Trippin' : Saigon, Vietnam

Hello from Vietnam!

Pat and I are here for approximately 8 days for a short vacay, traversing the country north to south. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh city early Saturday morning on an uneventful (and on time!) Cebu Pacific flight. Unfortunately, our first experience of the country wasn't good: we were overcharged for our short cab ride to our hotel. We ended up paying 300,000 dong for what should have been a 110,000 dong (equivalent to about $5) fare. The cab driver had the nerve to ask us for 1,000,000 dong (about $48), but Pat was insistent, refusing to pay the exorbitant amount, and managing to bring it down to 300,000. Still too much, but we were tired and grumpy and just wanted to get to bed. Lesson learned: do due research, not just on where to go, but on important, but sometimes overlooked, matters such as the cost of transport from the airport to your lodging, where to get cash, etc.

When we arrived at the hotel, the front desk insisted on keeping our passports. This is not acceptable, and Pat did read that most hotels will require you to do this, but you should always stand firm and not give your travel document. But it was so late that Pat didn't put up a fight anymore. Anyway, we were only there for a night, and we would be checking out early the following morning. 

Things were much better the following day, and I really enjoyed our short, eventful trip to HCM city. The following are snapshots from our approximately seven hour stay in Saigon.

The view from our hotel. We stayed in Hotel Thien Xuan, situated smack in the middle of the city and a short distance from the major sights we wanted to visit. I didn't take a photo of our room. Though it was clean and functional, it was nothing extraordinary. We did enjoy the free breakfast, which I think was a great introduction to Vietnamese cuisine, while still being appropriate as a first meal of the day. 

I had a siopao bun, filled with some kind of meat, a penne-ish noodle dish with shrimps which was light and refreshing, a scrumptious congee-like noodle soup that reminded me of a thicker palabok, and a piping hot bowl of pho with beef. And a fruit plate which, whenever I travel, I try to eat  before the actual breakfast meal. I liked the pale pomelo fruit as it was surprisingly sweet. All in all, a yummy meal!

I liked their chopsticks. I took home one as a souvenir!

On my must-see list is Ben Thanh market, which has pretty much everything: food stalls that serve hot meals and desserts, fruit stands, colourful flower booths selling both fresh and fake blooms, clothing stalls hawking souvenir shirts and ready to wear items, shoes,  booths selling fake branded leather goods and watches, even fabric vendors where you can also have suits made in one day. 

Pede rin mamalengke dito!

Liempo???

Bottled poisonous critters and creatures immersed in booze will supposedly increase male virility. Says Pat to vendor: "I don't need that!" Haha! 

This stall was selling beautiful embroidered napkins, runners and tablecloths.

I would have loved to take these home.

According to the guides we've read, bargaining is a necessary and obligatory skill when shopping the Ben Thanh market. A good trick is to start at half price and then work it from there, keeping in mind the maximum amount you're willing to pay. If they don't agree, walk away. There's a good chance they'll run after you anyway and be more willing to bargain down. 

Vietnamese vendors are aggressively makulit. They get right into your personal space, even touching you to catch your attention. They remind me of dogs corraling sheep into a pen a.k.a. their stall, and if you show even the tiniest bit of hesitation and indecisiveness, they will pounce on you and never let you go. Which is what happened to me.

The art of making tawad. Actually, it's more the stress of making tawad! I stopped to look at a pair of denim shorts in one stall, and that's when I experienced first hand making a sale, Vietnamese vendor style. This lady flattered me with compliments, even including Pat in her profuse expressions of flattery (half of which I couldn't understand). When I decided the price was too high and made to leave, she became tenacious and wouldn't let me go! She blocked my way, slightly pushing me into a corner, asking me to punch out another price in her calculator while continuously showering me with compliments to mask her predator vibe . I swear, I felt like a trapped animal, but the I have to admit, I was curious to see how far I could get the price down. 

Finally she agreed to bring down the price of shorts from 400,000 dong to P180,000 (about $9). Success!

They say you haven't experienced Vietnam if you haven't ridden a motorbike on its streets. If you're in HCM and decide to rent, Trung is a great guy. He speaks understandable English and gave us great tips on how to navigate the crazy streets. He said to never look back (most foreigners tend to do this) and just go with the revving flow of fellow motorbikers. You'll need your passport to rent a bike. 

Of course that's easier said than done. Good thing I had a driver, haha! Pat handled that motorbike like a local, while I wasn't as calm and suffered a few near heart attacks. 

As a consolation, we had a fasyon motorbike, complete with cute helmet! If I'm going to fall off that bike, might as well do so fashionably!

Second touristy stop: Central Post Office, designed by Gustave Eiffel, same dude who built, you guessed it, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. 

The CPO reminds me of the train stations in Europe. 

Even the tiles are pretty.

Sending out greetings to friends all over the world. 

Outfit shot: Tank and bag, Zara; belt and shorts, Mango; shoes, Schu; necklace, bought in Manila Fame last year. 

Spotted: man in white shoes! 

The twin spires of Notre Dame Cathedral, or Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception,  situated right across  the Post Office. We didn't get to enter as it was closed. 

Around the area, there are vendors selling pretty, intricate, pop-up paper cards. 

We paid 40,000 dong for each card, but if you buy it at souvenir stores inside the Post Office, they're only 30,000 dong each. So again, haggle! Still, paying $2 for a work of art is nothing. 

I especially liked this one of the Notre Dame Cathedral. 

Next, we headed to the War Remnants Museum, which was on Pat's must-see list. 15,000 dong($0.80) to get in. Though I'm not a big fan of anything war-related, this, I believe, is one museum you should go to. It was an eye-opener, to say the least. 

They say the contents of the museum are skewed against the Americans, but looking at the photos of the war victims left me...I don't know... Horrified? Numb? Aghast? No words can perfectly describe the horror captured by those photos. I got teary-eyed at the Agent Orange Aftermath exhibit. Inside were snaps of the victims born with of Agent Orange, the dioxide poison the US Army used for its herbicidal warfare during the Vietnam War. Those exposed to the poison eventually developed deformities and sicknesses, and a lot of children were born with birth defects. Jennifer, above, is one such casualty. She grew up to be a teenager, but her dad, unable to live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and his cancer, shot himself. 

Outside the museum is a special section dedicated to prison conditions. Can you believe this barbed cage held prisoners? The smaller one contained two to three people, while the larger enclosure held about five to six. 

After such a depressing exhibit, we needed something to perk us up. A roadside eatery that beckoned to us with its delicious barbecue smells seemed like it would do the trick! 

The place seemed like a popular local joint. Maybe too local—the servers could not speak a word of English, and we had difficulty just asking for water. Needless to say, the menu did not make any sense at all to us. We had to resort to the tried and tested way of ordering: pointing at the food on the next table and hoping to God it was palatable! 

It arrived in the form of a large platter of marinated meat...

...and a tray of leafy greens, herbs and roasted nuts. I spotted kangkong, okra and sweet basil. There were also slices of something that tasted citrusy (left foreground), like kamias but sweeter. Whatever it was, I like! 

We really didn't know what we were doing, but it seemed easy enough: just put the meat and veggies on the crude tabletop grill and wait till cooked. 

Don't forget the sauce. 

And dig in!

After the first bite, I had a sinking feeling our mystery meat was some kind of innard as it was a bit chewy. Yikes! Oh well, deadma! It was delicious anyway. Total cost of meal (including two cans of 7-Up and a bottle of Heineken) : 186,000 dong, or $9. 

After our late lunch, it was time to return our rented motorbike, and head back to the hotel. While on the road, we spotted a sidewalk barber shop. Presko!

We couldn't leave the city without tasting the famed Vietnamese iced coffee. Trung, motorbike guy, recommended this coffee shop. 

We ordered their specialty iced milk coffee which only filled up half of the plastic cup. But the coffee is very strong, so the trick is to let the ice melt so you get the perfect latte with a punch. Coffee this good comes at a price: 176,000 dong for two orders, almost as expensive as our lunch! 

I'm proud to have packed light on this trip. I only have 7 kgs for my check in luggage. I brought my Cuzo Weekender too as a carry-on bag, and as a back-up plan for shopping storage. I like that it matches my purse! (Btw, you have until tomorrow to use voucher code Katdyfinds0827012 to get P100 off your Cuzo purchase.)

Weird sight inside the airport: A shop selling frozen seafood inside the departure gates. Carry-on ang isda?

I don't know what this fruit is, but they looked like giant dalandans and were the size of coconuts. 

Finally, we arrive in Dalat. Our crib for the night: the elegant Dalat Edensee resort, which we are considering as a possible wedding venue. 

Ganda!

The restaurant's buffet for the night featured a tasting station where you can have Vietnamese pancakes, glutinous rice rolls, rice cakes, and rice noodles prepared on the spot. Napa-buffet tuloy kami!

And this is how we cap the night—with a soothing hot bath. 

 I'll try to blog regularly on this trip, so stay tuned!

Trippin' : Paris

The first time I went to the City of Love, I did NOT fall in love, contrary to most travelers, who are instantly enamored with the French capital. My first few hours in Paris were marred by a series of disasters: my train from the airport to the city was hours late, my phone had been cut off, and I got lost the moment I got out of the subway, dragging my 30-kilo suitcase dressed in a thin sundress and flip flops,  which were immediately drenched as it started pouring heavily. So, when I think of my first time in Paris, those desperate moments are what come to mind right away. You can understand the lack of love. 

Which is why I was looking forward to visiting Paris again on the last leg of our recently concluded European trip. Pat, surprisingly, had never been. We would be arriving on a Friday afternoon, and leaving late Sunday evening, so we didn't really have much time to go around. We had already agreed to skip the Louvre touring, and just walk around neighborhoods, and visit the major sights. But then at this point, my luggage was already overweight, so we decided to ship a balikbayan box home. Which made Pat decide to go shopping. And I mean SHOPPING. He hardly bought any clothes in London, so he asked me if it was ok that we spend most of our Saturday buying him a new wardrobe. Hell, YEAH! I had so much fun doing it. It was like going on a spree, without spending my money, haha! Plus, we got to take advantage of the EUR 175 single receipt minimum to get a tax rebate, so we were able to get a lot of shopping money back. If ever you decide to go on a similar spree in Paris, contact Liza or Boualem of Eliza travel at +33-0140506074 or text +33-609182432. Their address is on 20 Rue Bois le Vent, 75016 in Paris (Metro: La Muette). A regular balikbayan box will cost you 65 euros to ship, and will arrive in about a month, door-to-door to your Philippine address. They also have an express delivery where you pay 100 euros to have a balikbayan box (maximum limit of 25 kilos, with a surcharge for every extra kilo) delivered to your door in a week. Pat and I opted for this, and we got our box the Tuesday after we arrived. It only took three days to get it. Amazing!

Needless to say, I enjoyed Paris this time around. How could I not? I was traipsing around with my French-speaking lover (a huge help), shopping, crepe-eating, re-visiting the beautiful sights, and soaking up the sunny weather—everything worked out perfectly this time. Here are photos from that trip. I hope they make you fall in love with Paris as much as I did.

Ever the perfect gentleman, Pat took my overweight luggage and rolled it plus all our other heavy suitcases himself on the busy streets. Just one of the reasons why I love him so much! 

An electric car! So cool!

I packed this breezy outfit hoping I would get to wear it sooner. But the weather was so crappy most of the time we were in Europe that I was only able to bring it out in Paris. Top and skirt, designed by me and made by Dan Cadiz (same designer who made by peplum dress)

Gold bangles by SM Accessories. Thrifted bag.

Notre Dame in all its glory

These individually crafted statues are all over the cathedral's facade. It boggles the mind to think of  how much time it must have taken to complete them. That man holding his head is Saint Denis, patron of Paris, who, according to Wikipedia, picked up his head after it was chopped off, and walked ten kilometers, preaching a sermon the entire way. 

Notre Dame is also famous for its gargoyles. This one isn't as scary. He looks kawawa (pitiful). 

On our way to dinner, I spotted this man on the steps leading down the Seine River. He looked quite content reading by the light of the setting sun. 

Gorgeous vintage jewelry, the window display of 20 Sur 20 boutique on Rue Des Lavandières

Spotted: a really cool graffiti'd door

Priceless photo: the golden sun setting behind the Louvre pyramid

A peek inside the Louvre

Inuman (drinking session), Parisian style. 

Pat and I cannot remember where we had dinner that night, but I do remember that their pate was deelish!

Saturday, day 2 in Paris. Stopped by a market near our hotel to admire the produce. 

Look at all that fresh seafood!

This is as close as we got to the Eiffel Tower. We were more anxious to get to the balikbayan box cargo company!

And the shopping commences. I had time to take a quick snap of the Paris Opera.

The beautiful domed ceiling of Galeries Lafayette. 

If you're keen on getting a detaxe or vat refund, you're better off shopping in grand magasins or department stores like Galeries Lafayette that house a multitude of brands under one roof. You'll need to spend a minimum of 175 euros in the same store, on the same day to be able to qualify. Pooling receipts with a boyfriend, friend or family member in a similar shopping frame of mind also helps.  

Of course when you're buying alcohol worth 3,500 euros, the detaxe shouldn't be a problem. 

Another beautiful door in a rich pine green.

On the way to Sacré-Cœur Basilica, I got sidetracked by a flea market beside the metro station where we got off. 

The vendors sold mostly old furniture and knick-knacks, but a few were displaying some pretty weird things.

Like doll's eye balls. *shudder*

And some cool stuff, such as these typography letters.

I was overwhelmed by the mass of people congregating on the steps leading to the Basilica. 

See? I almost didn't want to go up anymore. 

But the view when you get to the top makes it worthwhile. Monmartre is the highest point in Paris.

The dizzying height did not stop this performer from defying gravity, climbing up a towering lamp post on the edge of a balcony with his bare hands, and his prop, a football. 

The tricks he could do with that ball were incredible. Here he is kicking it in the air. He never once dropped that ball. 

Visitors are not allowed to take pictures inside the Basilica, but I was sneaky and managed to get a shot.

The requisite outfit photo. Dress, Primark. Pearl collar, made by my sister Nina. Booties, Rachel Comey.

I also tried to take an outfit shot by the stairs, but as you can tell from my expression, I was disgusted by the garbage bags beside me! We managed to make friends with that couple behind us. The girl turned out to be a photographer who works for the US Army. 

The whimsical carousel at the foot of the Basilica.

While looking for a place to eat dinner, we came across a huge crowd of people gathered around another amazing street artist. His music was so merry and infectious that both the young, and young at heart skipped and danced along to his beats. 

Even though it was nearly midnight, I couldn't resist the call of crepe. 

It doesn't look appetizing in photos, but trust me, this chocolate crepe was heavenly! 

Sunday, final day in Paris. Saw this claw foot tub in the window of a home store. Nice! 

Paris' "love locks," public declarations of affection (and imprisonment).

Couples from all over the world come to engrave or mark their names and initials on locks, and then throw the keys into the Seine as a declaration of their undying love. Don't think that a padlock can guarantee forever love. According to an article in The Independent, "from time to time a dejected ex-lover has been seen desperately hacking at a padlock with a pair of pliers." Ouch.

Sunny Paris outfit: Blazer, Uniqlo. Tie-waist top, Primark. Shorts, Pull and Bear. Scarf, thrifted. Tiger print cuff, Martina-Martina. Leather wrap-around band, H&M. Bag, thrifted. Sandals, SM Parisian. 

I love accessorizing with scarves. Too bad I can't do it much in Manila. It's often too hot!

Ibang level ang street performers dito. Sosyal! (Paris street performers are on another level. Very classy!)

Doors...

doors...

And more doors.

The Medusa head was captivatingly freaky.

Near the Sorbonne University, we came across this beautiful building, and had to stop for a photo. 

I deeply regret not having the time to visit Centre Georges Pompidou, a complex that houses their bibliothèque publique d'information, or public library, and the largest museum for modern art in Europe, the Musée National d'Art Moderne.

Paris does not lack for gorgeous architecture. Maybe that's why you don't hear a lot of tourists talking about visiting the City Hall. I would never have gone if it wasn't near a shoe shop where Pat was making a purchase. Situated in a large square, it's quite beautiful. 

Quick snap of the Arc de Triomphe. It being a Sunday, most of the boutiques are closed. But the shops along the Champs-Élysées are open. Be prepared for the pushing and shoving tourists and shoppers. 

We were running late and only had a couple of hours before we had to leave for the airport. But Pat was intent on purchasing his blue suede shoes, so we took a risk and hopped on the subway to get to La Défense, the business district at the westernmost part of Paris. They have a mall there that's also open on Sunday and not as crowded as the stores on Champs-Élysées. I highly suggest going here. Seeing the Grande Arche (above) was worth the stress and rush of the trip. It was truly awe-mazing!

I have a lot more photos from Berlin, Ireland and Scotland, which I'm exited to share with you. But I'm saving that for another post, so stay tuned! :)