Category: Vietnam

Exploring Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (And Why You Should Visit)

The heat was indeed ON in Saigon when we were there. Literally. It was quite a pleasant surprise to find that the City I originally only identified with the Cameron Macintosh musical actually has a lot to offer. It’s easy to get lost in images of “Platoon” and other Vietnam War movies and completely forget the fact that Ho Chi Minh is a progressive and thriving city that is definitely worth your while. Continue reading “Exploring Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (And Why You Should Visit)” →

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The City Hall & The Saigon Opera House

I’ve been on numerous trips to other “local government units” before, but I can count only with one hand the number of times I bothered to check out the “City Halls” of those cities. And even in those few ones, I went because we had to, not because I wanted to. (FYI, I work at a City Hall.) But I can’t say this one was intentional, too. It just so happened that, while walking around, we passed by what turned out to be the City Hall of Ho Chi Minh City. Continue reading “Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The City Hall & The Saigon Opera House” →

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The Central Post Office

Back when I was a teenager, I was, for a time, into this whole “pen pal” thing. It allowed me to interact and be friends with people on other parts of the globe. Some, to this day, I still keep in contact with, albeit sporadically. So a huge chunk of my schedules back then included trips to post offices. Then e-pals (pen pal, only this time, thru e-mail) happened. Who knew, years later, that I’d be spending a lot of time at a post office, and see it as a tourist attraction? Because that’s exactly what the Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is. Continue reading “Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The Central Post Office” →

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

I have gotten used to hearing about the Philippines being the largest Christian nation, in terms of percentage of participation in Asia that I still find myself surprised when I see traces of Christianity in other Southeast Asian countries. Which is stupid, because being the “largest” should not mean we’re the only one. And yes, Christianity also prevailed in Vietnam, and combine that with French civilization due to France’s occupation of the country in the past, and you shouldn’t be too surprised to stumble upon the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral while walking Ho Chi Minh’s streets. Continue reading “Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral” →

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The Independence Palace

I cannot believe we’re nearing the end of July, guys. Time flies so fast when you’re having fun. Or so busy. Which is sad, because deeeern, when do we get to do all the fun things, eh? I’m having a bit of a walkabout-drought here, it’s a good thing I can let my mind drift back to previous visits, like this one foray into a palace in the heart of Saigon: the Independence Palace, or the Palais de l’independance.

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The War Remnants Museum (Part 2 of 2)

People visit museums for several reasons. One of the most common reasons is so that they could take a peek at something far removed from what they are familiar with, and be transported back in time, albeit through relics, photographs or works of art. However, I doubt that a visit inside the War Remnants Museum would make you want to go back in time, to this particular wartime.

Continue reading “Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The War Remnants Museum (Part 2 of 2)” →

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The War Remnants Museum (Part 1 of 2)

Remember how I said that, when I was inside the Hoa Lo Prison and was surrounded by what may be one of the darkest periods in the history of Vietnam (the French occupation, to be more specific), I felt this certain heaviness that kinda made it difficult to breathe? Well, that still did not prepare me for my visit to the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh. The pain is real, and I wasn’t even part of that period of history. (This post is rated PG. Parental Guidance is strongly advised… due to some violent and graphic images and descriptions.) Continue reading “Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The War Remnants Museum (Part 1 of 2)” →

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: The Cu Chi Tunnels

“A rifle in one hand and a plow in the other.” “They fight during the day, and farm at night.” Those were some of the realities of war. For someone who has lived in relative peace time for all her life, my grasp on life in a war zone is limited to the books I’ve read, the movies I’ve watched, and the news clips on TV and online. When I was visiting Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, there was heaviness in my heart. When I visited the Cu Chi Tunnels…. s**t just started to get even more real.

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Foodventures: Foodtrippin’ in Hanoi, Vietnam

My original impression of Vietnamese food consisted mainly of spring rolls and pho. Aside from udon, I’ve always had a lukewarm response to anything noodles or pancit, which explained my lack of interest in trying out pho. But when I was in Vietnam, and I got the chance to have a taste of authentic Vietnamese food, I had no hesitations whatsoever. And what do you know, I actually ended up appreciating Vietnamese food more than I expected.

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Exploring Hanoi, Vietnam (and why you should visit)

I used to feel strange hearing and reading about people in other parts of the world welcoming summertime around June every year, considering that is when the rainy season begins in my country. But the climate is messed up right now, so the heat (ignoring the fact that the downpours are becoming more frequent during the daytime) kinda makes me feel like it’s still summer out here. Certainly, it is as hot as the time we were out an about, exploring Hanoi, Vietnam.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The Imperial Citadel of Thang Long

It’s close to the midway point of the year, you guys. How’s 2017 been treating you so far? I just came off a couple of weeks of trips and seminars, and I honestly still feel sleep-deprived for some reason. I’m currently wading through thousands of photos from the activities over the past couple of weeks, and it’s actually overwhelming, considering how much backlog I still have from my previous adventures. I guess that means I should get on with them,albeit slowly, eh? So here’s another one. My visit to the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long in Hanoi, Vietnam.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The Temple of Literature

Growing up, I’ve always had a soft spot for literature. I was a sucker for stories and I lapped them up when I had the chance, reading whatever I can get my hands on. At that time, I loved it as much as I loathed Maths. (The fact that I ended up in a profession involving numbers is beside the point.) The library is the closest thing that we can have to a place-dedicated-to-literature. I swear, if my country had something that’s also called a “temple of literature”, you’d have probably found me there. Worshipping. Daily.

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Hanoi, Vietnam: The One-Pillar Pagoda & The Ho Chi Minh Museum

I’ve always seen museums as the best place for a crash course. Like, say, you don’t know much about a person, place, or incident, (and you don’t feel like going through tons of narrative or listening to a lecturer go on for hours about it), then GO TO A MUSEUM. I’d be honest, though, and say that museum visits are low on my list of things to do, especially when visiting a new place. But curiosity wins out in the end, and this one in particular was conveniently located, so I thought it made sense to check out Ho Chi Minh Museum.  Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: The One-Pillar Pagoda & The Ho Chi Minh Museum” →

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Hanoi, Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & The House-on-Stilts

OK. Things are getting way too summery, so let’s buckle down a bit. According to CNN’s 2012 ranking on the “Top 10 Ugliest Buildings in the World“, sixth on the list is the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. I wonder what they based the ranking on, since I was going through the list, and I wondered if I had to have some technical know-how on architecture and construction, because most of them looked pretty OK to me. That ranking did not seem to have an effect really, since it hardly made a dent on the high level of interest that the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum generated – and continues to generate – to this day.  Continue reading “Hanoi, Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum & The House-on-Stilts” →

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