Xmas 2012

                         

               

Christmas this year was spent at Yh's place, in his extremely spacious living room and two well-furnished bedrooms with television and movies all prepared for us. And since we had practically the whole place to ourselves for the whole night, we didn't have to crack our brains and think of places to go after. 

Compared to the previous years, this year's celebration was rather casual and simple. We didn't do too much fancy stuff. It was basically just sitting around watching tv, trying to answer the questions on "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader" and exchanging gossips and insults. It felt like a typical family weekend get together.

It was also a pot-luck party this time round so (delicious) food were aplenty, as well as the leftovers. It's strange how every time when people are supposed to bring something to contribute to the pot, they are able to whip up something so delectable it's difficult to believe they don't actually do it on a regular basis. And of course,  I felt guilty for doing the seemingly most uncommitted thing - bringing drinks and chips. :(

Michael Bublé and his songs accompanied us all the way till the stroke of midnight. Then, it was "Merry Xmas" all over again.

The Last One

Amongst all the tearjerkers I've watched, this one definitely tops the lot! The last episode of 'Friends' made me feel extremely sad yet happy at the same time. Sad because it had ended, and happy because of how it all came to a close; it'll move even the most unemotional person.

Even though I've only watched a handful of tv series, I would still go so far as to say that nothing else will ever come close to 'Friends'.

Lao Cai, Sapa

Sapa was the third and last city I visited during my 8-days stay in northern Vietnam, and it's hands down, the most beautiful of all. I've never quite seen anything like it before, neither was I expecting it to be anything like that. I signed up for the 2 days and 1 night tour, which included a home-stay in one of the villages and free meals cooked by the locals.

The journey from Hanoi to Lao Cai by train, was around 8 hours long. I got myself a 4-bed cabin with A/C so getting a good night's sleep wasn't a problem. It was about 5am when we arrived at Lao Cai station, and that was when I encountered the first hiccup: I couldn't find the guy who was supposed to pick me up at the station! My initial thought was that either he hasn't arrived yet, or he was hidden amongst the other chaperones. I took repeated glances at the name list they were holding but none of which had my name on it. Frustrations were escalated by the language barrier and my early morning crankiness. 

Thankfully, I have a very helpful friend back in Hanoi, and everything was settled after a few phone calls. Turned out that my guide had forgotten about me, and left with the rest of the group.

The car ride to Sapa town was around an hour long, which gave me ample time to rest and wrap my head around what had just happened. Upon arrival I was greeted by my very apologetic guide. Everything else just fell into place after. 

As I was strolling along the small town while waiting for the whole tour group to be gathered, many of the natives, dressed in their ethnic outfit came up to me, and were touting their wares. I was actually surprised that they understood, and were able to speak English. They all looked so friendly and happy, that it made rejecting them feel like a crime, which I'd committed one too many times. 

We trekked for about 10km, from the town to the village that we'll be putting up for the night. The long and arduous journey through rocky and precarious terrain wasn't child's play. A few of us, including myself, slipped and fell more than once. A little less lucky and we could have broken a limb. 

Like the saying goes, 'you can't have a rainbow, without a little rain'. Along the way, we were treated to a visual feast - a vista of rice fields in terrace, lush meadows and the locals' way of life. It's like a real life example of a typical pastoral landscape picture on the internet. 

The natives' attempt to tout and sell their goods didn't end when we left town. Throughout the whole journey, they were by our side, holding and helping us to traverse the difficult terrain. I couldn't be more thankful for their help. But their extremely generous act wasn't one without an agenda. At every pit stop, they'll come swarming around us with all kinds of merchandise, bugging us relentlessly to buy from them. Their repeated soft and sympathetic plead quickly sounded like chants.

As unsightly as it might seem, I felt that they really deserved our patronage and support. The thought of them trekking across the same passage and helping a new group of tourists every day is bewildering. This is what they have to do for a living. In this case, money is the best form of gratitude.

This time, I was lucky to be in a group with people around my age. Everyone was nice and fun to be with. The entire trek would have been pretty dull if it weren't for the laughters and the interactions we all had. Our accommodation for that night was in a typical village home, and we all slept side by side, in an elongated cabin. Very homely indeed!

As mentioned before in the previous short entry of my Sapa stay, that night around the dinner table was absolute fun. The locals served not only their home-cooked dishes, but also a few shots of their traditional rice wine, which was good for making you delirious, but bad for satisfying the palate. 

Awesome company, delicious meal and cheap beers - That's about as good as it is going to get. 

The beauty of the country never ceases to amaze me. From the organized chaos of the streets of Hanoi, to the serenity-filled Halong Bay and the glimpse of heaven on earth that Sapa brings, it's comforting to know that all these are just the tip of the iceberg. 

Wanting to visit the whole of Vietnam seems to be the scaled-down version of my dream to travel around the world. And there's every reason for me to explore the country or even revisit some of these places, especially Sapa, since it's the only city in Vietnam that snows during winter.

And here I go again: Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hoi An.

With 5 other lovely people this time round. I'm excited. This week, and the next will probably be the highlight of this year. Holiday and Chalet - Back to back. Not the smoothest transition but the amount of fun still beckons.

Take care!

Ha long Bay

As mentioned before, Halong Bay was the only reason why I chose to visit Hanoi back in June. I ought to be damned for my ignorance because there are so much more to the city than just this heritage site. Then again, one thing led to another, and this place has opened my eyes to the other natural beauties of Vietnam.

The unimpeachable UNESCO world heritage site is a retreat purely for relaxation and recuperation. For me, the main highlight of the tour wasn't the visiting of caves or kayaking, it was the hours spent on the deck, lying down, putting my feet up (literally) and letting my mind wander off. Amazingly amazing. The cascading serenity is to die for!

It took us approximately 3 hours to travel from Hanoi to the city of Ha long, by a minibus. Had to wake up at around 7 am to get prepared and catch the 8 am ride. 

I was very lucky during this trip. They gave me a free upgrade to a more expensive package, which was worth 100usd when I only paid around 60usd for mine. And it's more of an exclusive tour, with only 9 of us on a big boat, whereas the usual ones consist of around 14-15 people. It would've been more fun and happening but some softened enjoyment once in a while could be equally therapeutic. 

Since the other eight people in the group were in pairs, I get to have one whole room to myself, and it was very decent - two single beds and a nice toilet. The itinerary for the first day was the visiting of the cave (can't remember its name), which was huge and beautiful, and kayaking. Some of us also did some swimming, or rather jumping off the deck, which was EXTREMELY exhilarating. Once was enough for me. I sorely regretted not having a video or a picture of that jump taken! So much for wanting to bungee jump when I'm scared stiff even from a two-storey high leap. 

Before dinner was being served, the tour guide and the crew on-board taught us how to make the traditional Vietnamese spring roll. It's very very delicious, especially with the fish sauce! We were then treated to a sumptuous meal, with the accompaniment of a smidgen of Courvoisier, which was enough to make me groggy and tipsy.

Did a little bit of fishing with the locals after dinner before we had to stop due to bad weather, which was such a waste because I was hoping to idle on the deck. Wouldn't have mind sleeping there as well. It's THAT relaxing. 

As seen from the picture, I was the youngest (and the only loner) in the group. A few of them actually mistook the guy beside me and the lady opposite as my parents. Couldn't blame them. I think our similar ethnicity does pose a certain amount of resemblance of a small Asian family. 

Being part of an all adult group does bring about different forms of enjoyment. Initially, the whole unfitting scenario made me feel like a fish out of water. But I'm glad they were all very friendly and approachable people. That definitely made me feel less inferior. 

All in all, I was pretty satisfied with this place and it did live up to my expectations. Besides the downpour on the first night, everything else went well. I think it's safe to say that this was the most relaxing getaway I've ever had in a long long time. 

And that's another item striked off from my "Wonders of the world to visit" list!