, 6 June 2011
Friday, 20 May 2011
Had another random culinary experience last week here in Hanoi. Someone from work was leaving so after work on Friday night we went out for dinner. There ended up being a massive group of us and we went for beef BBQ. It was in the standard grubby Vina restaurant with sticky floors, stained walls, dangerous looking stairs, plastic tables and chairs and the washing up being done in grey looking water inside a big plastic bowl in full view of the diners, but after so long here I have come to realise that even though the restaurant looks like the food will kill you it actually does no such thing (either that or my stomach has hardened up and is able to take things that might kill a pansy Englishman fresh off the plane), and even tastes pretty good (usually).
The restaurant was pretty full when we go there and as there were so many of us we had to be paraded past all the other diners who all stopped eating to look at the procession of foreigners passing them to get to the space right at the back of the restaurant where an assortment of tables and chairs were then provided for us to set up ourselves. The menu is pretty straightforward - beef and goat udder, tomato, and bread. The meat comes out raw on a big platter and on each table there is a little camping stove type contraption that is lit by some kind of waxy gasoline thing. You then cook your own meat as you please and create your own sandwiches (there are no plates so that is really the only option for eating your beef!!) while trying not to cause yourself any kind of horrific injury. Naked flames on rickety plastic tables and oil spitting all over the place provide a slight element of danger that you don't usually get at most other restaurants. The beef was pretty yummy, but not so much the goat udder. It was kinda chewy and tasteless. One of the Vietnamese girls however loved it, and after eating all the udder next to her stood up and loudly shouted down the table that she would like them to pass more boobs to her. Entertaining! There is no tab kept while eating so at the end of the meal we were all shifted out of the way while they counted up all the empty beer bottles and platters. It ended up being pretty cheap, only £3 or £4 per person and there was a LOT of food and beer.
Good stuff!
The restaurant was pretty full when we go there and as there were so many of us we had to be paraded past all the other diners who all stopped eating to look at the procession of foreigners passing them to get to the space right at the back of the restaurant where an assortment of tables and chairs were then provided for us to set up ourselves. The menu is pretty straightforward - beef and goat udder, tomato, and bread. The meat comes out raw on a big platter and on each table there is a little camping stove type contraption that is lit by some kind of waxy gasoline thing. You then cook your own meat as you please and create your own sandwiches (there are no plates so that is really the only option for eating your beef!!) while trying not to cause yourself any kind of horrific injury. Naked flames on rickety plastic tables and oil spitting all over the place provide a slight element of danger that you don't usually get at most other restaurants. The beef was pretty yummy, but not so much the goat udder. It was kinda chewy and tasteless. One of the Vietnamese girls however loved it, and after eating all the udder next to her stood up and loudly shouted down the table that she would like them to pass more boobs to her. Entertaining! There is no tab kept while eating so at the end of the meal we were all shifted out of the way while they counted up all the empty beer bottles and platters. It ended up being pretty cheap, only £3 or £4 per person and there was a LOT of food and beer.
Good stuff!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
I had a week off this past week and spent it here in Hanoi. Most days I didn't do a great deal but i did have some nice days with my friend Tuan who also has some time off right now. He is a tour guide in Hanoi and he asked me to visit the museums in Hanoi with and help him with some English. We met on Friday and Saturday and ticked the first 2 museums off the list. On Friday we met in the Old Quarter for lunch first - we ate Bun Cha and spring rolls. Yum yum yum!
After that we went to the history museum and had a nice couple of hours walking round the museum and looking at all the cool stuff in there - it was much more fun to go with someone else than to go by myself!
When we finished at the museum we went for some nep cam, which is sticky black rice with coconut milk, condensed milk and a little bit of yogurt.
mix it together
and enjoy.
Yesterday we went to Hoa Lo prison, aka the Hanoi Hilton then came back to my place for lunch. I've introduced Tuan to the delights of Campbell's soup with buttery toast so we enjoyed that! I've also given him an assortment of other foods he's never eaten before in the past few months like lasagne. He's also been a guinea pig for my baking adventures. I fed him cookies and cakes, and he also sampled some of the scones I cooked earlier in the week.
The scones were good! (recipe so I can find it again! ) I also attempted crumpets but they weren't quite as successful. They were a pain to cook and took forever to make. They tasted OK but not amazing so I don't think I'll bother with them again.
Finally, a pretty picture of the sunset seen from my apartment!
After that we went to the history museum and had a nice couple of hours walking round the museum and looking at all the cool stuff in there - it was much more fun to go with someone else than to go by myself!
When we finished at the museum we went for some nep cam, which is sticky black rice with coconut milk, condensed milk and a little bit of yogurt.
mix it together
and enjoy.
Yesterday we went to Hoa Lo prison, aka the Hanoi Hilton then came back to my place for lunch. I've introduced Tuan to the delights of Campbell's soup with buttery toast so we enjoyed that! I've also given him an assortment of other foods he's never eaten before in the past few months like lasagne. He's also been a guinea pig for my baking adventures. I fed him cookies and cakes, and he also sampled some of the scones I cooked earlier in the week.
The scones were good! (recipe so I can find it again! ) I also attempted crumpets but they weren't quite as successful. They were a pain to cook and took forever to make. They tasted OK but not amazing so I don't think I'll bother with them again.
Finally, a pretty picture of the sunset seen from my apartment!
Friday, 22 April 2011
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Finally I'm gonna tell you about Thailand!!!
I had to work til 6-8 on the day I went so I spent the day killing time by watching documentaries online, including a bunch about the war in Vietnam. Headed home after work to pick up my bag and then went out to the airport. Tuan had arranged a car to take me to the airport and he finished work in time to come along with me. I pestered him with a bunch of questions about life after the war as he grew up in the poor countryside after it ended so was pretty interesting to hear about a real experience. I'm now releasing my inner history geek by helping him to find out more about the war as he feels he has big gaps in his knowledge. Had quite a late flight to Bangkok and arrived at about 1am. Got a taxi to the fancy pants hotel and it didn't look like much from the road so I wondered if I was at the right hotel
but when you turn into the driveway you see the real hotel and feel a sense of relief that the taxi driver has actually brought you to the right place!!
Met the parents the next day and we got a water taxi along the canal to a shopping centre then after lunch we got back on the water taxi to the Golden mount. We walked up to the top
and then the heavens opened. We walked back down in the rain then tried to find a taxi to take us to the bus station to sort out a bus ticket for the next day. There weren't many available so we gave up and went back to the hotel by water taxi and went to sit by the pool for a bit. In the evening we went to the night market but it has now turned into crappy little stalls in patpong. The old night market by Lumpini Park has gone so it was a bit of a failure. Dad did manage to find a taxi driver to take us to Kanchanaburi tho so it wasn't a complete disaster. We went to Sukhumvit and went to a Mexican place or dinner. It took forever for the food to arrive so it was a bit of a letdown really!
The next day we had a nice big breakfast at the hotel then got the taxi to Kanchanaburi. When we arrived we checked into our nice hotel and sat by the river for a drink
We then walked to town to go to the museum about the war railway and to the war cemetery next to it. Later on in the day we walked up to the bridge on the Kwai. We walked across then had to wait for a train to cross before we could go back.
We had dinner at the floating restaurant by the bridge and then got a tuk tuk back to the hotel as it had started to rain. Went for a foot massage in the evening as I do like a foot massage when on holiday!
The next day went on a tour in the area. First stop was Erewan national park with its seven tiered waterfall.We got as far up as the 5th tier then went back down so dad could brave a swim in the waterfall with all the fish that love to nibble on on human skin!
We had lunch at the waterfall then went to Hellfire Pass, the cutting from the railway. Next up we went to Kra Se cave then took a short train ride along the death railway route. Once back in Kanchanaburi I had a dip in the pool
then we went for dinner at a British pub - bangers and mash!!!!! Had another foot massage after dinner.
The next morning we got a tuk tuk to the Jeath War Museum then went back into town to get a British breakfast with real bangers and bacon!! In the afternoon we went back to Bangkok by taxi and went to MBK plaza and had dinner in the food court.
We tried to go and see some of the sighs the next day but it wasn't that successful! We got the ferry along the river to the Grand Palace but it was closing soon so we didn't go in. We walked down to Wat Pho and saw the reclining Buddha
but it was pretty hot so we didn't really feel up to much more. We went to a nice restaurant by the river and has some really good food - I wasn't expecting this when I ordered a salad!
They also had a nice dessert of black sticky rice with coconut ice cream and mango - a fancier version of nep cam (black sticky rice, coconut milk, condensed milk) here in Vietnam that Tuan introduced me to. It sounds pretty horrible bit it tastes great!
We got a ferry back after lunch and went back to the hotel. I went to do some shopping in the afternoon, and then in the evening we went out for dinner on Sukhumvit. We tried to find a Lebanese place but gave up and went to a restaurant for some Thai food instead before going back to the hotel so the parents could pack.
The next day I got up early to go to the airport with them and see them off on their way back to the UK then I went back to the hotel and packed up. Moved further down Sukhumvit to a cheaper hotel then went up to the shopping centres and spent the rest of the day shopping! I shopped some more the following day too (I briefly thought about going to see some more of the sights but decided against it in the end as it was far too hot and we hadn't had much luck with our other attempts to go sightseeing!) and also went to the cinema for some Western indulgence.
Now I'm planning my next trip - Cambodia in June with Nina!!
I had to work til 6-8 on the day I went so I spent the day killing time by watching documentaries online, including a bunch about the war in Vietnam. Headed home after work to pick up my bag and then went out to the airport. Tuan had arranged a car to take me to the airport and he finished work in time to come along with me. I pestered him with a bunch of questions about life after the war as he grew up in the poor countryside after it ended so was pretty interesting to hear about a real experience. I'm now releasing my inner history geek by helping him to find out more about the war as he feels he has big gaps in his knowledge. Had quite a late flight to Bangkok and arrived at about 1am. Got a taxi to the fancy pants hotel and it didn't look like much from the road so I wondered if I was at the right hotel
but when you turn into the driveway you see the real hotel and feel a sense of relief that the taxi driver has actually brought you to the right place!!
Met the parents the next day and we got a water taxi along the canal to a shopping centre then after lunch we got back on the water taxi to the Golden mount. We walked up to the top
and then the heavens opened. We walked back down in the rain then tried to find a taxi to take us to the bus station to sort out a bus ticket for the next day. There weren't many available so we gave up and went back to the hotel by water taxi and went to sit by the pool for a bit. In the evening we went to the night market but it has now turned into crappy little stalls in patpong. The old night market by Lumpini Park has gone so it was a bit of a failure. Dad did manage to find a taxi driver to take us to Kanchanaburi tho so it wasn't a complete disaster. We went to Sukhumvit and went to a Mexican place or dinner. It took forever for the food to arrive so it was a bit of a letdown really!
The next day we had a nice big breakfast at the hotel then got the taxi to Kanchanaburi. When we arrived we checked into our nice hotel and sat by the river for a drink
We then walked to town to go to the museum about the war railway and to the war cemetery next to it. Later on in the day we walked up to the bridge on the Kwai. We walked across then had to wait for a train to cross before we could go back.
We had dinner at the floating restaurant by the bridge and then got a tuk tuk back to the hotel as it had started to rain. Went for a foot massage in the evening as I do like a foot massage when on holiday!
The next day went on a tour in the area. First stop was Erewan national park with its seven tiered waterfall.We got as far up as the 5th tier then went back down so dad could brave a swim in the waterfall with all the fish that love to nibble on on human skin!
We had lunch at the waterfall then went to Hellfire Pass, the cutting from the railway. Next up we went to Kra Se cave then took a short train ride along the death railway route. Once back in Kanchanaburi I had a dip in the pool
then we went for dinner at a British pub - bangers and mash!!!!! Had another foot massage after dinner.
The next morning we got a tuk tuk to the Jeath War Museum then went back into town to get a British breakfast with real bangers and bacon!! In the afternoon we went back to Bangkok by taxi and went to MBK plaza and had dinner in the food court.
We tried to go and see some of the sighs the next day but it wasn't that successful! We got the ferry along the river to the Grand Palace but it was closing soon so we didn't go in. We walked down to Wat Pho and saw the reclining Buddha
but it was pretty hot so we didn't really feel up to much more. We went to a nice restaurant by the river and has some really good food - I wasn't expecting this when I ordered a salad!
They also had a nice dessert of black sticky rice with coconut ice cream and mango - a fancier version of nep cam (black sticky rice, coconut milk, condensed milk) here in Vietnam that Tuan introduced me to. It sounds pretty horrible bit it tastes great!
We got a ferry back after lunch and went back to the hotel. I went to do some shopping in the afternoon, and then in the evening we went out for dinner on Sukhumvit. We tried to find a Lebanese place but gave up and went to a restaurant for some Thai food instead before going back to the hotel so the parents could pack.
The next day I got up early to go to the airport with them and see them off on their way back to the UK then I went back to the hotel and packed up. Moved further down Sukhumvit to a cheaper hotel then went up to the shopping centres and spent the rest of the day shopping! I shopped some more the following day too (I briefly thought about going to see some more of the sights but decided against it in the end as it was far too hot and we hadn't had much luck with our other attempts to go sightseeing!) and also went to the cinema for some Western indulgence.
Now I'm planning my next trip - Cambodia in June with Nina!!
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
Sunday, 27 March 2011
I am still alive :o)
Haven't done much that is exciting enough to write about on this thing! Just been going about day to day things. Possibly the most exciting thing is I have been cooking things in my little toaster oven. I got a cooked chicken from a deli and made roasties and stuffing to go with it, and I made cookies last week. Today I am attempting to make cakes. I don't have a cake tin to make them in so I have to use Alison's yorkshire pudding tin. Hope that the cake cases are OK for use in a bigger tin than a normal cake tin otherwise I could have a disaster on my hands!
On Friday I'm going to Bangkok to meet the parents. Have a couple of nights in a swanky hotel in the city, then we're going to Kanchanaburi for a couple of days. After that it's back to Bangkok for one more day there with the parents, then after they leave I have a couple of days there to get in some shopping. Plan to find Tescos and get cake tins and a mixing bowl - who knew such objects would be so hard to find here in Vietnam! Might see some of the sights with the parents, but once they're gone I imagine time will be spent in the shopping centres and restaurants of BKK. Looking forward to some good Thai food, and there is also a great Lebanese restaurant. Am gonna check out Chinatown and see if I can find Gong Bao Ji Ding - I ate it in China and it was ace but I've not been able to find it since so hopefully I can find it there. I'm excited about all the lovely food I get to eat next week!!!
Haven't done much that is exciting enough to write about on this thing! Just been going about day to day things. Possibly the most exciting thing is I have been cooking things in my little toaster oven. I got a cooked chicken from a deli and made roasties and stuffing to go with it, and I made cookies last week. Today I am attempting to make cakes. I don't have a cake tin to make them in so I have to use Alison's yorkshire pudding tin. Hope that the cake cases are OK for use in a bigger tin than a normal cake tin otherwise I could have a disaster on my hands!
On Friday I'm going to Bangkok to meet the parents. Have a couple of nights in a swanky hotel in the city, then we're going to Kanchanaburi for a couple of days. After that it's back to Bangkok for one more day there with the parents, then after they leave I have a couple of days there to get in some shopping. Plan to find Tescos and get cake tins and a mixing bowl - who knew such objects would be so hard to find here in Vietnam! Might see some of the sights with the parents, but once they're gone I imagine time will be spent in the shopping centres and restaurants of BKK. Looking forward to some good Thai food, and there is also a great Lebanese restaurant. Am gonna check out Chinatown and see if I can find Gong Bao Ji Ding - I ate it in China and it was ace but I've not been able to find it since so hopefully I can find it there. I'm excited about all the lovely food I get to eat next week!!!
Sunday, 6 March 2011
So yet again I'm rather lazy at actually writing on this thing! In my defence, I was doing a bunch of placement testing as well as teaching last week so was at work all day every day, but there is no excuse for the two weeks prior to that!
My pictures from Luang Prabang are here
I had a nice relaxing time there. It's a pretty small town in the middle of nowhere and as I've been there before i didn't feel like I had to rush around doing heaps of things. I did a fair bit of shopping (for a small town there are plenty of places to shop!) and ate lots of good food. Also sat in a lot of cafes in the town and by the river drinking cheap fruit shakes and had a foot massage every day! I did go to the temples in the centre of the town, and I also went to some museums - the Royal Museum and the Ethnology museum. Went to the top of the hill in the middle of town to watch the sun set one evening, and also saw lots of pretty things to buy in the night market. Managed to resist buying most of the things I wanted and I waited til the last night to do my shopping rather than buying everything on impulse which I though was rather restrained for me! I did go on the elephant/waterfall day trip again - it was the same one I did last time but it was good fun so I decided to do it again. This time I managed to climb all the way to the top of the waterfall!!! Was too lazy last time but this time I managed it and at the top you can take our shoes off and walk across the top of the waterfall. That was pretty cool! I also hired a bicycle and cycled out to some craft villages and temples outside the town. It was nice, but it was pretty hot for cycling. There was some nice scenery down by the river though. I went to a temple on the top of a hill on my back into the centre and felt rather unfit having to get off my bike and push it up the hill but I felt a bit better when I saw the locals who cycle everywhere also having to do that!! It was a nice break from Hanoi - there are no motorbike horns!!! It's a great place to go and relax, plus it was much warmer than in Hanoi so that was nice.
My pictures from Luang Prabang are here
I had a nice relaxing time there. It's a pretty small town in the middle of nowhere and as I've been there before i didn't feel like I had to rush around doing heaps of things. I did a fair bit of shopping (for a small town there are plenty of places to shop!) and ate lots of good food. Also sat in a lot of cafes in the town and by the river drinking cheap fruit shakes and had a foot massage every day! I did go to the temples in the centre of the town, and I also went to some museums - the Royal Museum and the Ethnology museum. Went to the top of the hill in the middle of town to watch the sun set one evening, and also saw lots of pretty things to buy in the night market. Managed to resist buying most of the things I wanted and I waited til the last night to do my shopping rather than buying everything on impulse which I though was rather restrained for me! I did go on the elephant/waterfall day trip again - it was the same one I did last time but it was good fun so I decided to do it again. This time I managed to climb all the way to the top of the waterfall!!! Was too lazy last time but this time I managed it and at the top you can take our shoes off and walk across the top of the waterfall. That was pretty cool! I also hired a bicycle and cycled out to some craft villages and temples outside the town. It was nice, but it was pretty hot for cycling. There was some nice scenery down by the river though. I went to a temple on the top of a hill on my back into the centre and felt rather unfit having to get off my bike and push it up the hill but I felt a bit better when I saw the locals who cycle everywhere also having to do that!! It was a nice break from Hanoi - there are no motorbike horns!!! It's a great place to go and relax, plus it was much warmer than in Hanoi so that was nice.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Another update in less than a week! Having time off work means I actually do things!
So, Friday was the day I went on my last trek around the city that I wrote about and then in the evening it was Alison and Calder's farewell drinks thing at Derry's. Lots of people came and it was fun, and best of all it only took me a minute to walk home after the police closed the party down at midnight!
The next day I met Alison and Calder at Hanoi tower for lunch and a haircut, and then the following day was their last day in the country. I went to collect some bits and pieces from them and then later in the day they bought round things they hadn't had time to get rid of for me to post on to them after Tet madness has passed. In the evening we went to Derry's for dinner and Lyle joined us. After dinner we walked down to the Sofitel for an expensive drink
then went back to Derry's for something more affordable.
On Monday i went round to Alison and Calder's place at 5.30 in the morning to help them get the last of their stuff down the 5 flights of stairs and say goodbye to them :o( After a few more hours sleep in the morning I then ventured into the Old Quarter to return Alison's bike (another thing she had no time for due to the mental traffic) and walked home through the crazy. I decided to head out again on Tuesday when I was in a slightly better mood and see what was going on. Went back up towards the flower market as it's close to the places I go to shop for food and it was rather busy with people buying all the things they need for Tet and then cluttering up the road while waiting for a taxi (there weren't many passing) or bus to take them home. There were also cars randomly parked at the side of the street causing traffic to move even slower than usual. I'm glad I was walking and not trying to get my bike through all that mayhem!
From there I walked down to the Old Quarter to see what was happening there. I went to Hang Ma which is where all the Tet shops are and walked down to see all the things that were for sale. For some reason there had been no decision to close off the street to traffic so there were cars and bikes trying to squeeze along between all the stuff that was for sale at the edge of the road and all the people walking along the street. That kinda ruined the atmosphere a bit!
The street ended by Dong Xuan market where there was the usual mayhem X 10
From there it was a pretty short walk back to my place, and on the way I passed this night light stall by the side of the street. I though that was pretty neat!
Yesterday was New Year's Eve (if you operate on the lunar calendar) so i spent the day at home to avoid to streets, but in the evening I decided to head out and see what was happening by the lake at midnight. The streets were quite busy getting there and it was pretty rammed by the lake, but I found a spot to stand at and watch the midnight fireworks. They weren't exactly up to the standard of those in places like Sydney and London but as their last attempts at fireworks for the Thang Long celebrations ended in deadly disaster at My Dinh stadium I guess the ones last night were a success!
Headed home after that and on the way back saw people setting things up on the street and burning their offerings for assorted Gods and ancestors.
Today was supposed to be quieter than usual as most people are either staying home or visiting family and friends so I went to the Old Quarter to go get lunch at my favourite cafe. The streets were quieter, I think partly because not much was open so there was no stuff spilling out onto the street. People were out visiting so they were all rather smartly dressed but were getting from place to place in a rather orderly way so it wasn't too bad to get around. After lunch I went to Long Bien bridge and walked part way across to the island in the middle of the river. There are some stairs down so I headed down and walked along the path there for a bit. It's a pretty poor place, and it's mainly farming on the island. It was nice and quiet thought, and I even saw butterflies!!
I also witnessed this guy - he spent ages balanced on his head!
I updated the album with more pictures from the past few days
This evening was supposed to be spent packing ready for my trip to Laos but so far I've not actually achieved anything much! Not going to the airport til 3 tomorrow though so I guess I have time then to pack.
I also realised I didn't describe the moving process in my last post - it's very different to any other time I've moved!. I enlisted Tuan's help as I don't think I could have pulled it off by myself. He came to my place and we got all my stuff piled up in the lounge, then he set to trying to arrange a truck to move it. Unfortunately they were either fully booked or reluctant to come out so close to the truck curfew (they're not allowed in certain parts of the city in rush hour). We didn't want to wait til 8 for one to be free so chose instead to get a big taxi. Tuan called then we waited and waited and waited and waited, then finally after about an hour a taxi came to the end of the lane. Tuan went to try and convince the driver to come part way down the lane but he didn't want to as it was busy so he told the driver to wait while we moved my stuff down the lane to the road. He came back with a cyclo driver and we piled all my stuff on to the seat then the guy pulled it down to the main road. Got there to find the taxi had buggered off so we called another one and waited and waited some more. We also tried a few other taxi companies but nothing was available as it was rush hour and all the ones driving past were full so in the end Tuan negotiated for the cyclo driver to take my stuff all the way to my new place. All my stuff was rearranged on the cyclo and tied down to make it more secure then the guy set of cycling to Truc Bach. Tuan drove my bike behind him and I sat on the back with various bags hanging from my hands and we slowly made our way there. Once outside my new place I was instructed to wait outside and watch my stuff while Tuan and the cyclo boy carted all my stuff up 2 flights of stairs to my apartment. It was certainly different! That weekend I also used Tuan to help me get some furniture for my place. There are lots of expensive ex-pat furniture places around town, but close to the gym in furniture street which has heaps of stuff available and is much cheaper. Only catch is unlike the ex-pat furniture shops there is not much English and no fixed prices so Tuan came to negotiate and arrange delivery - a bookshelf and a dressing table arrived soon after at my place strapped to the back of a motorbike. It required a bit more effort than it would back home to move but it all worked out well in the end.
So, Friday was the day I went on my last trek around the city that I wrote about and then in the evening it was Alison and Calder's farewell drinks thing at Derry's. Lots of people came and it was fun, and best of all it only took me a minute to walk home after the police closed the party down at midnight!
The next day I met Alison and Calder at Hanoi tower for lunch and a haircut, and then the following day was their last day in the country. I went to collect some bits and pieces from them and then later in the day they bought round things they hadn't had time to get rid of for me to post on to them after Tet madness has passed. In the evening we went to Derry's for dinner and Lyle joined us. After dinner we walked down to the Sofitel for an expensive drink
then went back to Derry's for something more affordable.
On Monday i went round to Alison and Calder's place at 5.30 in the morning to help them get the last of their stuff down the 5 flights of stairs and say goodbye to them :o( After a few more hours sleep in the morning I then ventured into the Old Quarter to return Alison's bike (another thing she had no time for due to the mental traffic) and walked home through the crazy. I decided to head out again on Tuesday when I was in a slightly better mood and see what was going on. Went back up towards the flower market as it's close to the places I go to shop for food and it was rather busy with people buying all the things they need for Tet and then cluttering up the road while waiting for a taxi (there weren't many passing) or bus to take them home. There were also cars randomly parked at the side of the street causing traffic to move even slower than usual. I'm glad I was walking and not trying to get my bike through all that mayhem!
From there I walked down to the Old Quarter to see what was happening there. I went to Hang Ma which is where all the Tet shops are and walked down to see all the things that were for sale. For some reason there had been no decision to close off the street to traffic so there were cars and bikes trying to squeeze along between all the stuff that was for sale at the edge of the road and all the people walking along the street. That kinda ruined the atmosphere a bit!
The street ended by Dong Xuan market where there was the usual mayhem X 10
From there it was a pretty short walk back to my place, and on the way I passed this night light stall by the side of the street. I though that was pretty neat!
Yesterday was New Year's Eve (if you operate on the lunar calendar) so i spent the day at home to avoid to streets, but in the evening I decided to head out and see what was happening by the lake at midnight. The streets were quite busy getting there and it was pretty rammed by the lake, but I found a spot to stand at and watch the midnight fireworks. They weren't exactly up to the standard of those in places like Sydney and London but as their last attempts at fireworks for the Thang Long celebrations ended in deadly disaster at My Dinh stadium I guess the ones last night were a success!
Headed home after that and on the way back saw people setting things up on the street and burning their offerings for assorted Gods and ancestors.
Today was supposed to be quieter than usual as most people are either staying home or visiting family and friends so I went to the Old Quarter to go get lunch at my favourite cafe. The streets were quieter, I think partly because not much was open so there was no stuff spilling out onto the street. People were out visiting so they were all rather smartly dressed but were getting from place to place in a rather orderly way so it wasn't too bad to get around. After lunch I went to Long Bien bridge and walked part way across to the island in the middle of the river. There are some stairs down so I headed down and walked along the path there for a bit. It's a pretty poor place, and it's mainly farming on the island. It was nice and quiet thought, and I even saw butterflies!!
I also witnessed this guy - he spent ages balanced on his head!
I updated the album with more pictures from the past few days
This evening was supposed to be spent packing ready for my trip to Laos but so far I've not actually achieved anything much! Not going to the airport til 3 tomorrow though so I guess I have time then to pack.
I also realised I didn't describe the moving process in my last post - it's very different to any other time I've moved!. I enlisted Tuan's help as I don't think I could have pulled it off by myself. He came to my place and we got all my stuff piled up in the lounge, then he set to trying to arrange a truck to move it. Unfortunately they were either fully booked or reluctant to come out so close to the truck curfew (they're not allowed in certain parts of the city in rush hour). We didn't want to wait til 8 for one to be free so chose instead to get a big taxi. Tuan called then we waited and waited and waited and waited, then finally after about an hour a taxi came to the end of the lane. Tuan went to try and convince the driver to come part way down the lane but he didn't want to as it was busy so he told the driver to wait while we moved my stuff down the lane to the road. He came back with a cyclo driver and we piled all my stuff on to the seat then the guy pulled it down to the main road. Got there to find the taxi had buggered off so we called another one and waited and waited some more. We also tried a few other taxi companies but nothing was available as it was rush hour and all the ones driving past were full so in the end Tuan negotiated for the cyclo driver to take my stuff all the way to my new place. All my stuff was rearranged on the cyclo and tied down to make it more secure then the guy set of cycling to Truc Bach. Tuan drove my bike behind him and I sat on the back with various bags hanging from my hands and we slowly made our way there. Once outside my new place I was instructed to wait outside and watch my stuff while Tuan and the cyclo boy carted all my stuff up 2 flights of stairs to my apartment. It was certainly different! That weekend I also used Tuan to help me get some furniture for my place. There are lots of expensive ex-pat furniture places around town, but close to the gym in furniture street which has heaps of stuff available and is much cheaper. Only catch is unlike the ex-pat furniture shops there is not much English and no fixed prices so Tuan came to negotiate and arrange delivery - a bookshelf and a dressing table arrived soon after at my place strapped to the back of a motorbike. It required a bit more effort than it would back home to move but it all worked out well in the end.
Friday, 28 January 2011
Finally a real update! Despite only working a 3 day week this term I've been pretty busy. I had to move as my landlady decided to sell the house I was living and I decided to give apartment living a shot. It's more expensive than renting a room in a shared house, but it's actually quite nice to have my own space so I think it's worth it. Plus I get this view, though right now the weather isn't great so it rarely looks like this. -
I'm about the same distance to work, but I'm closer to West Lake and I seem to be closer to the Old Quarter. I live in Truc Bach now and it seems to be tacked onto the end of the OQ so it appears to be easier to get to places in the OQ than before, but that might just be because Doi Can was such a horrible road to drive down. I decided to walk into the OQ last Saturday evening to stock up on DVDs ready for the crazy people avoidance/city shutdown that happens at this time of year (next week is Tet and right now the city is MENTAL! It's only gonna get worse too :o/) There are lots of lights up around Hoan Kiem Lake and the temple is all decked out.
Tet seems to be sponsored by Tiger this year - past years have been Heineken!
I've spent the past couple of days checking out the neighbourhood and getting things sorted, and I also spent an hour in the bookshop yesterday. It's now just a couple of minutes walk from my house! Dangerous... I'm now much closer to bus routes (there was only ever 1 bus going along Doi Can and it went in a direction I would never want to go in!) so I've found it easier to get places without my motorbike, which is good at this time of year as people are preparing for Tet and clogging up the streets all hours of the day and night.
This is now a common sight in Hanoi! Usually most people have just one tree on their bike but anywere you go in this city right now there are bikes with kumquat trees swaying wildly on the back!
Today I decided to get the bus to West Lake and check out the flower market and the places people go for Tet trees. I encountered this broom saleswoman on my way to the bus stop (I don't know why it amused me so much!)
Once at the flower market I walked down one of the lanes next to it, just to see where it went. Passed the local fruit shop
then the lane opened up and was surrounded by fields where people were growing and selling flowers and kumquat trees for Tet. I walked down the tracks and through a local village towards the river. I guess after Tet these people grow other things, as it was a pretty poor place without much decent housing but right now it seems to be all about kumquat trees.
The river seems to be pretty low right now so I wonder what the people who rely on it to make a living are doing right now to earn money?
Followed the river for a bit, then turned back to go to the main road. Headed to the chippy for lunch (oh, yes, a chippy has opened up in Hanoi!! It's not quite the same quality as those back home but it ain't bad! It also has a view over West Lake)
Finished up walking to the flower market where I bought some pretty flowers.
People have been asking for photos of my apartment - here it is!
Here are some more pics of Hanoi getting ready for Tet
I'm about the same distance to work, but I'm closer to West Lake and I seem to be closer to the Old Quarter. I live in Truc Bach now and it seems to be tacked onto the end of the OQ so it appears to be easier to get to places in the OQ than before, but that might just be because Doi Can was such a horrible road to drive down. I decided to walk into the OQ last Saturday evening to stock up on DVDs ready for the crazy people avoidance/city shutdown that happens at this time of year (next week is Tet and right now the city is MENTAL! It's only gonna get worse too :o/) There are lots of lights up around Hoan Kiem Lake and the temple is all decked out.
Tet seems to be sponsored by Tiger this year - past years have been Heineken!
I've spent the past couple of days checking out the neighbourhood and getting things sorted, and I also spent an hour in the bookshop yesterday. It's now just a couple of minutes walk from my house! Dangerous... I'm now much closer to bus routes (there was only ever 1 bus going along Doi Can and it went in a direction I would never want to go in!) so I've found it easier to get places without my motorbike, which is good at this time of year as people are preparing for Tet and clogging up the streets all hours of the day and night.
This is now a common sight in Hanoi! Usually most people have just one tree on their bike but anywere you go in this city right now there are bikes with kumquat trees swaying wildly on the back!
Today I decided to get the bus to West Lake and check out the flower market and the places people go for Tet trees. I encountered this broom saleswoman on my way to the bus stop (I don't know why it amused me so much!)
Once at the flower market I walked down one of the lanes next to it, just to see where it went. Passed the local fruit shop
then the lane opened up and was surrounded by fields where people were growing and selling flowers and kumquat trees for Tet. I walked down the tracks and through a local village towards the river. I guess after Tet these people grow other things, as it was a pretty poor place without much decent housing but right now it seems to be all about kumquat trees.
The river seems to be pretty low right now so I wonder what the people who rely on it to make a living are doing right now to earn money?
Followed the river for a bit, then turned back to go to the main road. Headed to the chippy for lunch (oh, yes, a chippy has opened up in Hanoi!! It's not quite the same quality as those back home but it ain't bad! It also has a view over West Lake)
Finished up walking to the flower market where I bought some pretty flowers.
People have been asking for photos of my apartment - here it is!
Here are some more pics of Hanoi getting ready for Tet
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