Days 110-111 Sunday-Monday February 28-March 1 Saigon, Vietnam

Knowing that they had to be up at 3am to make an early flight, Tony and Anna Marie crashed early at the Park Hyatt once we got into Saigon.  And since Tania and I decided to move our flight from Saigon to Kuala Lumpur to Tuesday so that we could enjoy one last day at the hotel, and to hang out with Steve, Lisa, and Luke a little more before we left.

Sunday night, Steve and Lisa's crew met at the 2 Lam Son bar down on the lobby level of the hotel which gave us the chance to say goodbye to all of these people who welcomed us so kindly into their scene over the last few weeks.  It also gave us the chance to spend as much time as possible with Steve and Lisa, who we were really going to miss when we left.  That's why after relaxing around the hotel and downtown area on Monday, we met them for a sushi dinner on Monday night to bid farewell to our time in Vietnam.  This being Steve and Lisa, though, we of course had to head back to their house and have a few more drinks before calling it a night.

 Steve and Lisa's crew growling at 2 Lam Son

And just like that, we were gone.  On the flight to Kuala Lumpur, we realized how long we had been in Vietnam, and how much we had done during our time there.  6 weeks passed in the blink of an eye, which was surreal because Vietnam was the reason we looked at SE Asia as a honeymoon destination in the first place.  It is where our great friends Dave, Steve, and Brian were from, which built our intrigue in the country over the last few years because of the traditions and food we were exposed to by them.  Vietnam was the heart of our trip, and it was over now, which could be a sad thought, but wasn't because we did more than we ever expected during our time here.  It was an incredible 6 weeks that we'll never, ever forget. 

Post sushi euphoria

Cảm ơn bạn Vietnam!

Days 109-110 Saturday-Sunday February 27-28 Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Oops, forgot to post the entry from our time in Ha Long Bay before showing the video, so here's a little catch up...


Sadly, we had to check out of our heavenly room on the club floor of the Sofitel Metropol in Hanoi.  Yet as the entire time has been with my parents, we were okay with that because we knew there were more luxurious accommodations waiting for us in Ha Long Bay.  After a 4 hour drive, we came upon the coast filled with limestone karst formations jutting out of the ground, similar to what we saw in Yangshuo and the northern Vietnamese coast, but this time, the hills thwarted out of the water, not the ground.  This area is known as one of the most beautiful landscapes in all of Asia, and it didn't disappoint us.

We boarded our boat, the Ha Long Jasmine, and were escorted to our private suites which Anna Marie said were the only two on the boat.  Whether that's true or not, it was amazing to stay in such an incredible room on such a small boat.  Too bad we were only going to be on the boat for one night.

After the captain welcomed us and explained all of the obligatory safety procedures, Tony, Tania, and I jumped on a mini boat which took us to the Hang Sung Sot caves.  After a 10 minute hike which paled in comparison to our climb to the Phong Nha caves, we entered a huge system of wide open caves which were lit with neon lights, just like we had seen in other caves across Vietnam.  I slid my body through a "short cut" (aka a tight opening off the beaten path that no one is stupid enough to try and get through), Tony took-in life-like formations amongst the stalactites/mites (one rock looked just like a giant tortoise, on which people threw money for good luck), and Tania took several attempts at her "Happiness is what we all want" portion of our Vietnam video.  It was an exhilarating site trip to set foot on one of the thousands of formations that fill this famous bay.

Inside the Hang Sung Sot Caves

Some people also took a mini boat trip into another part of the bay, but the Palumbos opted to relax on the big boat and catch up on some sleep.  When dinner rolled around, we enjoyed a delicious buffet meal before the captain stood next to our table, asked the room to quiet down for a minute, and proceeded to sing a famous Vietnamese wedding song for Tania and me.  We couldn't help but shed a tear as he delicately voiced the chorus "It's okay to spend the rest of your life with me."  It was an incredible gesture that reminded us why we were on this trip in the first place.  The captain then gave us a delicious piece of cake which we shared with our table and those sitting around us, which included a very funny and gregarious couple from Ireland (Sandy and his wife).

 Sunset on the majestic Ha Long Bay

After dinner, Tony and Anna Marie taught Tania and me how to play bridge, which if you know how to play, you know that teaching it is harder than most anything on this planet.  Think teaching someone how to drive a stick, speak a new language, and hitting a baseball, all combined, and you have the complexity of trying to teach someone how to play bridge.  After a few practice rounds we played for real, and with some help, were able to grasp the general rules and strategies of the game.  Now that we have that down, we can play all the time when we're in Phoenix.  YAY!

 Our home for a day, the Ha Long Jasmine

The morning was uneventful before we docked and jumped back in our van to drive to the Hanoi airport.  On the way we stopped at some shopping centers which supposedly are filled with hand-made crafts from locals, but we were skeptical when we saw many of the same goods sold elsewhere in Vietnam and China.  They did have some decent stuff, though, so we took advantage of this final opportunity to buy gifts for people back home.

Then we were off back to Saigon so the old people could spend one last night at the Saigon Park Hyatt before flying back to the US at 4am, and so the youngins could spend two last days in Saigon with Steve and Lisa before taking off for Malaysia.

All in all, we couldn't deny the beauty of Ha Long Bay, but the hippie side of us couldn't help but notice the incredible amount of gas and trash blanketing the top layer of the water.  Since the bay is such a popular tourist attraction, the locals have populated the water with more boats than we could count, which obviously is going to soil the water beyond any natural condition.  All we could think of is that our friend Lauren Horner (Hey LB!) needed to open a Waterkeeper office here and clean this place up before it's completely ruined.

Any way, no more tangents.  We loved it up here, and if you can, try to spend a few days taking-in the awe inspiring views of Ha Long Bay.  Just try and do it with as little impact on the environment as possible.

Vietnam & Cambodia Video

Here's the video we made for our time in Vietnam and Cambodia. This stretch of the trip was extra special since we got to spend so much time with family (Tony and Anna Marie) and friends (Steve, Lisa, Luke, Hugh). 

Music is by The Temper Trap and Hot Chip.

Enjoy.


Honeymoon Phase 4 - Vietnam & Cambodia from Craig Palumbo on Vimeo.

Water puppet show in Hanoi

Here's a glimpse of the water puppet show we caught in Hanoi.  It's amazing what these artists are able to do from so far behind a curtain.  The artful tradition dates back to the 11th century, and is still one of the top attractions for those visiting Hanoi.  More info here.

Water puppet show in Hanoi from Craig Palumbo on Vimeo.

Craig finished books #4 & #5 by Mark Haddon

Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
- As unique a book I've ever read, this "murder mystery" gives the reader a sneak peak at the world through the eyes of a 16 year old boy with Asperger syndrome, a type of autism.  His condition leaves him void of understanding emotion, therefore causing him to always revert back to his logic, which he excels at, but leaves him stranded in a world of people consumed by too much emotion.  It's a fascinating look at the world through eyes we'll never use, and reminds us how powerful yet fragile developmentally disabled minds and bodies can be.

A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon
- Yes, I enjoyed Mr. Haddon's writing so much that I picked up another of his books to read.  This one is a hilarious look at the classic "normal on the surface but internally chaotic" family dramas, focusing on a British family leading up to the wedding of their eldest daughter.  Haddon's capability to get inside the characters' heads and describe the situations from their unique perspectives is incredible, which makdes for a very enjoyable read, even for those who don't normally enjoy stories that ring too close to their daily lives.

Days 106-108 Wednesday-Friday February 24-26 Hanoi, Vietnam

Okay, we did a ton while in Hanoi with my parents and loved so much about the city, but when all is said and done, what we’re going to talk about the most down the road is the Sofitel Metropol hotel in which we stayed.  We slept in a luxurious room filled with pillow menus and Hermes toiletries.  We ate and had complimentary happy hour drink in the club level restaurant.  We were catered to by our personal chefs.  And we never wanted to leave the hotel.  We know it sounds incredibly materialistic and that we should be excited about such different things in this incredible city, but we can’t help ourselves.  This hotel was as good as it gets.  We’ve been spoiled ever since Tony and Anna Marie showed up, and it hit a peak when we set our bags down, no, when our butler set our bags down in our heavenly room.

 Our room's bath tub where Tania spent many a moment during our time at the Sofitel Metropol.

But we did do more while in Hanoi.  We toured Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum (which was impeccably and tastefully done), the presidential grounds (which is probably the only yellow mansion to pull off that color so well),  small but impressive pagodas, and the Hanoi Hilton, which is the prison where so many Americans were taken hostage, including John McCain during the war.  Touring this jail now converted to a museum, we read the obligatory propaganda while looking at pictures of the horrific conditions these soldiers needed to endure, and also artifacts such as McCain’s flying suit in which he was captured over Lake Ho Tai.  Our tour guide gave us a fascinating tour through the city.

 Outside of Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum.

Speaking of our tour guide, his name was Mr. Ein and he looked like he was about 16.  In fact, though, he was 35, married, and lived with his family in his parents’ house because that is the duty of the youngest Vietnamese sibling to live with and care for the parents.  He was the quietest of our tour guides, but as soon as we hit the Hanoi streets, he knew everybody that crossed our paths.  Apparently he knew the entire city because he was raised and went to school here.  He studied tourism, and did a hell of a job showing us his hometown.

In addition to enjoying one of Vietnam’s most treasured traditions of water puppetry, we also took a cooking class with famous French chef Didier Corlou, who is most well known for opening the restaurants at the Sofitel Metropol.  He was since gone solo and opened his own place, Verticale.  We met him and his wife at the restaurant, and he gave us a private tour of his favorite local market.  After the ingredients were purchased, he passed us off to his wife who drove us to their private house about 30 minutes out of town.  We weren’t happy about spending so much time in the car, but we forgot all about it when we walked through the gate into their incredible home.  The mix of zen-like decorations and countryside furniture, chef Corlou’s wife taught us how to make dishes such as curry chicken skewers, bun cha, and fresh and fried spring rolls.  We enjoyed our work over a nice glass of wine in their living room.  It turned out to be an amazing experience, one that we hope to replicate soon by testing our newfound skills.

The rest of the group also went on a tour of the city via cyclo, which is a bike drawn carriage famous in these parts.  I didn’t join them, instead opting for a nap, massage, and hair cut, but the report back was that they had a blast on the cyclos and exploring the inner parts of the city.  Don’t worry, though, Tania and Anna Marie made up for lost time by booking a spa day of their own the day before.  When you can get so much service done for such little money, it’s hard to pass up.

 Momma cruisin' the town on a cyclo.

My mom’s tour group Cox and Kings made reservations for us at several trendy (for all the right reasons) restaurants where we enjoyed some of the best meals we had on the trip.  Top notch every step of the way, which shed a whole new light on Hanoi versus the first time we were in the city and eating pho in corner holes in the wall.   If you ever want to experience this city, or any city in the world for that matter, give Anna Marie a call because her taste and connections will never disappoint.

We only had a few days in Hanoi before taking off for Ha Long Bay, but we made the most of the time by learning how it’s always been done in this city, and how well it is done nowadays.

Days 104-106 Monday-Wednesday February 22-24 Siem Reap, Cambodia

The You've Got Too Much To Do To Be Sitting Here Reading The Whole Entry Version

- Siem Reap is poor, but rich with history like very few places on this planet
- Angkor Wat and the surrounding wats were, and still are, marvels of engineering that have stood the test of time, aging well like the finest bottle of wine

On the way back from Can Tho to Saigon, we encountered the masses of people returning back to the big city after Tet.  It was quite apparent to us how seriously the big city empties when we saw the incredible amount of people returning the day before they were all due back at work.  Imagine driving back into LA or NYC the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Chaos.  And delays.  

We had to say goodbye to our friend Mr. Un when he dropped us off at the Saigon airport.  Not sure how much I’m going to miss the way he finished sentences with AHA! like Canadians do with Eh, but he was one hell of a tour guide who always kept the mood light and our minds informed.

We flew into Siem Reap and were greeted by our new local tour guide Kong.  The tour company handled all of the paperwork at immigration for us, one of the many luxuries Tania and I are being spoiled with while traveling with Tony and Anna Marie.  Luxuries far from the realities we have been faced with by traveling alone whie on a marginally tight budget over the last few months.  We’re trying not to let it get to our heads, especially considering we still have two more countries to explore after they leave, but damn this type of travel is nice.

Cambodia as a whole is an extremely poor third world country, but Siem Reap is flooded with luxury hotels and restaurants to pamper the wealthy tourists that flock here for Angkor (pronounced On-core, not Ang-cor) Wat and all of the neighboring ruins.  Our hotel, Hotel de la Paix, was right up Tania’s and my alley due to its modern and luxurious feel, but not so much for my parents who are more attracted to the classic luxury of the Park Hyatt.  Either way, this place is the bee’s knees, especially our garden suite that had an outdoor sitting area with a marble bathtub sitting in the heart of the room.  Too bad it was too damn hot to think about spending more time outside than necessary.

We quickly got settled into the room and then met Kong at the front of the hotel so we could visit Angkor Wat before the sun went down.  It is the most well known landmark in Cambodia, so much so that the profile of its three main towers adorn the national flag.  It’s the largest religious building in the world after being build 1000 years ago.  Much of it still stands today, and even the intricate designs etched into the sandstone are still very visible today.  From these carvings to the massive moat outlining the exterior to the mindboggling engineering required to build such a structure, the entire complex is awe inspiring and humbling, even by today’s standards.  No wonder its one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world.  And not the fake world wonders that China keeps trying to claim, the real 7 wonders recognized by everyone.

 

The central towers at Angkor Wat

Perfectly maintained and incredibly intricate etchings in the halls of Angkor Wat

Tuesday morning we visited a fishing village 30 km outside of Siem Reap.  After driving down a red dirt road far from the paved highway, we came upon a long string of houses built on tall stilts, and families congregating outside to either socialize or to work together to string tiny fish on bamboo sticks so they could be dried for use over the next year.  The children waved as we drove by, and when we stopped the car and got out to watch their activities up close, the kids continued to wave, say goodbye (even though we had just arrived), and blow us kisses.  It melted our hearts as soon as we set foot outside of the van.

 Children stringing fish onto bamboo rods so they can be dried and used throughout the rest of the year.

Happy no matter what life has to offer.

Kong then took us to the end of the road where the town met the river at the Kampong Phluck floating village.  We jumped into a longboat and rode past more houses on stilts, and even houses built on flotation devices so they could adapt to the rising/sinking water levels.  As we learned, the waters hit their peak in October after the country is hit with heavy rains, yet they quickly recede as the hottest month of April quickly approaches, and the dry season settles in.  If it was this hot in February, God only knows how bad it’ll get in April.

 Maybe not the best place to stroll around the village.

It is a completely different way of life out here.  We didn’t know whether to feel bad that these people lived in such poverty, or to simply understand that they don’t need much, especially modern conveniences to be happy, and that our way of life isn’t right for everyone, including them.

We spent the rest of our time in Siem Reap visiting as many of the remaining wats as possible.  My dad and I hiked to the top of Phnom Bakheng before we all entered Angkor Thom and walked around Bayon, which is famous for the faces carved into the sides of the 52 peaked structures.  Tania was excited for the pink wat, Banteay Srei (Sanctuary of the Women), which ended up being more orange than anything.  Still, the carvings in the sandstone were as impressive as any other wat we visited.  And we all loved Ta Prohm, which has been gripped by the root system of the ancient trees that casts shade on the area. Unfortunately though, our two attempts at viewing Angkor Wat from a hot air balloon were canceled due to unruly weather.  Apparently the view from up there puts the vastness of the site in perspective, yet I think we understood its magnitude from afoot and up close.

And the foot of tree root systems strangling Ta Prohm.

The famous faces of Bayon can also be found here at the north gate of Angkor Wat. 

One could spend weeks here visiting the vast number of wats to simply soak in the magnitude of these massive structures that were built 900 years ago, and still stand strong in spite of weather and war.  It had the authentic feel that we hoped to experience in all historic relics in Asia, but that was missing in many places (China).  Here you feel like the structures are relaxing on the site with you, while in China it felt like you were being ushered in and given a show built for tourists.  Tough to explain, but you’ll know what we mean when you come here for yourself.

After soaking up all of the sites and the luxury of our hotel, we made a pit stop at the Art School for Children to pick up some locally made items, and headed for the airport to catch a flight back to Vietnam.  This time, we were heading back north to Hanoi to do all of the site seeing we skipped the first time so we could see it all new with Tony and Anna Marie.