18 March 2009
Asia Trip Photos and Videos
I've now posted an album of photos from my trip to Vietnam and China over here, on Flickr. I also made a couple of short videos that are now up on my YouTube page. They include riding the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, at night, and turtles for sale in the Goldfish Market.
08 March 2009
Kitchen Reno Update - Week Nine
Despite my absence these last two weeks, some work has continued on the kitchen - the photo diary has been updated accordingly. The window guys came back to finish their job, installing frames and sills inside and repairing the frames and siding outside. The electrician also returned, and installed all the potlights. We now have working lights in the kitchen, for the first time since mid-January. He also installed the new double oven (yay!) and started putting in the two ceiling pendant lights.
This coming week is going to be pivotal. Crucially, our quartz countertops are being installed tomorrow (it took three weeks to fabricate them). Once the counters are in, the last of the work can proceed. I hope we'll have the plumber in on Tuesday, to install and connect the sink, tap and dishwasher. Then the electricians can return to finish their work, wiring in the dishwasher and cooktop and finishing the pendants and undercabinet lighting.
With a little luck, by next weekend I may have a functioning kitchen that I can move back into, and in which I can start cooking!
This coming week is going to be pivotal. Crucially, our quartz countertops are being installed tomorrow (it took three weeks to fabricate them). Once the counters are in, the last of the work can proceed. I hope we'll have the plumber in on Tuesday, to install and connect the sink, tap and dishwasher. Then the electricians can return to finish their work, wiring in the dishwasher and cooktop and finishing the pendants and undercabinet lighting.
With a little luck, by next weekend I may have a functioning kitchen that I can move back into, and in which I can start cooking!
04 March 2009
Going Home
I'm in Hong Kong Airport, waiting for boarding to begin for my Air Canada flight back to Toronto. This has been a really great trip - definitely my best Asia trip so far, which is fitting since for all I know, it may also be my last!
I really enjoyed other trips here, but the foreignness of the places I visited really struck me, and I found myself quite happy to return home and to a degree of familiarity. That was much less the case, on this trip. For instance, over the past couple weeks I've really taken to the food here, and as time passed I haven't developed such strong cravings for Western food. That said, I still treated myself to the huuuuuge buffet breakfast at the Y this morning, because it's so fantastic and I knew it would keep me satisfied until I get fed on the plane later this afternoon. But even then, I had an omelette and bacon and English muffins, but also Chinese pork dumplings and steamed buns. All were super-tasty.
Highlights of my visit were definitely Hoi An and Macau. I won't be forgetting those places anytime soon. But really, it was all good - and I've been incredibly lucky to have been able to spend so much time here. I'm aiming to spend at least one or two of the upcoming 16 hours on the plane sorting through my pics and videos, so I can get those posted as soon as I can.
I get back after midnight tonight (Wednesday, Halifax time), and needless to say am taking Thursday off work to rest and recover. Not quite sure why I thought going back to work on a Friday was a good idea, but there you are. ;-) I'll be on my own until the end of the weekend too, as A. is now down in Virginia with the army, on some sort of winter warrior exercise.
No rest for the wicked though - next week we'll be hard at it in the kitchen again, as the countertops are due to be installed! Back to my old life!
I really enjoyed other trips here, but the foreignness of the places I visited really struck me, and I found myself quite happy to return home and to a degree of familiarity. That was much less the case, on this trip. For instance, over the past couple weeks I've really taken to the food here, and as time passed I haven't developed such strong cravings for Western food. That said, I still treated myself to the huuuuuge buffet breakfast at the Y this morning, because it's so fantastic and I knew it would keep me satisfied until I get fed on the plane later this afternoon. But even then, I had an omelette and bacon and English muffins, but also Chinese pork dumplings and steamed buns. All were super-tasty.
Highlights of my visit were definitely Hoi An and Macau. I won't be forgetting those places anytime soon. But really, it was all good - and I've been incredibly lucky to have been able to spend so much time here. I'm aiming to spend at least one or two of the upcoming 16 hours on the plane sorting through my pics and videos, so I can get those posted as soon as I can.
I get back after midnight tonight (Wednesday, Halifax time), and needless to say am taking Thursday off work to rest and recover. Not quite sure why I thought going back to work on a Friday was a good idea, but there you are. ;-) I'll be on my own until the end of the weekend too, as A. is now down in Virginia with the army, on some sort of winter warrior exercise.
No rest for the wicked though - next week we'll be hard at it in the kitchen again, as the countertops are due to be installed! Back to my old life!
03 March 2009
To Macau
I'm so glad I decided to make the trip to Macau today - I had a great day, and enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.
Macau is largely known for its casinos (it's the only place in China where gambling is legal - and business at the casinos has taken a huge hit since the world economy tanked). It's a pity, because there is so much more to the island than that. I enjoyed it mainly for its atmosphere, which is totally different to that of Hong Kong. While HK is young, brash, loud, edgy and very modern, the historic centre of Macau is more refined and very charming. The Portuguese settled there in the early 16th century and its glory days as a centre of pan-Asian trade came in the 17th century - as Portugal's imperial fortunes began to fade and Britain's began to rise.
I got the 9.30 am catamaran ferry from Kowloon to Macau, and by the time I crossed, got through immigration (you need a passport to travel between HK and Macau, strangely enough) and hopped a bus to the city centre, it was 11 am. Luckily, the historic areas are very easy to get around. When central Macau was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, a walking trail was established with a network of signposts around the town, so it's easy to find places of interest and not get lost.
My first stop was the fantastic Largo do Senado (Senate Square), the main city square which looks like it's been transplanted directly from a Mediterranean country. It's beautifully cobbled, has a central fountain, and is ringed with typical 18th-century Portuguese colonial buildings, built in baroque and neoclassical styles and painted in various pastel colours with wonderful stucco detailing. I went wild taking photos...then realised that my camera's battery was just about to die. Argh! (So unfortunately I haven't any pics of the rest of my day.)
Afterwards, I visited more landmarks, including the church of Sao Domingos, the ruins of the Sao Paulo church (of which only the facade remains, at the summit of a long flight of stone steps - very dramatic and the remains are well-preserved), and various other public buildings including a theatre, a seminary and a beautiful library housed in a colonial building with a modern extension made of glass. Not wanting to neglect Macau's Chinese heritage (the population of the island is 95% Chinese, after all), I also took a spin around the A-Ma Temple, the oldest religious site on the island (14th c.) and dedicated to a local goddess believed to protect seafarers.
At lunchtime, I stopped in a great little Portuguese bakery/cafe/resto tucked in behind the Sao Domingo church called Ou Mun Cafe. Earlier in the day, I noted that there seemed to be very few Europeans around - but obviously this was because they were all at Ou Mun. The resto was pretty packed and from the hum of conversation around me, the clientele were largely chic Portuguese expats. At least that boded well for my lunch - I had the set menu of spinach soup, followed by stewed lamb with potatoes and salad, and for dessert the famous local specialty of egg-custard tarts (I scoffed several throughout the day, in fact, cos they were just so damn tasty).
After lunch, I decided to take in the Museu de Macau, which opened just a few years ago and is really excellent. I spent so much time there, in fact, that I ended up having to rush back in a taxi to the marine terminal, in order to catch the 5.30 boat back. But it was a wonderful day. It's interesting how evocative old Macau is of southern Europe. I've never been to Portugal, but I've been to Italy several times, and it reminded me of towns I've visited there, with its little winding streets, hidden squares, and wedding-cake architecture. Such a fun and refreshing contrast to Hong Kong!
Speaking of which, this is my last night in the city....
Macau is largely known for its casinos (it's the only place in China where gambling is legal - and business at the casinos has taken a huge hit since the world economy tanked). It's a pity, because there is so much more to the island than that. I enjoyed it mainly for its atmosphere, which is totally different to that of Hong Kong. While HK is young, brash, loud, edgy and very modern, the historic centre of Macau is more refined and very charming. The Portuguese settled there in the early 16th century and its glory days as a centre of pan-Asian trade came in the 17th century - as Portugal's imperial fortunes began to fade and Britain's began to rise.
I got the 9.30 am catamaran ferry from Kowloon to Macau, and by the time I crossed, got through immigration (you need a passport to travel between HK and Macau, strangely enough) and hopped a bus to the city centre, it was 11 am. Luckily, the historic areas are very easy to get around. When central Macau was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, a walking trail was established with a network of signposts around the town, so it's easy to find places of interest and not get lost.
My first stop was the fantastic Largo do Senado (Senate Square), the main city square which looks like it's been transplanted directly from a Mediterranean country. It's beautifully cobbled, has a central fountain, and is ringed with typical 18th-century Portuguese colonial buildings, built in baroque and neoclassical styles and painted in various pastel colours with wonderful stucco detailing. I went wild taking photos...then realised that my camera's battery was just about to die. Argh! (So unfortunately I haven't any pics of the rest of my day.)
Afterwards, I visited more landmarks, including the church of Sao Domingos, the ruins of the Sao Paulo church (of which only the facade remains, at the summit of a long flight of stone steps - very dramatic and the remains are well-preserved), and various other public buildings including a theatre, a seminary and a beautiful library housed in a colonial building with a modern extension made of glass. Not wanting to neglect Macau's Chinese heritage (the population of the island is 95% Chinese, after all), I also took a spin around the A-Ma Temple, the oldest religious site on the island (14th c.) and dedicated to a local goddess believed to protect seafarers.
At lunchtime, I stopped in a great little Portuguese bakery/cafe/resto tucked in behind the Sao Domingo church called Ou Mun Cafe. Earlier in the day, I noted that there seemed to be very few Europeans around - but obviously this was because they were all at Ou Mun. The resto was pretty packed and from the hum of conversation around me, the clientele were largely chic Portuguese expats. At least that boded well for my lunch - I had the set menu of spinach soup, followed by stewed lamb with potatoes and salad, and for dessert the famous local specialty of egg-custard tarts (I scoffed several throughout the day, in fact, cos they were just so damn tasty).
After lunch, I decided to take in the Museu de Macau, which opened just a few years ago and is really excellent. I spent so much time there, in fact, that I ended up having to rush back in a taxi to the marine terminal, in order to catch the 5.30 boat back. But it was a wonderful day. It's interesting how evocative old Macau is of southern Europe. I've never been to Portugal, but I've been to Italy several times, and it reminded me of towns I've visited there, with its little winding streets, hidden squares, and wedding-cake architecture. Such a fun and refreshing contrast to Hong Kong!
Speaking of which, this is my last night in the city....
02 March 2009
Goldfish and Turtles and Tea at the Pen
This morning, I waited until 9am to venture outside, once rush hour was over. After a quick Western breakfast (hooray for Delifrance!), I jumped on the MTR (subway) to Prince Edward station, in the north of Kowloon. I spent much of the morning wandering the streets there (Fa Yuen and Tung Choi mostly), checking out the stalls of the Ladies' Market. But other than a few doodads and a handbag, I didn't buy much. Compared to what I saw in Hoi An, the clothes seemed a bit ordinary, not to mention expensive (and the lack of fitting rooms was a problem too!).
Much more rewarding was my stroll through the Goldfish Market, where I took loads of snaps and made a few videos too. It's not strictly a market, but rather a street lined with shops selling all manner of critters. True to its name, most were aquaria selling many varieties of fish, and quite a few turtles of every shape and size. There were also other amphibians, including frogs and salamanders, and even a few shops selling puppies and small furries (rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and hamsters). There were two specialist rabbit shops on the street, only one of which was open - but it had the sweetest and friendliest little lop-eared bun who came hopping over when I approached its cage and sat up to be petted (a bit like my Timmy at home, in that respect!). Only after I'd been stroking it for a few minutes did I see the sign on its cage saying "please do not touch" in Cantonese and English. Oops.
Despite all this, I found the market a little bit troubling given the conditions I witnessed. Most shops had what looked to be pretty clean tanks for the fish and turtles, but some did not (and the fish didn't look too good). Plus, in all cases, the tanks were hugely overstocked (as the photos I took will show - I'll be posting those in due course). Surely packing fish into tanks and displaying them in little plastic bags for hours, days (or maybe even weeks?) on end can't be very healthy?
I got back to the Y around lunchtime, and then around 1.30 I headed next door to try to have tea at the Peninsula Hotel - an archetypal and very traditional Honkers experience, according to my mother-in-law. As I mentioned previously, I've read that afternoon tea at the Pen can be a bit sketchy these days, with hordes of tourists in ball caps and shorts pouring in off the cruise ships (and indeed, my friend PD told me that during her stay there a number of years ago, people began queuing at noontime for tables). I was prepared to wait up to a half-hour or so, given that they begin serving tea at 2pm. But to my surprise, when I arrived the lobby was largely empty and I was shown to a table and seated immediately.
The tea on offer was only partially traditional. The full monty consisted of: "Finger sandwiches, savory flaky pastry [i.e. a very posh sausage roll], quiche, mini French pastry, fruit tart, traditional [lemon] tea cake, Vahlrona ganache chocolate tartlet, premium Peninsula truffles, light tiramisu with green tea and crunchy hazelnut macaroon, fresh-baked raisin scones, Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve, and choice of tea [I plumped for the Peninsula Afternoon blend]." And the price? Afternoon tea at a good hotel is never cheap, of course. At the Pen it's HK$268 for one person, or HK$398 for two, plus 10% service charge. So for me, the damage was almost $50 - certainly hair-raising, but not as expensive as tea at the Ritz in London, for instance.
Despite the unorthodox elements (quiche? tiramisu?!) the food was mostly quite good - particularly the sandwiches and both the sweet and savoury pastries (people here are very big on their sweeties - there seems to be a patisserie on every street corner). But the scones were lacking - they seemed a bit heavy and somehow not very fresh - which I reckon is a problem, as they are one of the centrepieces of the whole meal. However, they did at least serve as a vehicle for the clotted cream, which I haven't had for a number of years and which was good.
Of greater concern, however, was the standard of service. It was nowhere near as attentive as it ought to have been. Partway through my meal, I began to wonder if - as a single diner - I was somehow invisible to the wait staff. It wasn't until the end of my meal, nearly two hours after I first sat down, that anyone asked me if everything was satisfactory. Earlier, I had to ask for more hot water as none had been forthcoming, and it took a good ten minutes to get the attention of a waiter. And when I got the bill and handed over my credit card, I sat reading my newspaper and waiting for over twenty minutes, with no card slip in sight - I had to flag down another waiter and ask for my card back!
So while I generally enjoyed the experience, it was a bit peculiar, and not quite what I was expecting. When one is in the swankiest hotel in town, and paying quite a lot of money to have afternoon tea, the food should be uniformly excellent and the service faultless, in my opinion. I certainly wouldn't rush to go back there, if I'm ever lucky enough to be in Hong Kong again.
The rest of my day has been spent just wandering the streets. I love walking around in this city, especially in the early evening - the lights and the crowds are a real buzz. And it seems like every few paces there's some wacky little shop, selling things you've never seen before. I spent about an hour in a large branch of the wonderful SaSa (a chain of cosmetics and skincare emporia) just staring at all the products on offer and picking up some more odds and ends for myself. I spent loads of time in drugstores on my last trip here, so you'd think there would be nothing left to see - but you'd be wrong!
Time now to head over the road to Starbucks and go online for a bit. Macau tomorrow - I hope that the forecasted risk of showers doesn't materialise!
Much more rewarding was my stroll through the Goldfish Market, where I took loads of snaps and made a few videos too. It's not strictly a market, but rather a street lined with shops selling all manner of critters. True to its name, most were aquaria selling many varieties of fish, and quite a few turtles of every shape and size. There were also other amphibians, including frogs and salamanders, and even a few shops selling puppies and small furries (rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and hamsters). There were two specialist rabbit shops on the street, only one of which was open - but it had the sweetest and friendliest little lop-eared bun who came hopping over when I approached its cage and sat up to be petted (a bit like my Timmy at home, in that respect!). Only after I'd been stroking it for a few minutes did I see the sign on its cage saying "please do not touch" in Cantonese and English. Oops.
Despite all this, I found the market a little bit troubling given the conditions I witnessed. Most shops had what looked to be pretty clean tanks for the fish and turtles, but some did not (and the fish didn't look too good). Plus, in all cases, the tanks were hugely overstocked (as the photos I took will show - I'll be posting those in due course). Surely packing fish into tanks and displaying them in little plastic bags for hours, days (or maybe even weeks?) on end can't be very healthy?
I got back to the Y around lunchtime, and then around 1.30 I headed next door to try to have tea at the Peninsula Hotel - an archetypal and very traditional Honkers experience, according to my mother-in-law. As I mentioned previously, I've read that afternoon tea at the Pen can be a bit sketchy these days, with hordes of tourists in ball caps and shorts pouring in off the cruise ships (and indeed, my friend PD told me that during her stay there a number of years ago, people began queuing at noontime for tables). I was prepared to wait up to a half-hour or so, given that they begin serving tea at 2pm. But to my surprise, when I arrived the lobby was largely empty and I was shown to a table and seated immediately.
The tea on offer was only partially traditional. The full monty consisted of: "Finger sandwiches, savory flaky pastry [i.e. a very posh sausage roll], quiche, mini French pastry, fruit tart, traditional [lemon] tea cake, Vahlrona ganache chocolate tartlet, premium Peninsula truffles, light tiramisu with green tea and crunchy hazelnut macaroon, fresh-baked raisin scones, Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve, and choice of tea [I plumped for the Peninsula Afternoon blend]." And the price? Afternoon tea at a good hotel is never cheap, of course. At the Pen it's HK$268 for one person, or HK$398 for two, plus 10% service charge. So for me, the damage was almost $50 - certainly hair-raising, but not as expensive as tea at the Ritz in London, for instance.
Despite the unorthodox elements (quiche? tiramisu?!) the food was mostly quite good - particularly the sandwiches and both the sweet and savoury pastries (people here are very big on their sweeties - there seems to be a patisserie on every street corner). But the scones were lacking - they seemed a bit heavy and somehow not very fresh - which I reckon is a problem, as they are one of the centrepieces of the whole meal. However, they did at least serve as a vehicle for the clotted cream, which I haven't had for a number of years and which was good.
Of greater concern, however, was the standard of service. It was nowhere near as attentive as it ought to have been. Partway through my meal, I began to wonder if - as a single diner - I was somehow invisible to the wait staff. It wasn't until the end of my meal, nearly two hours after I first sat down, that anyone asked me if everything was satisfactory. Earlier, I had to ask for more hot water as none had been forthcoming, and it took a good ten minutes to get the attention of a waiter. And when I got the bill and handed over my credit card, I sat reading my newspaper and waiting for over twenty minutes, with no card slip in sight - I had to flag down another waiter and ask for my card back!
So while I generally enjoyed the experience, it was a bit peculiar, and not quite what I was expecting. When one is in the swankiest hotel in town, and paying quite a lot of money to have afternoon tea, the food should be uniformly excellent and the service faultless, in my opinion. I certainly wouldn't rush to go back there, if I'm ever lucky enough to be in Hong Kong again.
The rest of my day has been spent just wandering the streets. I love walking around in this city, especially in the early evening - the lights and the crowds are a real buzz. And it seems like every few paces there's some wacky little shop, selling things you've never seen before. I spent about an hour in a large branch of the wonderful SaSa (a chain of cosmetics and skincare emporia) just staring at all the products on offer and picking up some more odds and ends for myself. I spent loads of time in drugstores on my last trip here, so you'd think there would be nothing left to see - but you'd be wrong!
Time now to head over the road to Starbucks and go online for a bit. Macau tomorrow - I hope that the forecasted risk of showers doesn't materialise!
01 March 2009
In Hong Kong
It's now Sunday evening, and I'm in Hong Kong - woot!
Had an uneventful trip here earlier today. A taxi picked me up at 6 am and spirited me away from the wonderful Ha An Hotel (but not before they gave me a packed breakfast, to take with me). At Da Nang Airport, I was surrounded in the departure lounge by a large gaggle of middle-aged French tourists, who glanced enviously at me as I sat there eating a delicious and very fragrant whole mango before boarding my flight.
After a tedious connection in Hanoi, during which I had to collect my luggage, pay excess baggage charges, and check in again for the flight to Hong Kong (I don't know why they wouldn't check me through), I was on my way. My arrival in Hong Kong was super-smooth, as usual, and before I knew it I was on the Airport Hotelink coach and heading into the city.
I'm booked in again at my old haunt, the Salisbury YMCA Hotel in Kowloon, and it's as comfortable as ever. The only unpleasant surprise came when I discovered that they've increased their internet access charges - 24 hours of in-room wireless access now costs about $16. Ridiculous! Granted, it probably earns the Y extra money, but still - these days, free wireless should be a given in hotels everywhere. Luckily, there are public alternatives around town, and at the moment, I'm in a Starbucks just over the road from the hotel, taking advantage of their free wifi.
The climate here has been a bit of a shock. I've gone from hot and humid +30 degree temperatures in Vietnam, to about 20 degrees here. Still very pleasant, mind you, but I had to put on warmer clothes when I arrived!
I had a fun afternoon here, heading out just as soon as I unpacked my bag. Today I travelled the subway system here for the first time. Unsurprisingly, it's fantastic - very clean, efficient and ultra-modern. I headed across (under?) the harbour to the neighbourhood of Central on Hong Kong Island, and spent a few hours strolling the streets there and eyeballing the fab(ulously expensive) shops. Had myself a good dinner before returning to the waterfront and hopping onto the Star Ferry, which I love. We had a great night-time view of the harbour lights as we headed back across to Kowloon.
So now I'm thinking about what I will do these next two days here. I reckon tomorrow morning, I'll go north to Prince Edward and Fa Yuen Street for what is apparently some excellent bargain shopping up there. In the afternoon, I will try to have afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel (right next to where I'm staying at the Y). I say "try" because apparently teatime there can be a bit overrun by tourists now - and I'm not going to waste precious time by standing for ages in a queue. We'll see.
On Tuesday, I think I'm going to take a day trip to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. It's apparently only an hour by ferry from Hong Kong, and seems to have quite a different atmosphere. Plus, it'll make for another cool stamp in my passport. ;-)
More again tomorrow....
Had an uneventful trip here earlier today. A taxi picked me up at 6 am and spirited me away from the wonderful Ha An Hotel (but not before they gave me a packed breakfast, to take with me). At Da Nang Airport, I was surrounded in the departure lounge by a large gaggle of middle-aged French tourists, who glanced enviously at me as I sat there eating a delicious and very fragrant whole mango before boarding my flight.
After a tedious connection in Hanoi, during which I had to collect my luggage, pay excess baggage charges, and check in again for the flight to Hong Kong (I don't know why they wouldn't check me through), I was on my way. My arrival in Hong Kong was super-smooth, as usual, and before I knew it I was on the Airport Hotelink coach and heading into the city.
I'm booked in again at my old haunt, the Salisbury YMCA Hotel in Kowloon, and it's as comfortable as ever. The only unpleasant surprise came when I discovered that they've increased their internet access charges - 24 hours of in-room wireless access now costs about $16. Ridiculous! Granted, it probably earns the Y extra money, but still - these days, free wireless should be a given in hotels everywhere. Luckily, there are public alternatives around town, and at the moment, I'm in a Starbucks just over the road from the hotel, taking advantage of their free wifi.
The climate here has been a bit of a shock. I've gone from hot and humid +30 degree temperatures in Vietnam, to about 20 degrees here. Still very pleasant, mind you, but I had to put on warmer clothes when I arrived!
I had a fun afternoon here, heading out just as soon as I unpacked my bag. Today I travelled the subway system here for the first time. Unsurprisingly, it's fantastic - very clean, efficient and ultra-modern. I headed across (under?) the harbour to the neighbourhood of Central on Hong Kong Island, and spent a few hours strolling the streets there and eyeballing the fab(ulously expensive) shops. Had myself a good dinner before returning to the waterfront and hopping onto the Star Ferry, which I love. We had a great night-time view of the harbour lights as we headed back across to Kowloon.
So now I'm thinking about what I will do these next two days here. I reckon tomorrow morning, I'll go north to Prince Edward and Fa Yuen Street for what is apparently some excellent bargain shopping up there. In the afternoon, I will try to have afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel (right next to where I'm staying at the Y). I say "try" because apparently teatime there can be a bit overrun by tourists now - and I'm not going to waste precious time by standing for ages in a queue. We'll see.
On Tuesday, I think I'm going to take a day trip to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. It's apparently only an hour by ferry from Hong Kong, and seems to have quite a different atmosphere. Plus, it'll make for another cool stamp in my passport. ;-)
More again tomorrow....
28 February 2009
In Hoi An
Back in December, right after I booked this trip, I had second thoughts about the two nights I had planned here in Hoi An. I wondered if perhaps I might regret not spending a few more days here - and as it turns out, I was right. This is an absolutely amazing little town, and the perfect ending to what may well be my last visit to Vietnam.
Not only is our hotel a gem, as I mentioned in my last post, but the town itself is so charming, and authentically historic. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, befitting its history as a major Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th to the 19th centuries. It is unusually well-preserved, with many centuries-old houses, temples and assembly halls, and the main streets of the historic centre are pedestrianised.
This morning, I joined H. and J. on a walking tour around the town, visiting a variety of buildings and taking pictures everywhere. Hoi An is equally well known nowadays for the vast number of tailors and shoemakers working here. You can be measured and have clothes and footwear whipped up in no time at all, and at amazing prices. Were I here a few more days, I would probably end up with an entire custom wardrobe. All the tailors and dressmakers have European and North American catalogues for clients to browse, and they will design or copy anything you want, in any fabric. It's incredible! And quite difficult to restrain oneself. This afternoon, however, I ordered some brocade slippers and a lovely lined wool-blend coat, both of which I have to go pick up tonight. The coat is costing me US $45 and will be ready in just three hours, apparently.
It's been an amazing day, but tiring too (it's very hot and humid, and I collapsed back at the hotel earlier for a shower and a rest). This evening, we'll head out for a final dinner here in Vietnam - though it will be hard to top our lunch, which we had in a lovely rooftop restaurant overlooking the river. Tomorrow morning, a taxi will be collecting me at 6 am and depositing me at Da Nang Airport, for my flight to Hanoi and my onward connection to Hong Kong. Should arrive at my hotel in Honkers by about 4pm - so looking forward to a fun evening there tomorrow.
Not only is our hotel a gem, as I mentioned in my last post, but the town itself is so charming, and authentically historic. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, befitting its history as a major Southeast Asian trading port from the 15th to the 19th centuries. It is unusually well-preserved, with many centuries-old houses, temples and assembly halls, and the main streets of the historic centre are pedestrianised.
This morning, I joined H. and J. on a walking tour around the town, visiting a variety of buildings and taking pictures everywhere. Hoi An is equally well known nowadays for the vast number of tailors and shoemakers working here. You can be measured and have clothes and footwear whipped up in no time at all, and at amazing prices. Were I here a few more days, I would probably end up with an entire custom wardrobe. All the tailors and dressmakers have European and North American catalogues for clients to browse, and they will design or copy anything you want, in any fabric. It's incredible! And quite difficult to restrain oneself. This afternoon, however, I ordered some brocade slippers and a lovely lined wool-blend coat, both of which I have to go pick up tonight. The coat is costing me US $45 and will be ready in just three hours, apparently.
It's been an amazing day, but tiring too (it's very hot and humid, and I collapsed back at the hotel earlier for a shower and a rest). This evening, we'll head out for a final dinner here in Vietnam - though it will be hard to top our lunch, which we had in a lovely rooftop restaurant overlooking the river. Tomorrow morning, a taxi will be collecting me at 6 am and depositing me at Da Nang Airport, for my flight to Hanoi and my onward connection to Hong Kong. Should arrive at my hotel in Honkers by about 4pm - so looking forward to a fun evening there tomorrow.
27 February 2009
Project End
It's been an interesting and poignant week in Hue. We had four full days of meetings for our project from Monday to Thursday, and a half-day today (Friday). There were about 45 people attending in total, from our five partner universities in Hue, Hanoi, and Iloilo (Philippines). My boss and I were not sure how this final meeting of the project would turn out, but it ended up being very successful. We all realised just how much has been achieved over the past five years, and there have been meaningful benefits to both our university partners and to the communities they work with. It was very gratifying to see the results - and to know that development work really can make a difference in poor countries. Good stuff.
We passed a couple of nice evenings. Tuesday night, I went for a stroll around the city centre with my friend and colleague H. (bought two gorgeous silk scarves for US $4 each), and we had a nice dinner at an outdoor restaurant by the river (spring rolls, crispy noodles with pork and shrimp, and beer for about US $3 each). On Wednesday evening, our host Dr. P. invited all of the Canadians for dinner at his wonderful home in the countryside outside Hue. My boss and I had the pleasure of a similar experience during our last visit to Hue in the summer, and this evening was equally special. The food was fantastic and we ate at a long table out in the garden, beneath a flowering pomelo tree.
There was a closing banquet dinner last night, during which there was lots of drinking and speechifying. (One of the leaders from Hanoi brought a fairly toxic bottle of hooch to the table, which was labelled both as "medicinal" and as comprising 37% ethanol. Wishing to retain brain cells, I did not partake.) The evening closed with that beloved Asian pastime of karaoke, which our partners take extremely seriously. Luckily we Canadians got away with performing two group numbers (badly) before saying our goodbyes. It was really quite sad to bid all these folks farewell, I must say. Who knows if or when we will see any of them again?
By the time I finished all my work this morning and got packed up and checked out of our hotel, it was time to head off on the holiday portion of this trip. H. and I had arranged for a car and driver to take us south to the small historic fishing town of Hoi An (just south of Da Nang), and we were picked up at 4pm. It took just under three hours to cover a distance of around 110 km, for which we paid US $30 each - not bad, and extremely convenient. The trip itself was fairly scary, though. As I've noted in previous travelogues, driving practices in Vietnam are quite hair-raising and we very nearly got into an accident about an hour outside Hue. It was - unsurprisingly - caused by our driver trying (illegally) to pass a large truck. I could see when he pulled out that we would not have enough time to pass...and the next thing I knew, we were beside the truck with another large truck barrelling towards us. I closed my eyes and screamed...and the other truck swerved onto the shoulder, missing us. It was awful. Luckily my shriek had the desired effect on the driver, though, who drove much more cautiously for the rest of the trip!
By 7pm we arrived at the Ha An Hotel, our base in Hoi An. It's a fantastic place, with French colonial architecture, a large grassy courtyard and lots of palm trees twinkling with lights. We were given a welcome drink and checked in speedily, then went to the restaurant for some dinner. H. left in a taxi immediately afterwards, bound for Da Nang Airport to pick up her husband J. who has arrived in Vietnam this evening to join her for another week of travel. But I lingered over coffee in the courtyard, enjoying the balmy night air, before settling into my room for the evening. The accommodation here is so nice - fresh flowers everywhere in the rooms, with petals scattered across the bed and on the bathmat. So many thoughtful, pretty touches everywhere - I can see already why H.'s cousin recommended this hotel to us, and why it has such a high rating on TripAdvisor. It's wonderful - and a bargain at only US $55/night.
We have a busy day in store tomorrow - a full day exploring the old town of Hoi An and all the sights it has to offer - before I head out again very early on Sunday morning. More updates soon.
We passed a couple of nice evenings. Tuesday night, I went for a stroll around the city centre with my friend and colleague H. (bought two gorgeous silk scarves for US $4 each), and we had a nice dinner at an outdoor restaurant by the river (spring rolls, crispy noodles with pork and shrimp, and beer for about US $3 each). On Wednesday evening, our host Dr. P. invited all of the Canadians for dinner at his wonderful home in the countryside outside Hue. My boss and I had the pleasure of a similar experience during our last visit to Hue in the summer, and this evening was equally special. The food was fantastic and we ate at a long table out in the garden, beneath a flowering pomelo tree.
There was a closing banquet dinner last night, during which there was lots of drinking and speechifying. (One of the leaders from Hanoi brought a fairly toxic bottle of hooch to the table, which was labelled both as "medicinal" and as comprising 37% ethanol. Wishing to retain brain cells, I did not partake.) The evening closed with that beloved Asian pastime of karaoke, which our partners take extremely seriously. Luckily we Canadians got away with performing two group numbers (badly) before saying our goodbyes. It was really quite sad to bid all these folks farewell, I must say. Who knows if or when we will see any of them again?
By the time I finished all my work this morning and got packed up and checked out of our hotel, it was time to head off on the holiday portion of this trip. H. and I had arranged for a car and driver to take us south to the small historic fishing town of Hoi An (just south of Da Nang), and we were picked up at 4pm. It took just under three hours to cover a distance of around 110 km, for which we paid US $30 each - not bad, and extremely convenient. The trip itself was fairly scary, though. As I've noted in previous travelogues, driving practices in Vietnam are quite hair-raising and we very nearly got into an accident about an hour outside Hue. It was - unsurprisingly - caused by our driver trying (illegally) to pass a large truck. I could see when he pulled out that we would not have enough time to pass...and the next thing I knew, we were beside the truck with another large truck barrelling towards us. I closed my eyes and screamed...and the other truck swerved onto the shoulder, missing us. It was awful. Luckily my shriek had the desired effect on the driver, though, who drove much more cautiously for the rest of the trip!
By 7pm we arrived at the Ha An Hotel, our base in Hoi An. It's a fantastic place, with French colonial architecture, a large grassy courtyard and lots of palm trees twinkling with lights. We were given a welcome drink and checked in speedily, then went to the restaurant for some dinner. H. left in a taxi immediately afterwards, bound for Da Nang Airport to pick up her husband J. who has arrived in Vietnam this evening to join her for another week of travel. But I lingered over coffee in the courtyard, enjoying the balmy night air, before settling into my room for the evening. The accommodation here is so nice - fresh flowers everywhere in the rooms, with petals scattered across the bed and on the bathmat. So many thoughtful, pretty touches everywhere - I can see already why H.'s cousin recommended this hotel to us, and why it has such a high rating on TripAdvisor. It's wonderful - and a bargain at only US $55/night.
We have a busy day in store tomorrow - a full day exploring the old town of Hoi An and all the sights it has to offer - before I head out again very early on Sunday morning. More updates soon.
23 February 2009
Heat
It's hot here in Hue. Not unbearably hot, like it was during my last trip here in June of last year. But very very warm all the same - it's about 32 degrees Celsius today. According to the Vietnamese, it's unseasonably warm - normally, temperatures should be in the low 20s at this time of year. And unfortunately, the hotel pool is closed at the moment!
I seem to have picked up a cold en route (unsurprisingly, as airports and aircraft are positively pestilential). Must wander out this evening after it's cooled off a bit, to try and find a pharmacy and some throat pastilles.
First day of meetings went quite well today. Our project officer from CIDA is joining us tomorrow, so we'll all have to be on our best and most impressive behaviour. Off for dinner shortly - we're being taken to a restaurant outside of town this evening....
I seem to have picked up a cold en route (unsurprisingly, as airports and aircraft are positively pestilential). Must wander out this evening after it's cooled off a bit, to try and find a pharmacy and some throat pastilles.
First day of meetings went quite well today. Our project officer from CIDA is joining us tomorrow, so we'll all have to be on our best and most impressive behaviour. Off for dinner shortly - we're being taken to a restaurant outside of town this evening....
22 February 2009
In Hue
It's now Sunday evening in Vietnam. We left Halifax Friday morning, with five of us from the university travelling together. My friend H. very kindly offered to share one of her Air Canada upgrade certificates with me for this trip, but alas - the flight from Toronto to Hong Kong was packed and we weren't able to upgrade to First Class after all. But we got exit row seats at least, which was good. The flight was as fine as 16 hours in a glorified tin can could possibly be, and I ploughed through four movies ("The Duchess", "Miracle at St. Anna", "Passchendaele" and the concert film "Kylie X 2008").
In Hong Kong, we did a little shopping at the airport - I was delighted to find they've opened a Muji outlet since I passed through last summer - before boarding our half-empty Cathay Pacific flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). This was my first time passing through HCMC. The five of us split up into two separate cabs on arrival, with the others being taken on a merry ride by their driver and being charged US $17 for the three-kilometer journey to the hotel, which should have cost less than $2! Mind you, our taxi driver wasn't particularly scrupulous either - I gave him a VND 100,000 note($6) for the VND 30,000 ($1.75) fare, and I had to ask him to give me the change!
At least our hotel, the Parkroyal Saigon, was great. Their standard rooms were overbooked so I got a free upgrade to a deluxe room - yay! It was quite nice, with a big bathroom (separated from the bedroom by a glass wall) and the all-important wireless access. We reconvened downstairs in the lobby around 7.30 pm and had a drink at the bar, but not before I'd had a little stroll around and discovered the health centre was still open. They had staff on hand offering massage services and they were taking appointments well into the evening. When I found out that a half-hour aromatherapy massage only cost US $10, I made a booking in a flash! And it was exactly what I needed after such a very long flight. Within a minute or two of beginning the massage, the masseuse pronounced my back to be "like rock" so I was obviously pretty tense. The technique was a little unorthodox for us North Americans - my masseuse was a tiny young Vietnamese woman who hopped up on the table to dig her palms into my back, then straddled me at various times during the procedure. Eh, whatever. ;-) It was a good massage - they're obviously into the whole pressure-point thing and she spent a lot of time on a spot at the base of my skull and another at the base of the spine.
Needless to say, after all that I slept like a baby despite the 12-hour time difference, and didn't even wake up until after 6 am the following morning, which was great. We had a very good buffet breakfast, and then H. and I hopped in the hotel shuttle at 9 am. We were deposited in the city centre about 20 minutes away, and walked to the famed Ben Thanh Market. It's quite the place - very large - with a huge range of clothing, knicknacks and decorative items, as well as lots of prepared food, fresh fruit, veg, meat and seafood. We both bought some small embroidered bags to bring home as gifts, and might well have bought more except that some of the stallminders were very pushy (which is not something I've really experienced here before - normally sellers are fairly unobtrusive).
Afterwards we strolled down Le Loi street and stopped in at an upscale clothing store called Orchids. Absolutely gorgeous stuff for sale at not bad prices, and H. and I both tried on several outfits, but nothing fit! Very frustrating - but not surprising I guess, as the Asian body type is so different from my own.
Then it was time to return to the hotel in a cab, check out, and head to the airport for our connecting flight to Hue. We arrived at around 2.30 pm, to a full welcoming party of our friends from the university here. Then it was on to the Festival Hotel, where my boss P. and I stayed just last summer, during our last trip here. Very nice to be back, and very convenient to already know where everything is. H., P. and I went out a little earlier for dinner, to a small restaurant down the street - we had bowls of pho (beef noodle soup), spring rolls, and beer for less than US $3 per person.
So I'm settled in now, and ready to start work tomorrow morning. It's going to be a very intense week of meetings coming up, so I'm taking this evening to relax. Feeling more affected by jet lag today too and am very tired, so I'm aiming to try to stay awake until at least 10 pm tonight.
In Hong Kong, we did a little shopping at the airport - I was delighted to find they've opened a Muji outlet since I passed through last summer - before boarding our half-empty Cathay Pacific flight to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). This was my first time passing through HCMC. The five of us split up into two separate cabs on arrival, with the others being taken on a merry ride by their driver and being charged US $17 for the three-kilometer journey to the hotel, which should have cost less than $2! Mind you, our taxi driver wasn't particularly scrupulous either - I gave him a VND 100,000 note($6) for the VND 30,000 ($1.75) fare, and I had to ask him to give me the change!
At least our hotel, the Parkroyal Saigon, was great. Their standard rooms were overbooked so I got a free upgrade to a deluxe room - yay! It was quite nice, with a big bathroom (separated from the bedroom by a glass wall) and the all-important wireless access. We reconvened downstairs in the lobby around 7.30 pm and had a drink at the bar, but not before I'd had a little stroll around and discovered the health centre was still open. They had staff on hand offering massage services and they were taking appointments well into the evening. When I found out that a half-hour aromatherapy massage only cost US $10, I made a booking in a flash! And it was exactly what I needed after such a very long flight. Within a minute or two of beginning the massage, the masseuse pronounced my back to be "like rock" so I was obviously pretty tense. The technique was a little unorthodox for us North Americans - my masseuse was a tiny young Vietnamese woman who hopped up on the table to dig her palms into my back, then straddled me at various times during the procedure. Eh, whatever. ;-) It was a good massage - they're obviously into the whole pressure-point thing and she spent a lot of time on a spot at the base of my skull and another at the base of the spine.
Needless to say, after all that I slept like a baby despite the 12-hour time difference, and didn't even wake up until after 6 am the following morning, which was great. We had a very good buffet breakfast, and then H. and I hopped in the hotel shuttle at 9 am. We were deposited in the city centre about 20 minutes away, and walked to the famed Ben Thanh Market. It's quite the place - very large - with a huge range of clothing, knicknacks and decorative items, as well as lots of prepared food, fresh fruit, veg, meat and seafood. We both bought some small embroidered bags to bring home as gifts, and might well have bought more except that some of the stallminders were very pushy (which is not something I've really experienced here before - normally sellers are fairly unobtrusive).
Afterwards we strolled down Le Loi street and stopped in at an upscale clothing store called Orchids. Absolutely gorgeous stuff for sale at not bad prices, and H. and I both tried on several outfits, but nothing fit! Very frustrating - but not surprising I guess, as the Asian body type is so different from my own.
Then it was time to return to the hotel in a cab, check out, and head to the airport for our connecting flight to Hue. We arrived at around 2.30 pm, to a full welcoming party of our friends from the university here. Then it was on to the Festival Hotel, where my boss P. and I stayed just last summer, during our last trip here. Very nice to be back, and very convenient to already know where everything is. H., P. and I went out a little earlier for dinner, to a small restaurant down the street - we had bowls of pho (beef noodle soup), spring rolls, and beer for less than US $3 per person.
So I'm settled in now, and ready to start work tomorrow morning. It's going to be a very intense week of meetings coming up, so I'm taking this evening to relax. Feeling more affected by jet lag today too and am very tired, so I'm aiming to try to stay awake until at least 10 pm tonight.
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