Monday, October 20, 2008
Yoga and meditation
We are looking to find a yoga and meditation retreat while in SE Asia. We have done plenty of Google searches, but if anyone has any suggestions, we would love to hear from you. Thanks!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
No way...Hue!!
Entry 11:
We learned from other backpackers about the overnight sleeping buses that run from Hanoi to Saigon with stops along the way. These buses are configured so that each individual has their own "lounge chair" for sleeping on long trips. We booked 2 tickets from Hanoi to Hue on an overnight trip that was supposed to last about 12 hours. During our last hours in Hanoi that night, the sky opened up and began pouring rain. We needed to walk through calf-high water just to reach the bus. Needless to say, we boarded the bus in bad spirits.
After a badly needed shower at the hotel, we walked over to the citadel to view the impressive grounds. Hue was a former capitol of many Vietnamese dynasties. The citadel is an example of some of its palacial architecture.
We left the citadel and headed to a Buddhist temple about 4 km outside of town. After taking our shoes off and entering, we heard chanting coming from inside. We peaked in and saw a group of young Buddhists dressed in yellow or white robes with mostly shaven heads chanting in unison.
Because it was drizzling when we left the temple, we waited under a tent near some vendors for a taxi. We waited and waited, but no taxis came and the rain began falling even harder. We finally gave up waiting and began to walk only to be greeted by the ever present "hello, motorbike?" Four kilometers later, we disembarked our motorbikes at the hotel, soaked to the bone, but happy to be in a dry place. For a change of pace, we decided to try Indian food across the street from our hotel. It was a nice alternative to 2 weeks of Vietnamese food.
We awoke the next morning to even more rain than the night before. Fortunately, our hotel had internet and between the blackouts we decided to update the blog. Around lunch time, the rain slowed to a drizzle and we walked next door to Friendly restaurant. The menu at Friendly featured many local specialties all of which were really delicious. It was so good we decided to return there for dinner. Some of the dishes we tried included the following:
We learned from other backpackers about the overnight sleeping buses that run from Hanoi to Saigon with stops along the way. These buses are configured so that each individual has their own "lounge chair" for sleeping on long trips. We booked 2 tickets from Hanoi to Hue on an overnight trip that was supposed to last about 12 hours. During our last hours in Hanoi that night, the sky opened up and began pouring rain. We needed to walk through calf-high water just to reach the bus. Needless to say, we boarded the bus in bad spirits.
After a badly needed shower at the hotel, we walked over to the citadel to view the impressive grounds. Hue was a former capitol of many Vietnamese dynasties. The citadel is an example of some of its palacial architecture.
We left the citadel and headed to a Buddhist temple about 4 km outside of town. After taking our shoes off and entering, we heard chanting coming from inside. We peaked in and saw a group of young Buddhists dressed in yellow or white robes with mostly shaven heads chanting in unison.
Because it was drizzling when we left the temple, we waited under a tent near some vendors for a taxi. We waited and waited, but no taxis came and the rain began falling even harder. We finally gave up waiting and began to walk only to be greeted by the ever present "hello, motorbike?" Four kilometers later, we disembarked our motorbikes at the hotel, soaked to the bone, but happy to be in a dry place. For a change of pace, we decided to try Indian food across the street from our hotel. It was a nice alternative to 2 weeks of Vietnamese food.
We awoke the next morning to even more rain than the night before. Fortunately, our hotel had internet and between the blackouts we decided to update the blog. Around lunch time, the rain slowed to a drizzle and we walked next door to Friendly restaurant. The menu at Friendly featured many local specialties all of which were really delicious. It was so good we decided to return there for dinner. Some of the dishes we tried included the following:
- Banh Nam (Leaf wrapped nam cake = mix of rice flour, shrimp, and herbs inside a leaf. Dipped in spicy sauce).
- Banh Cuon Rau (Thick spring rolls with vegetables)
- Bo Nuong La Lot (Beef grilled over charcoals, wrapped in lot leaves)
- Cha Ca Thet lat kho to (Vietnamese fish dish, pounded and formed into balls)
Between meals we got the chance to wander the streets and visit a handicraft center where we purchased a hand woven silk art piece. It was more expensive to ship with the frame, so we took the art piece and mailed it frameless. As mentioned before, we returned to the same restaurant for dinner. During our entire meal we spoke with the restaurant's owner, a local motorbike driver who offered us to join him on his "Easy Rider" tour down to Hoi An.
Even though we didn't spend a lot of time in this charming town, we definately found it to be a great place to visit, particularly after spending time in Hanoi. We were struck by the "laid back" manner of the locals and never felt bombarded with requests for motorbikes or other ways in which we could spend our money.
We took the bus for three hours rather than the Easy Rider option...
Skype
While we're on the road, if you have a Skype account, log us in under the username of isragal. We have found that many internet cafes have Skype installed and it's a great way to talk with you. We'll post more blog entries soon.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Buffalo Chocolate
Entry 10:
Most people think of Vietnam as a lush, tropical paradise near the sea. However, Northern Vietnam is dominated by high mountains reaching more than 10,000 feet in elevation. The town of Sapa is the gateway to the mountains and its surrounding hill tribes. To get there from Hanoi you need to take an overnight train and a minibus. The town itself is small, comprised of about 3 main streets. However, the main attraction that draws tourists is trekking through the rice paddies to see how the native people live and work the land. We joined a small group of Spaniards and began our trek. We spent one night in the traditional residence of the tribe Zao. Along the way, we were accompanied by an entourage of Black Hmong people who later expected us to purchase handicrafts from them. The phrase most heard in this region is, "you buy from me," or what we've termed as YBFM. Marc is looking forward to naming his future radio station by that name. They are named Black Hmong because of their black clothing. We were disappointed that the tribe we stayed with, the Z'Dao tribe, were the most plainly dressed. At least they made a wonderful dinner for us. Luckily, the other travellers on our trek were also vegetarian.
As soon as we left the main road, our guide Kiem advised us to beware of "buffalo chocolate," which became a running joke for the whole trek. The region attracts many water buffalo. What they leave behind is not the gourmet type of chocolate one regularly desires, but something to avoid at all costs, particularly because it comes in extra large sizes.
Most of the trekking was manageable. However, we reached certain problematic areas where Kiem was kind enough to carry Marc on his back across the stream. Apparently he is not used to carrying Americans because he thought Marc was really heavy. That being said, Kiem probably weighs all of 120 lbs.
You can rest assured that the shower was well received upon our return to the town of Sapa. We paid $5 for our room and after showering, hit the town. There were plenty of Israelis walking around. Some restaurants even had signs written by previous travellers in Hebrew to let Israelis know they can trust the food there. Because we were so exhausted, we decided to get foot massages. Forty-three minutes later, feeling well rested, we both discovered that a foot massage includes a small Vietnamese woman climbing on your back. No extra charge for this special treat.
We were woken at approximately 4am by really loud squeeling of a pig that we assume was being prepared for breakfast. Fortunately, we were both able to fall back asleep, but by 5:30am we were again awoken by the sounds of cats either mating or fighting, not sure which. Despite all this, we were well rested before heading to Cat Cat village on foot. The village was mostly scenery, which included mountains, rice paddies, and a huge waterfall. In addition, we managed to see half the farm: pigs, chickens, goats, water buffalo, and horses. Check out this link for more photos: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
After meandering through the local market, trying on the pointy cone hat and seeing all forms of animals parts, we finally found a place to have lunch. The restaurant was named after a Vietnamese dish called pho, which is a large bowl of soup consisting of noodles, vegetables, and mint leaves. Normally, it is difficult to find a veggie version of this wonderful soup, but we were so happy to sit down for $1.5 a bowl. Our friend Mai back at home would have loved it, but would have demanded more mint leaves. Finally, we boarded the night train back to Hanoi.
Most people think of Vietnam as a lush, tropical paradise near the sea. However, Northern Vietnam is dominated by high mountains reaching more than 10,000 feet in elevation. The town of Sapa is the gateway to the mountains and its surrounding hill tribes. To get there from Hanoi you need to take an overnight train and a minibus. The town itself is small, comprised of about 3 main streets. However, the main attraction that draws tourists is trekking through the rice paddies to see how the native people live and work the land. We joined a small group of Spaniards and began our trek. We spent one night in the traditional residence of the tribe Zao. Along the way, we were accompanied by an entourage of Black Hmong people who later expected us to purchase handicrafts from them. The phrase most heard in this region is, "you buy from me," or what we've termed as YBFM. Marc is looking forward to naming his future radio station by that name. They are named Black Hmong because of their black clothing. We were disappointed that the tribe we stayed with, the Z'Dao tribe, were the most plainly dressed. At least they made a wonderful dinner for us. Luckily, the other travellers on our trek were also vegetarian.
As soon as we left the main road, our guide Kiem advised us to beware of "buffalo chocolate," which became a running joke for the whole trek. The region attracts many water buffalo. What they leave behind is not the gourmet type of chocolate one regularly desires, but something to avoid at all costs, particularly because it comes in extra large sizes.
Most of the trekking was manageable. However, we reached certain problematic areas where Kiem was kind enough to carry Marc on his back across the stream. Apparently he is not used to carrying Americans because he thought Marc was really heavy. That being said, Kiem probably weighs all of 120 lbs.
You can rest assured that the shower was well received upon our return to the town of Sapa. We paid $5 for our room and after showering, hit the town. There were plenty of Israelis walking around. Some restaurants even had signs written by previous travellers in Hebrew to let Israelis know they can trust the food there. Because we were so exhausted, we decided to get foot massages. Forty-three minutes later, feeling well rested, we both discovered that a foot massage includes a small Vietnamese woman climbing on your back. No extra charge for this special treat.
We were woken at approximately 4am by really loud squeeling of a pig that we assume was being prepared for breakfast. Fortunately, we were both able to fall back asleep, but by 5:30am we were again awoken by the sounds of cats either mating or fighting, not sure which. Despite all this, we were well rested before heading to Cat Cat village on foot. The village was mostly scenery, which included mountains, rice paddies, and a huge waterfall. In addition, we managed to see half the farm: pigs, chickens, goats, water buffalo, and horses. Check out this link for more photos: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
After meandering through the local market, trying on the pointy cone hat and seeing all forms of animals parts, we finally found a place to have lunch. The restaurant was named after a Vietnamese dish called pho, which is a large bowl of soup consisting of noodles, vegetables, and mint leaves. Normally, it is difficult to find a veggie version of this wonderful soup, but we were so happy to sit down for $1.5 a bowl. Our friend Mai back at home would have loved it, but would have demanded more mint leaves. Finally, we boarded the night train back to Hanoi.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Cruise to Cat Ba Island
Entry 9:
From Hanoi, we took Vega Tours for a 3-days, 2-night trip to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island. Halong Bay has got beautiful vegetation-covered islands and grottos. We slept one night on the boat, whcih was anchored surrounded by these islands, and one night on Cat Ba Island in a hotel. Along the way we met some friends. Rick and Ruth were especially interesting. They have been travelling for one year and have been to parts of S. America, India, Nepal, China, Indonesia, and S.E. Asia. They have posted their pictures on Flickr, so take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/baronvonhorne/
KAYAKING
EATING LUNCH ON THE BOAT
During this trip, we hiked into caves, kayaked around the islands, and swam in the refreshing water. We met lots of travelers who gave us great advice about some of the places we would soon be visiting. For those of you thinking about coming to Vietnam, Halong Bay is a must-see, but skip the second night in Cat Ba. At least our tour did not show us anything of the island on the third day. Conveniently, there was a "typhoon" on the way, and therefore we had to evacuate quickly. However, when we asked our guide over lunch when the typhoon would hit, he said it had hit the night before. We understood from our well-travelled companions that this sort of convenience happens all too often on pre-paid tours all over the world. They recommended avoiding tours at all costs, except when absolutely necessary as was the case in Halong Bay. You can view all of the pictures of our trip at: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
360 DEGREE VIEW OF HALONG BAY
MARC JUMPING OVERBOARD
From Hanoi, we took Vega Tours for a 3-days, 2-night trip to Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island. Halong Bay has got beautiful vegetation-covered islands and grottos. We slept one night on the boat, whcih was anchored surrounded by these islands, and one night on Cat Ba Island in a hotel. Along the way we met some friends. Rick and Ruth were especially interesting. They have been travelling for one year and have been to parts of S. America, India, Nepal, China, Indonesia, and S.E. Asia. They have posted their pictures on Flickr, so take a look: http://www.flickr.com/photos/baronvonhorne/
KAYAKING
EATING LUNCH ON THE BOAT
During this trip, we hiked into caves, kayaked around the islands, and swam in the refreshing water. We met lots of travelers who gave us great advice about some of the places we would soon be visiting. For those of you thinking about coming to Vietnam, Halong Bay is a must-see, but skip the second night in Cat Ba. At least our tour did not show us anything of the island on the third day. Conveniently, there was a "typhoon" on the way, and therefore we had to evacuate quickly. However, when we asked our guide over lunch when the typhoon would hit, he said it had hit the night before. We understood from our well-travelled companions that this sort of convenience happens all too often on pre-paid tours all over the world. They recommended avoiding tours at all costs, except when absolutely necessary as was the case in Halong Bay. You can view all of the pictures of our trip at: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
360 DEGREE VIEW OF HALONG BAY
MARC JUMPING OVERBOARD
Hello motorbike
Entry 8:
We began our Vietnam month-long journey in Hanoi, which sits at the northern end of the country. Hanoi is a bustling city with a noisy, dirty, and chaotic Old Quarter. The locals ride motorbikes, do not follow traffic rules, park on the sidewalks, and leave little room for pedestrians to coexist. All of this makes it a "real joy" for Sharon to guide Marc through the streets.
Our first priority was to find a place to stay. After seeing rooms at a couple of guesthouses, we stumbled upon the Sunshine II on Ma May Street. What a great name. After one night, we heard about another hotel nearby where you can get internet in your room. So we switched to the Prince II on 42B Hang Giay Street. (In Vietnam, many hotels have several locations; hence, the roman numerals after the names).
Next stop was lunch at a small cafe (69 Bar-Restaurant) where we had a wonderful meal of lemon-grass fish kabobs that was a do-it-yourself roll complete with rice paper, peanuts, bean sprouts, mint leaves, and the ever important fish sauce. Other memorable culinary experiences included the papaya salad and sweet and sour mushroom at Little Hanoi #9, the all vegetarian Western-style menu at Tamarind Cafe, and Hanoi's specialty dish fried table-side at the one and only Cha Ca La Vong. Check out the video. It's really good (fish cooked with dill and scallions with olive oil on a pan over a fire that's brought out to your table). You then put it in a bowl with rice noodles, peanuts, fish sauce, and mint leaves. The restaurant has no menu as it is the only dish they serve.
Sites we visited included:
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex, which included a museum full of propaganda, and the stilt house where Uncle Ho resided on and off from 1958 to 1969. The mausoleum itself was off limits because it is closed from September to early December when his body is moved to Russia for maintenance. Sounds important.
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology; the Temple of Literature; the Hoa Lo Prison Museum where John McCain was tortured. Did you know he tried to commit suicide twice while imprisoned there? They don't mention THAT on the news...
Something that should not be missed is the Water Puppetry show. The stage is full of water where wooden puppets float on the surface while depicting agricultural life. This form of art was established by rice farmers 1000 years ago and was originally performed on rice paddies filled with water.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex, which included a museum full of propaganda, and the stilt house where Uncle Ho resided on and off from 1958 to 1969. The mausoleum itself was off limits because it is closed from September to early December when his body is moved to Russia for maintenance. Sounds important.
The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology; the Temple of Literature; the Hoa Lo Prison Museum where John McCain was tortured. Did you know he tried to commit suicide twice while imprisoned there? They don't mention THAT on the news...
Something that should not be missed is the Water Puppetry show. The stage is full of water where wooden puppets float on the surface while depicting agricultural life. This form of art was established by rice farmers 1000 years ago and was originally performed on rice paddies filled with water.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Is this really Asia???
Entry 7:
We found our seats on the Cathay Pacific jumbo jet and prepared ourselves for the 14-hour journey to Hong Kong. We were surprised by the cleanliness and efficiency of the HK airport and train into the city. In 24 minutes we were in the center of the city and only minutes away by cab from our destination.
We were greeted by David's helper and soon after found ourselves in front of a bowl of congee. Both of us were clueless at what to do with the bowl and accompanying condiments. More to come later...
About 8 years ago, David moved to Hong Kong for a job and has not looked back since. He and his Thai wife, Nan, were amazing hosts and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality.
In our two days in Hong Kong, we made good use of our legs. We saw Central, which is the shopping district, complete with covered escalators scaling up the side of the mountain. We then loaded a boat to Lamma Island where we walked around on food and at lunch at a peaceful vegan restaurant. Not exactly Asian, but good nonetheless.
Going back to the congee...on Tuesday morning, David stayed home for breakfast with us. As the congee was brought to the table, David asked how we liked it. We explained that we thought it was very bland and tasteless. He pointed out that we need to add the appropriate condiments to spice this rice porridge dish up. After taking his advice, we have to admit that congee is not as bad as our first impression. Just adding a bard boiled egg, chili pepper, fish sauce, ginger, and scallion makes all the difference.
Since Tuesday was the first morning of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), we all made our way to temple for morning services. Believe it or not, it was actually the first time we had been to services together. Following the sounding of the shofar we made our way to the American Club for a huge feast, bottomless glasses of iced tea, and a swim in the giant pool. The views were breathtaking and the company was unbeatable.
Most people probably think of Macau as the Asian Las Vegas complete with high rise casino hotels, but in actuality it is a former Portuegese colony with its own unique culture. We took the hydrofoil from Hong Kong to Macau and toured about for the day. We hit some interesting sites, including a tea museum, a Chinese temple, and a Portuguese restaurant for lunch. Believe it or not, we never actually made it into the casinos. Later that night, we sat on the 27th floor of a beautfiul apartment with 15 foot high windows overlooking the city of Hong Kong and the harbour. The home made Thai papaya salad prepared by David's wife, Nan, will be cherished in our memories forever. It was that good. For those of you who'd like to try this at home, you will need: papaya, cherry tomatoes, chili peppers, tamarind, lime juice, peanuts, and fish sauce (hope we didn't leave anything out).
Although Hong Kong is a long way from home, if you're considering travelling to Asia, we highly recommend visit David and his family. They appreciate visitors and will make you feel very much at home.
To see more of our pictures for this entry as well as the rest, go to our shutterfly account: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
We found our seats on the Cathay Pacific jumbo jet and prepared ourselves for the 14-hour journey to Hong Kong. We were surprised by the cleanliness and efficiency of the HK airport and train into the city. In 24 minutes we were in the center of the city and only minutes away by cab from our destination.
We were greeted by David's helper and soon after found ourselves in front of a bowl of congee. Both of us were clueless at what to do with the bowl and accompanying condiments. More to come later...
About 8 years ago, David moved to Hong Kong for a job and has not looked back since. He and his Thai wife, Nan, were amazing hosts and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality.
In our two days in Hong Kong, we made good use of our legs. We saw Central, which is the shopping district, complete with covered escalators scaling up the side of the mountain. We then loaded a boat to Lamma Island where we walked around on food and at lunch at a peaceful vegan restaurant. Not exactly Asian, but good nonetheless.
Going back to the congee...on Tuesday morning, David stayed home for breakfast with us. As the congee was brought to the table, David asked how we liked it. We explained that we thought it was very bland and tasteless. He pointed out that we need to add the appropriate condiments to spice this rice porridge dish up. After taking his advice, we have to admit that congee is not as bad as our first impression. Just adding a bard boiled egg, chili pepper, fish sauce, ginger, and scallion makes all the difference.
Since Tuesday was the first morning of Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year), we all made our way to temple for morning services. Believe it or not, it was actually the first time we had been to services together. Following the sounding of the shofar we made our way to the American Club for a huge feast, bottomless glasses of iced tea, and a swim in the giant pool. The views were breathtaking and the company was unbeatable.
Most people probably think of Macau as the Asian Las Vegas complete with high rise casino hotels, but in actuality it is a former Portuegese colony with its own unique culture. We took the hydrofoil from Hong Kong to Macau and toured about for the day. We hit some interesting sites, including a tea museum, a Chinese temple, and a Portuguese restaurant for lunch. Believe it or not, we never actually made it into the casinos. Later that night, we sat on the 27th floor of a beautfiul apartment with 15 foot high windows overlooking the city of Hong Kong and the harbour. The home made Thai papaya salad prepared by David's wife, Nan, will be cherished in our memories forever. It was that good. For those of you who'd like to try this at home, you will need: papaya, cherry tomatoes, chili peppers, tamarind, lime juice, peanuts, and fish sauce (hope we didn't leave anything out).
Although Hong Kong is a long way from home, if you're considering travelling to Asia, we highly recommend visit David and his family. They appreciate visitors and will make you feel very much at home.
To see more of our pictures for this entry as well as the rest, go to our shutterfly account: grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
Sunday, October 5, 2008
City of Angels
Entry 6:
We only had one week in Los Angeles, so we used the time to make final preparations, pick up any last minute items, and spend time with our family. It was our first opportunity to hold Jake, the newest addition to the Grossman family. Congratulations to the exhausted parents, Scott and Jo Ellen.
After our train arrived in LA, we drove down to San Diego to visit the cousins and relax with some good music, watching the sunset near the coast in Del Mar. The following morning was highlighted by a fantastic breakfast at Naked Cafe in Solana Beach. We continued our journey back to Los Angeles with a stopover at Balboa Island and Newport Beach. You don't want to miss Olive Oil and Beyond, an olive oil store on Balboa Island. Try the pomegranate balsamic vinegar. And while you're on the island, follow in Marc's footsteps and get a frozen banana dipped in chocolate and nuts.
To express our thanks to the family, we took Mom and Howard our to Barefoot Restauarant and prepared dinner for Dad and Harriet. You will be missed, but this is just too long in the making and it's time to begin our Asian adventure.
To see more of our pictures for this entry as well as the rest, go to our shutterfly account:
grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
We only had one week in Los Angeles, so we used the time to make final preparations, pick up any last minute items, and spend time with our family. It was our first opportunity to hold Jake, the newest addition to the Grossman family. Congratulations to the exhausted parents, Scott and Jo Ellen.
After our train arrived in LA, we drove down to San Diego to visit the cousins and relax with some good music, watching the sunset near the coast in Del Mar. The following morning was highlighted by a fantastic breakfast at Naked Cafe in Solana Beach. We continued our journey back to Los Angeles with a stopover at Balboa Island and Newport Beach. You don't want to miss Olive Oil and Beyond, an olive oil store on Balboa Island. Try the pomegranate balsamic vinegar. And while you're on the island, follow in Marc's footsteps and get a frozen banana dipped in chocolate and nuts.
To express our thanks to the family, we took Mom and Howard our to Barefoot Restauarant and prepared dinner for Dad and Harriet. You will be missed, but this is just too long in the making and it's time to begin our Asian adventure.
To see more of our pictures for this entry as well as the rest, go to our shutterfly account:
grossmintblog.shutterfly.com
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