tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-182023262024-03-05T02:59:35.172-08:00bits of chocolatebittersweet reflections on stark realitiesthe chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-20465618546082570482013-10-08T19:42:00.001-07:002013-10-08T19:42:10.366-07:00The Slow Down Challenge # 5: Gratefulness<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m joining the Slow Down Challenge initiated by one of my favourite
writers Jeff Goins. If you want to jump in, here’s <a href="http://goinswriter.com/slow-down/" target="_blank">how</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today, try
saying “thank you” — for everything. Say
it to your spouse who makes you wait for dinner. Say it to the cashier who
moves too slow. Say it to your late lunch appointment or the call center
operator who keeps putting you on hold. Say it to God for every
inconvenience that causes you to grow. </span></span></i><i style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Say “thank you.”
Don’t just think it or tell it to yourself. Actually speak the words — and mean
them. Be grateful for the moments that slow you down, the ones that cause you
to take your time. Use these opportunities to appreciate what you already have
and tend to miss. As you do, see how much better life looks, and actually is,
when you approach it with gratitude.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YK7isj9tQjFTNH-n28CLWCSmg7rO78oi0AKOauQgFyaKKYVC9oALoefkkt6opKoYCE8yVsJFTZyWZ6sjny8qSMQArd5wxo3w_Q4LeDX1LWk7f5PAwAg8Wgbc6lV1ZSt6lCI/s1600/slow+down+jeff+goins+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YK7isj9tQjFTNH-n28CLWCSmg7rO78oi0AKOauQgFyaKKYVC9oALoefkkt6opKoYCE8yVsJFTZyWZ6sjny8qSMQArd5wxo3w_Q4LeDX1LWk7f5PAwAg8Wgbc6lV1ZSt6lCI/s400/slow+down+jeff+goins+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I’ve been literally on a slow-down mode for the past four
months. I usually tell people I’m bumming around but I personally call it my </span><i style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">gap months</i><span style="color: #111111; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. In practice, people take a
year off from school or work to volunteer, travel, or learn new skills. It’s
not a popular practice in the Philippines, however and I can’t really afford a
year off so I’m sticking with a few months.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s been a really good four months. Although I panicked
after the first two months, I’ve learned to take it in stride. I owned my time
now (except for the occasional household chores) so I had to make the wisest
use of it. To date, I finished my travelogue series for my Vietnam-Cambodia
backpacking trip, spoken at two news writing workshops at my alma mater, volunteered
to take pictures of the school events my parents organized, started a photo
blog, learned to cook omelette, cuddled my nephews and niece a lot, and I am
about to finish the Slow Down Challenge. I still have a lot of things to do on
my list so never for a second am I bored. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But what I’m really doing is waiting. Waiting for the next
bus that will take me to my next destination. Jeff Goins, one of my favorite
authors who also started the Slow Down Challenge, said that our big moments
happen every now and then. But most of the time, we spend our lives waiting.
And what do during this waiting period makes all the difference. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The point of this last challenge is to say thank you to the
people who have slowed you down. Since the gaps months was a personal decision
and quite frankly, one of the best decisions I have ever made, I thanked HIM. My
Creator. My Savior. For leading me to this path. For making me realize a lot of
things. For making me breathe. For making me forgive. For making me let go of
things I cannot anymore control. And for making me believe in HIM again. For everything.
And I will always be grateful.</span></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-89684401453797272682013-10-07T16:21:00.001-07:002013-10-07T16:21:21.631-07:00The Slow Down Challenge # 4: Disturb Me, Not!<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m joining the Slow Down Challenge initiated by one of my favourite
writers Jeff Goins. If you want to jump in, here’s <a href="http://goinswriter.com/slow-down/" target="_blank">how</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The
Challenge:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">Decide what you will do and who you
will be WHEN you get interrupted. You don’t have to let people steal your time,
but choose your response before it happens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">Block out time to spend with a person
who usually interrupts you. Call her just to chat; if local, ask her to lunch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">When an interruption occurs, welcome
it. Look for what you can learn from the experience, and don’t get annoyed.
Instead, embrace this as a chance to grow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.5pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 22.5pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4jlOij0Ri8iDBwsXIA1iWHDj8DJPxrSNUygoISLTDJns0FQhlROYmvNiPrwDjb9AcB3Qj5T41tt9384CYXVtkIjI0Qbm_8yoLmQfeEZyNUwcHhPTbEU7hYVdwhDVGjk74lI/s1600/slow+down+jeff+goins+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_4jlOij0Ri8iDBwsXIA1iWHDj8DJPxrSNUygoISLTDJns0FQhlROYmvNiPrwDjb9AcB3Qj5T41tt9384CYXVtkIjI0Qbm_8yoLmQfeEZyNUwcHhPTbEU7hYVdwhDVGjk74lI/s400/slow+down+jeff+goins+4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Lately, I’ve
been doing a LOT of writing for my blog as a result of trying to accomplish the
Slow Down Challenge # 3. For two weeks, I laboured over my travelogue series to
the last letter. Fighting all the distractions was pretty hard, especially
since we live next door to my nephew (aged 4) and niece (aged 3). There isn’t a
day they don’t burst through the door screaming or giggling. I later found out
they frequent our home to collect their daily dose of candies or sweets.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">They are
adorable, irresistible, and sometimes really irritating. My niece is THE BOSS.
When she enters my room, she smiles sweetly and lets me cuddle her. Such a cutie.
Then she grabs my hand, my fingers – whatever she can hold on to – and pulls me
toward the canisters that keep the candies. At times when I’m relentlessly
chasing an idea with my fingers, I pull back and resist. Sometimes, I win and
she walks away. Sometimes, I grudgingly comply. On the other hand, my nephew
and I can already engage in a simple conversation and he’s tall enough to reach
the canisters so he simply drops by my room to poke his nose into my business,
asking a series of follow-up questions to my answers to his questions. Here’s
our typical conversation:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nephew: What you doing?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: Working.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nephew: Why are you working?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: Because I have to.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nephew: Why do you have to?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Me: (Grasps for answer.)</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I’ve come to love
and hate their interruptions. I love those tykes! I’d hug, kiss, and cuddle
them. But when they distract me, what little brats! But I realized it doesn’t
have to be either or. And I found out, there’s a way to weave these
distractions into my everyday routine. I started treating those distractions as
breaks – just like bathroom breaks, and I actually use the time to play with
them a little. It’s a huge help to my writing too. The effect is similar when
I’m stuck in a rut and leave my desk for a while to get some fresh air or fix a
cup of coffee. When I play with them, my mind relaxes and gives me a couple of
new strategies to attack the piece. I’ve come to appreciate the distractions and
turned them instead into necessary pauses. After all, that’s what I came back
here for: to spend more time with the people I love. </span><i style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></i></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-71141131529741400382013-10-06T20:01:00.000-07:002013-10-06T20:05:01.584-07:00The Slow Down Challenge # 3: Writing<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m joining the Slow Down Challenge initiated by one of my favourite
writers Jeff Goins. If you want to jump in, here’s <a href="http://goinswriter.com/slow-down/" target="_blank">how</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I ended <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-slow-down-challenge-2-fast-eater.html" target="_blank">my Slow Down Challenge #2</a> with an admission: I’m a huge multi-tasker. As if on
cue, the third challenge is the one that deals with multi-tasking. Here’s the
challenge:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">Pick one task you need to accomplish; write it down.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">List all distractions that stand in
your way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">Share the list with one person who
can hold you accountable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">As you work, glance at your list and
remind yourself what really matters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;">Turn off your phone and/or silence
other pieces of technology, while you do this task. See how much better your
can concentrate when you focus.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0zvpxVbfw5u-fYaJIVSjfTpFakWBjF6DjrwPlR8LHbzPRvvW-08hfkqcQwxkSiICd51NtM11utcZCqTBfsZ140btIu6T1oFK_3DYVlbfT3TP2fdks86wb8l3BJ1XJT7j-T4/s1600/slow+down+jeff+goins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin0zvpxVbfw5u-fYaJIVSjfTpFakWBjF6DjrwPlR8LHbzPRvvW-08hfkqcQwxkSiICd51NtM11utcZCqTBfsZ140btIu6T1oFK_3DYVlbfT3TP2fdks86wb8l3BJ1XJT7j-T4/s400/slow+down+jeff+goins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #111111; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">And here’s my
response to the challenge:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Task: Finish
the blog post about my first backpacking trip. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Distractions:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Myself and my nagging perfectionism</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Internet</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Nephews & niece</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My
accountability partners: Maan and AC</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s been four
months since my first backpacking trip and I haven’t written a single word
about it. So I decided to make it my
major task, only to realize later how much work and how much time it took. I
went backpacking for 13 days and it’s impossible to squeeze everything in one very
long post. Well, yes, if I do it sloppily – which I will not, cannot, and should
not. (Refer to # 1 distraction.) I had to write more than 10 blog posts to
cover the entire trip. The next two weeks were heaven and hell. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s easy to
fall into the trap of multitasking. I was doing quite well for my first two
posts – minimal checking of email, kept my phone away, being in relative
seclusion to the rest of the world, and putting my entire focus on the articles.
After the success of my first two posts however, I relapsed and went back to my
usual routine. I struggled. The distractions loomed larger and became more
persistent. My nagging perfectionism tormented me for hours. <i>(said the voice in my head: “Nope, can’t
write that.” “Boring!” “Seriously?”)</i> There was so much going on I couldn’t
resist googling the latest news about the pork barrel scam and the senators
involved. My nephews and nieces kept barging into my room with all the fanfare
that accompanies kids their age. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If there was
anything that kept me sane for the last two weeks, it’s the thought that if you
don’t know what to write, write anyway. Write anything. Just write and don’t ever
give up. The hardest part of writing is when inspiration seems to have abandoned
the writer. After that, everything the writer does is hard, hard work wrangling
with the nouns, verbs, and adjectives and stringing phrases and thoughts
together. But I showed up every day on my laptop and wrote whether I was
feeling the inspiration or not. <i>How’s
that, perfectionist you. </i>And two weeks later, I finished my major task. Hallelujah!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I still am a
huge multi-tasker. It’s kind of hard to rub down years of embracing the
corporate mentality that lauds multi-taskers. But with practice, more focus, less
distractions, and strong will, it is possible. </span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-7018259239739354322013-10-05T20:50:00.002-07:002013-10-05T20:50:24.076-07:00Confessions of a First Time Backpacker<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6txs-I9gOiLXln7wmvPqN6tMVgPTiRkcHg8zjzCJ3L5MMVQP8oNaPxyZCG5AKwlhLozrCBwu3chjB-3Gmhh6CgkYAkzlQ8tX14FAJisilTJKekKgcSxq0OrIqGG-LDRV7uTw/s1600/IMG_2473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6txs-I9gOiLXln7wmvPqN6tMVgPTiRkcHg8zjzCJ3L5MMVQP8oNaPxyZCG5AKwlhLozrCBwu3chjB-3Gmhh6CgkYAkzlQ8tX14FAJisilTJKekKgcSxq0OrIqGG-LDRV7uTw/s1600/IMG_2473.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Colors of Vietnam</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Four months later and
looking back, I’m reminiscing my first backpacking trip from start to end. Most
of it, I’d already documented <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/asian-backpacking-chronicles-vietnam.html" target="_blank">here on my blog</a>. The whole process of reading my travel
journal and re-writing it into several blog posts was meticulous and tedious
but it brought a lot of good memories and valuable realizations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Backpacking is not for
the fainthearted. I thought I didn’t have it in me to live on five pairs of
clothing for 13 days and emerge from the bathroom dry using a thin, small towel.
I cringed at the idea of riding a train for 30 hours without taking a bath. A
self-confessed introvert like me balked at the thought of making small talks
with complete strangers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But I survived! How? By getting
my clothes laundered after 3 days so I had a fresh supply of clothes for the
days to come, using an absorbent towel, bringing along a pack of wet tissues
for those no-bath days, and finding the guts to chat up fellow travelers – not
all the times but it was a good start. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I think this is the very
essence of travelling by backpack: to survive on the minimum essentials, to be
creative at finding solutions, and do things you normally wouldn’t do in your
daily routine. It is a perfect excuse to live <i>differently</i>, think <i>differently</i>,
and act <i>differently</i>. One might just
discover that the difference was all it took to become the person you always wanted
to be. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Backpacking is for the
strong-willed and the goal-oriented. It is also a test of character – summoning
the last inch of your self-control when a flea market vendor <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-12-getting-into-little-trouble-at.html" target="_blank">screams at you</a>;
and of patience – <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-1-ho-chi-minh-saigon-city-tour.html" target="_blank">walking around for hours</a> until you find what you’re looking
for.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I could go on and on. But
I am just getting started. My wanderlust has awakened and beckoned to me. And the
world is waiting to be conquered, one backpack at a time.</span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-41661963319967940352013-10-04T22:29:00.000-07:002013-10-04T22:29:06.402-07:00How to Walk the Streets of Vietnam<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I survived my first
backpacking trip. A big thank you to the numerous tips and tricks we picked up
from fellow bloggers who have traveled the same path before we did. And yet, no
matter how prepared we were, a few surprises dropped in on us while we tried to
navigate our way around the busy streets of Vietnam. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No, I will not teach you the
<i>proper way of walking</i> around Vietnam
(But sashaying like a ramp model is definitely not recommended!) or reading the
traffic signs. (I’m bad at this.) I was a first time backpacker and I wanted to
stay true to being one. Although we went with group tours for Mekong Delta and Cu
Chi Tunnels, I wanted a more intimate experience with the city by walking on
its streets, feeling the concrete pavements under my feet, watching the
hundreds of motorcycles roar by, attempting short conversations with locals to
ask for directions, and pretty much taking everything in as far as my senses
could take me. So, we abandoned the idea of getting on a tour bus to the city
and decided to explore it on our own.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After making several
wrong turns, getting rejected by drivers who couldn’t understand us, and acting
out too many sign languages, here are three tips in making the most out of your
city tour: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyEuCRxWqeXW24EnzHbQUDVLaCLHQ7oIkr5cQchXPA3USGYJOH7UwTn8Bel3oyz-yW8uFoJ1iL2regKmQovLug0-jclGZ_4aHiSj-lb0r5Ci-vrLT_VudMhhbuhlnUpRAMJk/s1600/IMG_1684_ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFyEuCRxWqeXW24EnzHbQUDVLaCLHQ7oIkr5cQchXPA3USGYJOH7UwTn8Bel3oyz-yW8uFoJ1iL2regKmQovLug0-jclGZ_4aHiSj-lb0r5Ci-vrLT_VudMhhbuhlnUpRAMJk/s320/IMG_1684_ed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Map of Hanoi. Gave my Saigon map to another tourist.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Get
a map. </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Most
hostels and guesthouses offer this to their guests, but there are those that
don’t. We only got a map of where our hostel was located so we were pretty much
blind as to where were the places we wanted to visit. In case they don’t have a
map, head first to the Central Post Office to get one. Not a bad idea too. The
Post Office is beautiful and will transport you to a different world
altogether. Once you have the map, look at where the attractions are located
and plan your itinerary. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGWUaPp7k5yq_QEoP4T9VZo7PWv27Ghlhfwc6CW74KdAGc1C3QbWMu7gVeKLA5sp8DhvMxB3h37eP9rfPj3qhyphenhyphenqfWXYZexTyQQYJntZN_DJMIycKdEq0EGMgDgKyz52mzUV0/s1600/IMG_1687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPGWUaPp7k5yq_QEoP4T9VZo7PWv27Ghlhfwc6CW74KdAGc1C3QbWMu7gVeKLA5sp8DhvMxB3h37eP9rfPj3qhyphenhyphenqfWXYZexTyQQYJntZN_DJMIycKdEq0EGMgDgKyz52mzUV0/s320/IMG_1687.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vietnam attractions in English & Vietnamese languages.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Know
the Vietnamese terms for the places you wanted to visit. </span></b><span lang="EN-US">For example,
Reunification Palace is known as </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;">Dinh Thống Nhất. </span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white;">You can look up these terms
online.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span lang="EN-US">Very
few Vietnamese people speak English. And apparently, not all people understand
the English equivalent no matter how famous the attraction is. I kept on
repeating <i>“Reunification Palace”</i> and
they kept answering me in Vietnamese. That was one of the most awkward
situations I got into. Also, ever heard of the phrase <i>same same but different</i>?<b> </b>This
is a famous expression in Vietnam, reflecting one of the complexities of their
language. Their vowels have different symbols at the top. Put the wrong symbol,
it’s a word with a different meaning. So, be careful that you get the correct
symbol of the Vietnamese terms. Otherwise, it will only lead to more confusion
and more awkward moments.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mAhZCEOk_CkP2oFy7qMBXvbYwv4s4ekn6-CtcVLyyaQZnKXbcXGj47sCa1aqkFtoZlMA4EGsCvsekXLdRnduB-tGjJ3dvoruCbAOoF8mnLIKT4rqqOjPucf7kw_Qhon1iA8/s1600/IMG_2549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mAhZCEOk_CkP2oFy7qMBXvbYwv4s4ekn6-CtcVLyyaQZnKXbcXGj47sCa1aqkFtoZlMA4EGsCvsekXLdRnduB-tGjJ3dvoruCbAOoF8mnLIKT4rqqOjPucf7kw_Qhon1iA8/s400/IMG_2549.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Riding the motorcycle in Vietnam is a thrill!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US">Haggle
with the motorcycle drivers. </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Riding the motorcycle in Vietnam should be on your
to-do lists. For the places that are impossible to reach on foot, we rode the
motorcycle instead of a taxi. Taxis were reserved for the really far areas. When
you approach a motorcycle driver, ask first how much. Some will overcharge. So,
haggle. Don’t get into that motorcycle until the driver explicitly agrees. If
not, walk away. You’ll know they’re desperate for customers when they ride up
to you and agree to the price you asked. Ask your hotel or hostel staff for the
reasonable prices from one location to another. We usually spent VND 20,000 per
person per ride. As much as possible, give the exact amount. Other tourists
have shared horror stories of their drivers speeding away without giving the change.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">These tips are all based
on our experience during our recent backpacking trip. Above all, your mindset should
be to embrace the great moments and even the misadventures. Yeah, you get
really pissed off by bad luck or things that don’t go your way, but trust me, you’ll
laugh about it later and you’ll come out of it a better traveler.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Enjoy Vietnam! :)</span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-6355479067720803982013-10-03T19:36:00.001-07:002013-10-03T19:36:22.475-07:00Day 13: Exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our last full day in
Saigon and of our whole backpacking trip. We booked for a half-day tour to the
Cu Chi Tunnels. Same tour routine – bus picks us up at the hotel, takes us to
the tourist spot, and takes us back to Saigon. Cu Chi district is more than an
hour ride from Saigon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">The Cu Chi Tunnels are an
important part of Vietnam’s history, especially during the war with the
Americans. The tunnels served as their hiding place as well as their
communication and supply routes. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The visit to the tunnels was both amazing and terrifying. I was amazed by how clever the Vietnamese were in trying to avoid the American troops. They were smaller in size compared to the latter so they used it to their advantage to build small holes and tunnels. It was also terrifying to see the booby traps they set for the American troops. One wrong move and your flesh is torn to pieces. Then again, war is serious business.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktqRvIcaFKPUj1_k0eNQL5aYwHyVfJZLL9o4CBtTlzNrp0YtSCW_C3cCGxj3kjs3IpkzWlfeqmxR9DkD0ygfol2VVCt0Aq3lucnNTlmLlKm904CkFF7foyPIj-Uzuzbc1Vqs/s1600/IMG_3061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktqRvIcaFKPUj1_k0eNQL5aYwHyVfJZLL9o4CBtTlzNrp0YtSCW_C3cCGxj3kjs3IpkzWlfeqmxR9DkD0ygfol2VVCt0Aq3lucnNTlmLlKm904CkFF7foyPIj-Uzuzbc1Vqs/s400/IMG_3061.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of their hiding places cleverly disguised under a pile of brown leaves.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVMgo_Ul0rQmvSUFoAbrSwqxFT3DuC5ohFBvWs1sNxEBSfg3QysuiuHSwVWpaMNAQuv005HeYRYdhIxIwyrxTe_lrQrwSPG6bFasZrOGI6w3bAehmWIDmPdB8wN93q-GumLo/s1600/IMG_3063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFVMgo_Ul0rQmvSUFoAbrSwqxFT3DuC5ohFBvWs1sNxEBSfg3QysuiuHSwVWpaMNAQuv005HeYRYdhIxIwyrxTe_lrQrwSPG6bFasZrOGI6w3bAehmWIDmPdB8wN93q-GumLo/s400/IMG_3063.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One brave tourist trying to squeeze himself in the hole.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpEexF0AhFvWjNoGJ4xIiIogCLGr9ralx3uj1KOc3FQvKY4RWSMumDN1NmWatBbOTKtG7BefHydqIgaz4-LR-T1-_5p_H-jsjb33Szsxo5WRAbuCon3uZwM8qlzMQczQwWzw/s1600/IMG_3065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpEexF0AhFvWjNoGJ4xIiIogCLGr9ralx3uj1KOc3FQvKY4RWSMumDN1NmWatBbOTKtG7BefHydqIgaz4-LR-T1-_5p_H-jsjb33Szsxo5WRAbuCon3uZwM8qlzMQczQwWzw/s400/IMG_3065.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>As for me, I'll play it safe with the bigger tunnels.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHsRw5spVvxP5Rq3T-s3nmVxjuQMRFYUDeTiSevf03bqOOfGO7qa87q8Yqn_UUmbGYBLBeci2MEhp0bdY1PDsq1eyJi4e04asXlXt844_SI2fsOtzwzy-1gOgM2fWwNvu1vU/s1600/IMG_3066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxHsRw5spVvxP5Rq3T-s3nmVxjuQMRFYUDeTiSevf03bqOOfGO7qa87q8Yqn_UUmbGYBLBeci2MEhp0bdY1PDsq1eyJi4e04asXlXt844_SI2fsOtzwzy-1gOgM2fWwNvu1vU/s400/IMG_3066.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is one of the Vietnamese's booby traps for the Americans.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGS0-2kyguTbkwOGpClxNm71A4jbYT54L6nOHhYbHBwu_Y2JsL7YJzYeiNrYdGt5XYXrDi3xbqhb9tWQedErXfbk_B8OSnxg1w0r0kHW7iv26c6NkvL4XuydOfZOXGPBxdEM/s1600/IMG_3068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggGS0-2kyguTbkwOGpClxNm71A4jbYT54L6nOHhYbHBwu_Y2JsL7YJzYeiNrYdGt5XYXrDi3xbqhb9tWQedErXfbk_B8OSnxg1w0r0kHW7iv26c6NkvL4XuydOfZOXGPBxdEM/s400/IMG_3068.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Anyone who falls into this trap will be pierced to death by those sharp wooden sticks.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORlhR-hvkoCUYNjHV9yZ3ZinXqwCWRm1f5hdS1IIj4oWLsbO8gUb_73W3XdfIwkZomULxha2NsomtB4pxetYxYLxlx2nS_V1kasDpND3oZuXBpFD6nD0jbzMEiY0q2jZIfkM/s1600/IMG_3084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORlhR-hvkoCUYNjHV9yZ3ZinXqwCWRm1f5hdS1IIj4oWLsbO8gUb_73W3XdfIwkZomULxha2NsomtB4pxetYxYLxlx2nS_V1kasDpND3oZuXBpFD6nD0jbzMEiY0q2jZIfkM/s400/IMG_3084.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Inside one of the tunnels. This was scary!</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Guests have the chance to go through the shorter tunnels and I found myself crawling around the tunnels. There was a part where it was nothing but absolute darkness. Good thing my travel buddy brought her flashlight or I would have screamed in shame.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our last stop for the entire
13-day trip was short and sweet. We were back in Saigon by mid-afternoon.
Stopped by Trung Nguyen café for a late lunch and a cup of their lip-smacking
coffee. Even my taste buds craved for that familiar delicious taste. Later that
evening, we boarded the plane back to the country, bringing with us new
memories and new experiences. </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-85749108926707104602013-10-02T19:33:00.003-07:002013-10-03T19:37:55.595-07:00Day 12: Getting Into A Little Trouble at Ben Thanh Market <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is going to be a
very short post. Well, because not much happened except for that one incident
we can’t shake off our minds. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I didn’t take any pictures
because I wanted to focus on shopping and if needed, haggling. I already knew
what to expect in Ben Thanh since we’ve explored this a few days ago. I
bought a few items and simply looked around, trying to find interesting
items. My travel buddy was asking one vendor how much the item was. The girl
answered. Price was too much. So my buddy put down the item, then the girl
angrily asked in her curt English, “How much?” My buddy declined as she has
decided not to purchase it anymore. The girl repeatedly asked my buddy and her
voice was getting a little louder each time. And when we started walking away,
she started shouting and saying something like, “You not very nice customers!”
Well, EXCUSE ME, you are not a very nice vendor either! Aren’t customers
allowed to ask for the price? My friend didn’t even haggle, she only asked for
the freaking price! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was so pissed and
frustrated we decided to leave. I fought the urge to snap back when images of
being locked up abroad flashed on my mind. So we walked away from her as much
as possible and checked out the other stalls. When we couldn’t find anything
else to buy, we left.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: <i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-13-exploring-cu-chi-tunnels.html" target="_blank">Day 13: Exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels</a></span></i></span></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-15060749292056254522013-10-01T18:33:00.002-07:002013-10-02T19:35:02.422-07:00Day 11: Why You Should Start Your Angkor Experience at the National Museum <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On our last full day in
Siem Reap, I checked out the Angkor National Museum. I kind of felt guilty we
just breezed through the Angkor Archaeological Park the day before and I
thought a trip to the museum would be a good recap to the whole Cambodian
journey. And it was. But if I were to decide,
I’d start my Angkor experience in this museum.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAjTrjTyYLE7ARHunIIjk4odhz8R4-QL2g8enNzWpzv7j74-rx_m95voq8gbn8YblQb8oW374qXzDdJhlZfEb3F3Jaf2XNGasSGT5POS0VYezF7wmufcfl3yGkNKPLHntiW4/s1600/IMG_3037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfAjTrjTyYLE7ARHunIIjk4odhz8R4-QL2g8enNzWpzv7j74-rx_m95voq8gbn8YblQb8oW374qXzDdJhlZfEb3F3Jaf2XNGasSGT5POS0VYezF7wmufcfl3yGkNKPLHntiW4/s320/IMG_3037.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Elegant facade of the museum</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First, I’d like to say
the museum is beautifully and elegantly built – fit for an empire indeed. The
interiors are clean and well-kept. But what is most fascinating about the
museum is the treasure it holds. Yesterday during the Angkor tour, I was
admiring some of the carvings on the walls. What I didn’t realize is that these
temples with their intricate carvings beautifully etched on the temple walls
have a lot of stories to tell about the history of the Khmer empire. My trip to
the museum made me understand (although belatedly) the bigger historical
perspective – who were the Kings of the Empire, who built what temple, etcetera.
I was awe-struck by the exhibits too, especially the gallery of the 1,000
Buddha images in all shapes, sizes, positions, and materials. It was also kind
of creepy with all those Buddha eyes on you but a good kind of creepy. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiA1rnLCsw4lGoCArc2_PKZuhCQFwllzE_8oXNnxwnoIs8arK9cL43QMV6h_NQeo1oKxOZxLETgY6Hf7SaflEJ5srOmqhK_78GufnGCJZIhj5ZF8BGIjrgqtszvLGDe0491o/s1600/IMG_3039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiA1rnLCsw4lGoCArc2_PKZuhCQFwllzE_8oXNnxwnoIs8arK9cL43QMV6h_NQeo1oKxOZxLETgY6Hf7SaflEJ5srOmqhK_78GufnGCJZIhj5ZF8BGIjrgqtszvLGDe0491o/s320/IMG_3039.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><i>Audio tour materials</i></span></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">An audio tour is
available for an additional fee but it was worth the extra dollars. They will
provide you with a headset and a small machine that plays the audio. You can go
at your own pace, even repeat some explanations you didn’t get the first time.
If you don’t opt for the audio tour, each gallery of the museum is equipped
with short video introductions that will provide a preview of the entire
section. So no worries, everybody goes home happy. I’ve never quite enjoyed a
museum tour as this one. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1nH8LOLfoVIQfe6-ui8Qvu3t3aWyNHjyoDTvFOGACxUTG1AZMEP-0UE5I8vQzN9chQ_8gIwWbrOE0OD33BhpqcFy5QLLCxVEK9Z_mVG1pVLCDw8jNHD4ULx_TxPoNm0v7jU/s1600/IMG_3038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1nH8LOLfoVIQfe6-ui8Qvu3t3aWyNHjyoDTvFOGACxUTG1AZMEP-0UE5I8vQzN9chQ_8gIwWbrOE0OD33BhpqcFy5QLLCxVEK9Z_mVG1pVLCDw8jNHD4ULx_TxPoNm0v7jU/s400/IMG_3038.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the museum artifacts in the lobby. Look at those details in the carvings!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrXKAbA7yem8hO8-WshvYJGh_ZXkgV9WNecRdFJp8TD_cm2TiSFDW99C8YVdVoNOssqSk457k20uk6UXWf_oTlc5uIeJwvT48om05H5WjCX9eikHlfLhTpjORRlaQrcYvYD4/s1600/IMG_3040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrXKAbA7yem8hO8-WshvYJGh_ZXkgV9WNecRdFJp8TD_cm2TiSFDW99C8YVdVoNOssqSk457k20uk6UXWf_oTlc5uIeJwvT48om05H5WjCX9eikHlfLhTpjORRlaQrcYvYD4/s400/IMG_3040.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Museum Shop sells a lot of cool items from soaps to books to clothes.</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That night, we rode the
Sleeper Bus back to Saigon, Vietnam. In this trip, we have ridden almost every
known vehicle to man – airplane, taxi, motorcycle, tuktuk, seating section of
the train, sleeping section of the train, bus, sleeper bus. Yes, we are living
up to the backpacker’s lifestyle. And I love it.</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: <i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-12-getting-into-little-trouble-at.html" target="_blank">Day 12: Getting into a Little Trouble at Ben Thanh Market</a></span></i></span></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-91001925645420943922013-09-30T18:10:00.002-07:002013-10-01T18:35:07.813-07:00Day 10: Visiting Angkor and Presenting… The Happy Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AtoocEUiNxXqXwGM5Do_0OXqdfHXAxEiIS7fHiUu6wPeSho7GvuSV4q_cN4GjFnGT0mpLTmn-SPJ8GWGvQ75Ggj84WnD7zDx8MAlvJROFlr_fIPQ-ytZKgX4wzcJ8JVP4ek/s1600/IMG_2903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AtoocEUiNxXqXwGM5Do_0OXqdfHXAxEiIS7fHiUu6wPeSho7GvuSV4q_cN4GjFnGT0mpLTmn-SPJ8GWGvQ75Ggj84WnD7zDx8MAlvJROFlr_fIPQ-ytZKgX4wzcJ8JVP4ek/s320/IMG_2903.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Chasing the break of dawn in Cambodia.</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By 5AM, we were on our
toes and ready to kick start the day with a healthy dose of sunshine at the
famous Angkor Wat. Unfortunately, our <i>tuktuk</i>
driver forgot to fetch us. Or simply made other plans with customers who were
willing to pay more. Damn. By the time we booked with an alternate tuktuk
driver, it was nearly sunrise and we tried to chase it – to no avail. Sad to
say, the sunrise was not for us to see that day. :(</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiM33ZwM591jcONy7iquxnhNE1jCmeZRv-dxWodm1nIzw2Lp7YTmuHW77FRPJ6MDdzLtPzbLthxCnFcDHgxBuhPfe5vpNwbY_YxaWbmiqH-Efx9ZBY3QtRHqZOeQM0H8yLt5A/s1600/IMG_2906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiM33ZwM591jcONy7iquxnhNE1jCmeZRv-dxWodm1nIzw2Lp7YTmuHW77FRPJ6MDdzLtPzbLthxCnFcDHgxBuhPfe5vpNwbY_YxaWbmiqH-Efx9ZBY3QtRHqZOeQM0H8yLt5A/s320/IMG_2906.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Didn't catch the sunrise but I can still take a photo with it!</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">One of the more important
realizations I had that day was that the Angkor Archaeological Park is HUUUGE. Angkor
Wat is just one of the temples you can visit. Thus, they are selling 1-day
pass, 2-day pass, and 3-day passes for tourists. Yup, that’s a lot of
temple-hopping right there. And because we didn’t have 3 days, we got the 1-day
pass. I only wanted really nice pictures of myself in a background of
awesome-looking temples, especially that temple where Angelina Jolie shot Tomb
Raider. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Yeah, sometimes I can be that
shallow. </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">It’s just impossible to see all temples in one day at a normal
pace. We’ve already rented the tuktuk for a day and didn’t want to splurge a
couple more dollars to hire a tour guide so we looked at the map of the entire
park and marked the temples we wanted to go visit. It was sort of a wise
decision though. Our first stop was in Angkor Wat and within 30 minutes of
walking around and taking pictures, I was already templed out. So we told our
tuktuk driver of the plan, made a route around the temples we wanted to visit, took
short strolls around each temple, snapped several photos, and then went back to
our guest house. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIexWKCBT1UT_ne5d4quGA1_i7FJQq7ioyOtKbJe2Le7D1TtUjiS8sBhi4a8QZ2BDLCLU-mPt0CH0pF1VD2x33WqccRJVKnqj-32mG9rcOGg0aayJJZkH9ObOvat3gd-jfyk/s1600/IMG_2986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIexWKCBT1UT_ne5d4quGA1_i7FJQq7ioyOtKbJe2Le7D1TtUjiS8sBhi4a8QZ2BDLCLU-mPt0CH0pF1VD2x33WqccRJVKnqj-32mG9rcOGg0aayJJZkH9ObOvat3gd-jfyk/s400/IMG_2986.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>At the entrance to Bayon Temple<br /></i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LdbdliDf5rVFPMzLUbxR9hKG2e3o-1rGFwjLQG_FmmeQ_t1vJd3yrsPQfCU-F-2bSdjuIUe788oubHRu2p8nynKTRVY9INJQSRFkaCOum5emRg-wPA67ImCvnYEx8c4tsgw/s1600/IMG_2993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LdbdliDf5rVFPMzLUbxR9hKG2e3o-1rGFwjLQG_FmmeQ_t1vJd3yrsPQfCU-F-2bSdjuIUe788oubHRu2p8nynKTRVY9INJQSRFkaCOum5emRg-wPA67ImCvnYEx8c4tsgw/s400/IMG_2993.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Face etched on the temple entrance</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLw3a5Wzss9MtmDmV7Eux7xl05xoWiABTGXFZ2xlXPfW7hj5s9n5ecz29Vt-UgqSwhYa2RVTWFPgZBrOIpSjgBvuq9d4bdvX-1YxhIr09bp3khJJvULhCIvJVNNorJHs8woU/s1600/IMG_3013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLw3a5Wzss9MtmDmV7Eux7xl05xoWiABTGXFZ2xlXPfW7hj5s9n5ecz29Vt-UgqSwhYa2RVTWFPgZBrOIpSjgBvuq9d4bdvX-1YxhIr09bp3khJJvULhCIvJVNNorJHs8woU/s400/IMG_3013.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ta Prohm, where AJ shot Tomb Raider.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Later that evening, we
headed to Happy Angkor Pizza to check the second item off my travel bucket
list: eat happy pizza. If you don’t know what that is, google it. <i>*wink* </i>Some sources on the internet say
there’s been a crackdown on happy pizza in Cambodia but from the looks of it,
there isn’t. Stalls are flaunting their dishes happily, pun intended.</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSg4MOvHRhB0y0xtMa7uPn0sH9MDaWnT3leGM_UQVVrZae9-hTM_gCXxHeirjsl7M6bl0ywFVGFAq_7Iweav9KoQCpXTXdQV9d-L5kwUGQ6UiK8G9opZ-rba9xPGwBC-UHIQ/s1600/IMG_1611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSg4MOvHRhB0y0xtMa7uPn0sH9MDaWnT3leGM_UQVVrZae9-hTM_gCXxHeirjsl7M6bl0ywFVGFAq_7Iweav9KoQCpXTXdQV9d-L5kwUGQ6UiK8G9opZ-rba9xPGwBC-UHIQ/s320/IMG_1611.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Happy Pizza with melted cheese</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">There are levels of “happiness”
in the pizza you can order. I chose the mildest of course. I just wanted to taste
it, not get addicted to it. My travel buddy didn’t want to try it so I had five
slices all to myself. The pizza was goooooood. I didn’t like the taste of the
happy toppings though. I could taste the herb and it’s a bitter contrast to the
cheese and sauce. Thankfully, no hallucinations of any sort occurred that night. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Next: <i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-11-why-you-should-start-your-angkor.html" target="_blank">Day 11: Why You Should Start Your Angkor Experience at the National Museum</a> </span></i></span></div>
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the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-54971757651906134842013-09-29T17:00:00.000-07:002013-09-30T18:11:39.134-07:00Day 9: Apsara Dancing and Shopping at the Angkor Night Market<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We’ve had quite enough of
travel lately so we decided to rest through most of the day. <i>Did I mention my travel buddy and I are
introverts?</i> We needed to recharge so we took advantage of the guesthouse’s free
wifi and cable TV. Perfect. Just what we needed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We can’t sleep in the whole
day of course, so our guesthouse booked us to a buffet dinner with an Apsara performance
in Amazon Angkor Restaurant (for $10) for the evening. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwMjqxxUzmSArgdQq1dbFw1UXXwXej5kzkYBKL_s9lJkIi0QgO_Q2wQYnritOY46y3u1qfGPMQuVlQQXtG6njRvm43vMKzz4f_ScWJgoHFEBjO5SUfe39RIuJ0PSScgntvJ4/s1600/IMG_2856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwMjqxxUzmSArgdQq1dbFw1UXXwXej5kzkYBKL_s9lJkIi0QgO_Q2wQYnritOY46y3u1qfGPMQuVlQQXtG6njRvm43vMKzz4f_ScWJgoHFEBjO5SUfe39RIuJ0PSScgntvJ4/s400/IMG_2856.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Apsara dancers taking the stage at Amazon Angkor Restaurant</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our guesthouse, <i>Bou Savy</i>, is quite popular with Filipino
tourists so when the tuktuk driver came to pick us up for the dinner buffet, we
found out there was a lovely, older Filipino couple who booked for the same
dinner. It turned out the older gentleman was a former employee of the National
Power Corporation. One of the industries of my former employer is power so we launched
into a lighthearted discussion about coal, power plants, and sustainability. While
partaking of the food and watching the Apsara performance, we also noted how Asian
dances in general have overlapping similarities in costume and dance styles. Hmm.
This was turning into an intellectual, cultural, and culinary evening. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAO3eX-1VpebhPWEXd-KayZg5Im1AYIDCiSTJms1ywppv_u-HWJnjlYgpRYd4joY0aUGOlTxS5DglqBIG_dnyv6gCE1yGf6_TF5noktT3uqObzcwrZlQADC70MEPVXmIbrIY8/s1600/IMG_2892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAO3eX-1VpebhPWEXd-KayZg5Im1AYIDCiSTJms1ywppv_u-HWJnjlYgpRYd4joY0aUGOlTxS5DglqBIG_dnyv6gCE1yGf6_TF5noktT3uqObzcwrZlQADC70MEPVXmIbrIY8/s320/IMG_2892.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Welcome to the Angkor Night Market!</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When the Apsara
performance ended, we went back to the guesthouse. The couple called it a day
and went in to retire for the night. It was quite early so we took off to
Angkor Night Market.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihq-yiRHqQON9WVthXuZknDNPkb3A0ZDnfr-DkdTUUsqzZ1364LUdZpfn0Xg77dMPA_z40Y681_XxyMvlmbnUfoWV9Kecwdn9AxpU345n-gvX_otbDp-S46VDB5hQEyv7v-g/s1600/IMG_2889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhihq-yiRHqQON9WVthXuZknDNPkb3A0ZDnfr-DkdTUUsqzZ1364LUdZpfn0Xg77dMPA_z40Y681_XxyMvlmbnUfoWV9Kecwdn9AxpU345n-gvX_otbDp-S46VDB5hQEyv7v-g/s320/IMG_2889.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I would love to have this is my garden!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Angkor Night Market sells
a wide range of items from jewelry, souvenirs, shirts, pants, books, and
decorative items. They even have a bar in the middle of the market! I had fun
looking at the stuff and strolling around. There weren’t a lot of people so we
had plenty of room to move around. After a few purchases, we were good and we
headed back to the guesthouse. We needed to be up early the next day for the
Angkor Wat tour.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: <i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-10-visiting-angkor-and-presenting.html" target="_blank">Day 10: Visiting Angkor and Presenting... The Happy Pizza</a></span></i></span></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-23241773660261301652013-09-28T15:23:00.001-07:002013-09-30T18:12:07.390-07:00Day 8: The Epic 40++ Traveling Hours For the Love of Cambodia<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-3-day-7-riding-reunification.html" target="_blank">Day 7 was spent entirely on traveling by train</a>, Day 8 was spent entirely on traveling by bus, marking
the completion of the longest travel time of my life to date – an epic 40 ++
hours. Phew. I seriously wonder now how we survived it although I will admit to
nearly going crazy. Then again, I would say I did it all to feed the aching
feet of my wanderlust and for the love of our next destination – the land of
the Angkor Wat, Cambodia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If Vietnam was about
<a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/vietnam-into-motorcycle-capital-of-world.html" target="_blank">coffee</a>, <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-5-halong-bay-in-day.html" target="_blank">Halong Bay</a>, and the <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-1-ho-chi-minh-saigon-city-tour.html" target="_blank">French influence</a>, Cambodia was about the <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-10-visiting-angkor-and-presenting.html" target="_blank">Angkor Wat and Happy Pizza</a>. Compared to Vietnam though, we had a shorter time in Cambodia
and it was focused on Siem Reap. We ditched our plans to explore Phnom Penh at
the last minute because of time constraints and because really, we needed time
to breathe. The good thing about it is that I have more reasons to come back to
Cambodia. And come back, I definitely will. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlFhQcZlMs29edRGYbc0IopoHm6IwhQPSES82yH4qJgKIOnQ1SlZ5UEs3UN5VUl0TZf3LhHN4SjMnPGiZ6D4RiDJwLO9TFQnr5fxIZ01TK4eqBErRZEFJN-oF4eENsuvgJtE/s1600/IMG_1610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjlFhQcZlMs29edRGYbc0IopoHm6IwhQPSES82yH4qJgKIOnQ1SlZ5UEs3UN5VUl0TZf3LhHN4SjMnPGiZ6D4RiDJwLO9TFQnr5fxIZ01TK4eqBErRZEFJN-oF4eENsuvgJtE/s320/IMG_1610.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Black dark clouds welcomed us to Cambodia. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cambodia did not welcome
us with the most joyous of weathers. A huge chunk of the sky was dark with
black clouds. Try adding that to the growing anxiety of being stuck in a bus
for hours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On the other hand, although
the hours were excruciatingly long and tedious, riding the bus was a perfect way
to gain an initial insight into Cambodia’s way of life. After passing through
several houses, I noticed their houses are on stilts and the “ground floor” was
reserved for livestock and in some cases, agricultural equipment. It is a
country rich in agricultural resources but the people remain poor. I saw
children stark naked running along the highways and makeshift houses with
thatched roofs that serve as shelter to a family of four. These were all-too-familiar
scenes. In many ways, Cambodia is like the Philippines. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYDySYUSg5xpn5INehSz7ceaGqiNm1DH4xsKN8xlmAY8n9ILPa7RvjbaYujMhJCBEZFrmCM4UZ6z8QxkK69ZEftz8eqYzX7l0lD-2BSpWi3odoRUoaNcg0o_YLjXP8Rh-ZpY/s1600/IMG_2827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYDySYUSg5xpn5INehSz7ceaGqiNm1DH4xsKN8xlmAY8n9ILPa7RvjbaYujMhJCBEZFrmCM4UZ6z8QxkK69ZEftz8eqYzX7l0lD-2BSpWi3odoRUoaNcg0o_YLjXP8Rh-ZpY/s320/IMG_2827.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Can you guess what this vendor is selling? I'm guessing <br />it's a kind of insect. The kind you don't want to put in<br />your mouth. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We finally arrived in
Siem Reap at half past 9, tired and very hungry. Thank God for our really
gracious hosts at Bou Savy Guesthouse who welcomed us with drinks and cold
towels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That night, I read up on
some highlights of Cambodia’s history and came across the era of Pol Pot, a
revolutionary leader who ordered the torture, execution, and genocide of a
million (some sources say 2 million) children, men, and women. Unbelievable, I
know. Until now, I feel the country is still reeling from that horrific chapter
in their history. We are still lucky after all, for not experiencing this level
of pain and suffering. That night, my heart was broken. I was broken. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I
know we travel because of new sights and fresh experiences and all things
bright and beautiful. But we cannot take away the inevitability that travel can
break us sometimes. And when it does, we are never the same person again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">This day was epic,
indeed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: <i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-9-apsara-dancing-and-shopping-at.html" target="_blank">Day9: Apsara Dancing and Shopping at the Angkor Night Market</a></span></i></span><b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-30260284108160824522013-09-27T15:17:00.000-07:002013-09-28T15:26:58.975-07:00Day 6: Up Close with Vietnam’s Patriarch<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So we know Ho Chi Minh
was formerly Saigon but have you ever wondered where the name Ho Chi Minh came
from? Or what it is? <i>Rather, who?</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I didn’t bother finding
out as I’m no history junkie so after our first museum visit, I learned that Ho
Chi Minh was a prominent revolutionary leader and former president of Vietnam. He
was also the chairman of the central committee of the communist party of
Vietnam. And somehow, the overall impression I gleaned was that he was a very
well-respected, if not well-loved by the Vietnamese people. And who wouldn’t? In
my brief trip to Vietnam, I’ve grown quite fond of him despite being a staunch
supporter of communism. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzhKlBDucO2RA1ZUek3Mnym4_6dqwH9m2VhXGib1TbIE29hL0aOt8m-yVoZ5rOtJhln0XUC8Bn8fNBnZ7AalMtnIqKEBo0KEShlSkqKr8kdHJhRBaPkL-qxVekMtgjzXss8M/s1600/IMG_2736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzhKlBDucO2RA1ZUek3Mnym4_6dqwH9m2VhXGib1TbIE29hL0aOt8m-yVoZ5rOtJhln0XUC8Bn8fNBnZ7AalMtnIqKEBo0KEShlSkqKr8kdHJhRBaPkL-qxVekMtgjzXss8M/s320/IMG_2736.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Volcano and totems symbolizing the<br />great power of national liberation<br />movements</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US">Ho
Chi Minh Museum.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">
Now, don’t confuse this with the Ho Chi Minh <i>City</i> Museum which is in Saigon. The museum has five floors of collections
of memorabilia, photographs, documents, and artifacts all pertaining to the great
Vietnamese leader. I especially loved the photograph timeline where we can see
the different sides of Ho Chi Minh’s persona as a charismatic president, as a
father to his people, and as a war leader. What I found really heartwarming was
the fact that Vietnamese people with their kids also visit the museum, trying
to get to know the man who shaped their nation’s history. Our next stop would
have been the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where his embalmed body lies.
Unfortunately, it was closed that day. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4emuot135-iLMIV4Wb-phAfP42SVeZNi6Xl8QgPx4rKNTmLwGNmLuryGP3vv4S4eu2eX18E0SE42sKjSZMmPRYFi80i8qTIkuI0aJo-vkqzXp5MzXpUiC3KlbD6HqY-4plY/s1600/IMG_2741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4emuot135-iLMIV4Wb-phAfP42SVeZNi6Xl8QgPx4rKNTmLwGNmLuryGP3vv4S4eu2eX18E0SE42sKjSZMmPRYFi80i8qTIkuI0aJo-vkqzXp5MzXpUiC3KlbD6HqY-4plY/s320/IMG_2741.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The one-pillar pagoda remains to be a place of offering</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">One-Pillar
Pagoda. </span></b><span lang="EN-US">The
name already says it all. It’s a pagoda balanced on top of one pillar. Nothing
much to see here or do, except take pictures or make an offering.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5JHoRzobe6WPMsWpJisru6O5f4LT85Jy5XxUx6nfONMSLBCkYseayXx3SvKddtJs5Iw2wVYm5AKEtRrbvHvsgsYo8v9afsHxk69MiMQLYgyKN6vSuJ_ygj1NVuxU_rFmIio/s1600/IMG_2748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV5JHoRzobe6WPMsWpJisru6O5f4LT85Jy5XxUx6nfONMSLBCkYseayXx3SvKddtJs5Iw2wVYm5AKEtRrbvHvsgsYo8v9afsHxk69MiMQLYgyKN6vSuJ_ygj1NVuxU_rFmIio/s320/IMG_2748.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Beautiful contrast of the yellow Palace against<br />the lush greens</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-US">Ho
Chi Minh Presidential Palace. </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">One of my favorite stops for the day was the
Presidential Palace. Not only did I find the yellow palace beautiful set
against very lush greens, I also found the walk around the area very relaxing
since there were plenty of trees and greens. Although we weren’t allowed entry
into the Palace itself, the surrounding areas were equally wonderful. We saw
some of Ho Chi Minh’s cars and his bamboo stilt house, which is said to be where
he lived for quite a time before his death. The stilt house is very reflective of
his simplicity and humility. (No wonder why I really like this man!) I also
loved the huge fishpond with koi fishes fronting the stilt house. I could
almost imagine Ho Chi Minh walking around the place, in his <i>kamisa de chino</i>-like clothes and
slippers, feeding the koi fishes, or walking up to his mango orchard.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34jUfwjIsNj8mvjZYQJXF0XCAB7ud9REtE-_KuBvuo4053Kt77BO7sBoNw3CeKiV3FCT4Lmz2E-usG6hp9crmjs4HBYH2ldByaBjlu2bnnAjGqVIl_zrHlUyNMZNelkwIk-8/s1600/IMG_2755_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34jUfwjIsNj8mvjZYQJXF0XCAB7ud9REtE-_KuBvuo4053Kt77BO7sBoNw3CeKiV3FCT4Lmz2E-usG6hp9crmjs4HBYH2ldByaBjlu2bnnAjGqVIl_zrHlUyNMZNelkwIk-8/s320/IMG_2755_cropped.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My ride!</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPcGue1bkOfBu1fkOVN1DPb4b63p1RTCMt-sjvRd6pgIt0ZYM2zbTAiqWqmm1ACMO29d1qN23JIcaLN0A9vAN8vzhFPaBJH3afMurssvuPWLBYyynQrFe9CPCo_w_NuCw_Sc/s1600/IMG_2763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPcGue1bkOfBu1fkOVN1DPb4b63p1RTCMt-sjvRd6pgIt0ZYM2zbTAiqWqmm1ACMO29d1qN23JIcaLN0A9vAN8vzhFPaBJH3afMurssvuPWLBYyynQrFe9CPCo_w_NuCw_Sc/s320/IMG_2763.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I would love to live in this bamboo stilt house!</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxG6kxfPt9FYNG6TvSA5Mf_S5ZX9Xarf9zhDSJ78V-wLR2NIG-nNzLNbC_cx82aXrMZOmkNgjfxsoOyPDMZ_kgR24Rk2sKUZfZgTNr0CFxyBj5VEv4SdTWrT2NiBswiepspk/s1600/IMG_2775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxG6kxfPt9FYNG6TvSA5Mf_S5ZX9Xarf9zhDSJ78V-wLR2NIG-nNzLNbC_cx82aXrMZOmkNgjfxsoOyPDMZ_kgR24Rk2sKUZfZgTNr0CFxyBj5VEv4SdTWrT2NiBswiepspk/s320/IMG_2775.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Unclo Ho fishpond</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiqB2rGanUwYh2GN_GsZxrxPv1OOQK72Dh9-4Yo59-DqrKfD6UTAY_n4qL23Y2dsO-njkXYieHIXQRBixgpLqZE-OJPszGo9u4gkpROVJyX1QrElKEORtghTaT5MYxt322e0/s1600/IMG_2805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiqB2rGanUwYh2GN_GsZxrxPv1OOQK72Dh9-4Yo59-DqrKfD6UTAY_n4qL23Y2dsO-njkXYieHIXQRBixgpLqZE-OJPszGo9u4gkpROVJyX1QrElKEORtghTaT5MYxt322e0/s320/IMG_2805.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the interesting figures inside the Temple of Literature</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Temple
of Literature. </span></b><span lang="EN-US">I
insisted we check out this place, half-imagining we could get to browse some of
the old Vietnamese poems or short stories. I was expecting more on the
literature side and less on the temple side but it turned out the other way. It
used to be a school but now it’s a place for people to pray.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Vietnam
National Museum of History. </span></b><span lang="EN-US">Can I just say that Vietnam is swarming with museums? I
felt like we had too many museum visits and yet, we haven’t even visited most
of them. The National Museum of History was an interesting place in that it keeps
historical artifacts such as jars, tools, even the teeth, skull, and bones of
early Vietnamese people. (<i>Chocoholic's Note: Cameras are not allowed inside the museum.</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We wanted to check out the
Museum of Revolution but we couldn’t find it and the non-English-speaking
locals could not help either. We decided to call it a day. We had to catch a
train ride later that night. (Yes, the <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-3-day-7-riding-reunification.html" target="_blank">30-hour train ride</a> again back to
Saigon.) </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Next: </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-8-epic-40-traveling-hours-for-love.html" target="_blank">Day 8: The Epic 40++ Traveling Hours For the Love of Cambodia</a></span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-35431833797802947372013-09-26T14:42:00.003-07:002013-09-28T15:26:28.463-07:00Day 5: Halong Bay in a Day<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Halong Bay Day, finally! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For our Halong Bay tour,
we chose to go with a guided group tour, again for economical reasons. Halong
Bay is located in Quang Ninh Province, which is a good four hours away from Hanoi
so even if we had an early head start, we arrived at the Bai Chay Tourist Wharf
at noon. This was our jump-off point to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHTg9lqT-U_YrgMZjN7K6A_p8UUDszNHBT2t2WD-gTY-s4UH5JMM7I3hQmYMTiwIGAvOqCPKVEnv_9hG2eIP169KEeVMlbYBLdro3UA0Z1k8fmWhAU7G0BSddz3Fq8iSteo8/s1600/IMG_2679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHTg9lqT-U_YrgMZjN7K6A_p8UUDszNHBT2t2WD-gTY-s4UH5JMM7I3hQmYMTiwIGAvOqCPKVEnv_9hG2eIP169KEeVMlbYBLdro3UA0Z1k8fmWhAU7G0BSddz3Fq8iSteo8/s1600/IMG_2679.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The monolithic rocks of Halong Bay over floating fishing villages</i></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What makes Halong Bay
amazing is the giant rock structures towering above everything else. They make you stop
and wonder how they were formed or what lies beneath those monoliths. I wasn’t
very enticed by the water, however. It was green and disappointingly dirty. I think this
was because the area where we stopped was near floating fishing villages. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We had the chance to go
boating or kayaking (for an additional fee) but since the waters weren’t pleasing
to the sight and the weather was uncooperatively high (‘twas hooooot!), we
lounged in the shaded portion of the awesome roof deck of our boat, just taking
the sights in. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj47gVEU0lPUG1N4kDB4m4AKa86iDFFprBhBM6UOHLXfFTdtePsArHHuuxs47Mb63u9v8msQK6aUpl4ovag7dOBI7bnGFSWAbeG16OPwbpSvtVQvGtoagzcjckKXnmKMQUOE/s1600/IMG_2694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUj47gVEU0lPUG1N4kDB4m4AKa86iDFFprBhBM6UOHLXfFTdtePsArHHuuxs47Mb63u9v8msQK6aUpl4ovag7dOBI7bnGFSWAbeG16OPwbpSvtVQvGtoagzcjckKXnmKMQUOE/s1600/IMG_2694.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tourists boating on the bay</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">There are tours that go
for as long as two to three days and they usually explore other islands in
Halong Bay. That’s something I’d like to try in one of my future travels. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdj1bycjQj2s1_nmnj_canm6Quf_SrKVY6JQHpZooHITQKHP0LQe-covtDHY4ijL5dn278clXMbPy_YqbwrIaeRXMxc_B8fMh9DRWx1fvbP3Jp4OwD8RuGA20oqM8lv5k5Yg/s1600/IMG_2723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpdj1bycjQj2s1_nmnj_canm6Quf_SrKVY6JQHpZooHITQKHP0LQe-covtDHY4ijL5dn278clXMbPy_YqbwrIaeRXMxc_B8fMh9DRWx1fvbP3Jp4OwD8RuGA20oqM8lv5k5Yg/s1600/IMG_2723.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Looks like a scene from a movie, but this is an actual shot of natural light <br />shining beautifully inside Thien Cung Grotto.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">One of the stopovers of
the day tour was the Thien Cung Grotto. I’m no fan of caves but this was a
sight to see. It’s not purely natural now that they put in concrete steps for
the tourists and installed artificial lights. I must say though that the lights
illuminated the beauty of the stalactites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Nb0sG7HiMX6zm-g9EzT0oNXv7hxoBJRm4dSLT-BqBXdwYLjquxvguajsG5SkmM6Zyq1xg1AKoO0KyCVr0mncq6Hka1H6nX2Vp4PuQpd4YMc59Os4zrMAv7JCeMFJ96c7jv4/s1600/IMG_2725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Nb0sG7HiMX6zm-g9EzT0oNXv7hxoBJRm4dSLT-BqBXdwYLjquxvguajsG5SkmM6Zyq1xg1AKoO0KyCVr0mncq6Hka1H6nX2Vp4PuQpd4YMc59Os4zrMAv7JCeMFJ96c7jv4/s1600/IMG_2725.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Just look at those formations behind me!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We got back in Hanoi a
bit late that night and refusing to feel drained or defeated – we just spent
eight hours traveling, which was more than the time it took to tour Halong Bay –
I dragged my travel buddy to a restaurant to grab dinner before retiring for
the night. We found a nice restaurant, Newday, which was small and almost
inconspicuous but served a very delicious and cheap dinner. I also didn’t let the
occasion pass without tasting Vietnamese beer, Bia Hanoi, which was served in a
420ml bottle, making our local beers look puny. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsyv6K263Au_F_QvB0zO-330JO9lGPQH0yKQ6HFOMd55MToTXyLqO4AVVd81Bsx5IyidaTWV0CdwGjwQn8HWQ_QGZXHariYuPhxa37iCqjAZRCcaBZPNA4hr3RFa5JwBNOXo/s1600/IMG_1608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsyv6K263Au_F_QvB0zO-330JO9lGPQH0yKQ6HFOMd55MToTXyLqO4AVVd81Bsx5IyidaTWV0CdwGjwQn8HWQ_QGZXHariYuPhxa37iCqjAZRCcaBZPNA4hr3RFa5JwBNOXo/s1600/IMG_1608.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bia Hanoi. Ahhh, beer. That magic elixir after a long, tiring day. :)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cheers, mate! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: <span style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-6-up-close-with-vietnams-patriarch.html" target="_blank">Day 6: Up Close with Vietnam’s Patriarch</a></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-37604381435587770652013-09-25T15:46:00.001-07:002013-09-26T14:43:36.513-07:00Day 4: Exploring the Old Quarter Streets and Watching the Water Puppet Show<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-3-day-7-riding-reunification.html" target="_blank">Surviving a 30-hour train ride from Saigon</a>, we finally arrived in Hanoi very early in the morning on our
fourth day. We went straight to Hanoi Backpackers’ Hostel, where we made
reservations. We were spent from the train travel so we decided to schedule one
main highlight for the day – the Hanoi Water Puppet Show. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our hostel was located in
the Old Quarter and offered a free walking tour but after a few turns and
stops, we decided to go on our own and explore the Old Quarter by ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEhXzcT06x2w18oH2ZnKIGM8GBPwOjeZCwZjCWtBYWSrYPmS7-bnoD53wGWsWJM917gIPSab9rJr5Ql9I-0Yfwowq_9Q5WkxSaBVrUpNiEFNVgJAWoQpXS95nmVOisDrJQXs/s1600/IMG_2627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEhXzcT06x2w18oH2ZnKIGM8GBPwOjeZCwZjCWtBYWSrYPmS7-bnoD53wGWsWJM917gIPSab9rJr5Ql9I-0Yfwowq_9Q5WkxSaBVrUpNiEFNVgJAWoQpXS95nmVOisDrJQXs/s400/IMG_2627.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hanoi fruit vendor</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjZbpB13Amb1RmjpVnaGyXQpV1wtn6VDsBd1-ta7u1-_qFAwyRpPXypA39pRCYdb4d60ow7lKNulljaDjOZlGgmNceTiMmm7-YU13VizaSniv0tHC4MoCSSvu5MODZhiCvL8/s1600/IMG_2628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjZbpB13Amb1RmjpVnaGyXQpV1wtn6VDsBd1-ta7u1-_qFAwyRpPXypA39pRCYdb4d60ow7lKNulljaDjOZlGgmNceTiMmm7-YU13VizaSniv0tHC4MoCSSvu5MODZhiCvL8/s400/IMG_2628.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An old city gate</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoDWteBmFfSmY9vpPqPubkzFpEi4xn7j12Te63dJJ4pZwemap5I098MCiTMyN5b_fwhmajleQri4fwmZhHKGek23NqLQ3fthtLWSK3VcOlHlX_DXKOrV_i02AwnSlOYn2skg/s1600/IMG_2630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoDWteBmFfSmY9vpPqPubkzFpEi4xn7j12Te63dJJ4pZwemap5I098MCiTMyN5b_fwhmajleQri4fwmZhHKGek23NqLQ3fthtLWSK3VcOlHlX_DXKOrV_i02AwnSlOYn2skg/s400/IMG_2630.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The iconic Vietnamese hat</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">There’s a dedicated
theater for the water puppet show near Hoan Kiem Lake called Thanglong Water
Puppet Theater. Because there are no water puppet shows in the Philippines, curiosity
got the better of me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldjoatAJj7Ems9rQ7Kdl53-xFi7wuk4L4xtHnXAGaCu6zLoLKrIa_hcBIsLQeIi2ey0EFOjvhnWE0jeVG9FgdmMmmyuc-6c0oF6O2SlaYKXmzA4DFRUGpz45e5phQ6IuM4wA/s1600/IMG_2639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldjoatAJj7Ems9rQ7Kdl53-xFi7wuk4L4xtHnXAGaCu6zLoLKrIa_hcBIsLQeIi2ey0EFOjvhnWE0jeVG9FgdmMmmyuc-6c0oF6O2SlaYKXmzA4DFRUGpz45e5phQ6IuM4wA/s400/IMG_2639.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The water puppet show stage from our view </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The water puppet show was
a spectacle to behold with its live accompaniment, colors, and lights. The
performers really put their heart and soul into giving a good show to the
audience, who were mostly tourists. The puppets were attached to long wooden
sticks and were maneuvered by people hidden behind the wooden curtains. The
puppets can only do so much though. Although I can’t say that it is the most
amazing thing I’ve seen, I love how they tried to show their culture and
beliefs through the music and the movements of the puppets. The performance
still merits an applause for their creativity and showmanship. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mKzIHeRtQyF5_BlP0mHc-bx9gDF_U3sQZR3P85tL1TWKvjFD5gMmS76iWkYOlKEPNd1V6HyQIa6FR0TAgWYIjY70gJDSyRUsOBkmMZhGFCFE6h2HQo5gQYuPngw9TduUI8o/s1600/IMG_2640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7mKzIHeRtQyF5_BlP0mHc-bx9gDF_U3sQZR3P85tL1TWKvjFD5gMmS76iWkYOlKEPNd1V6HyQIa6FR0TAgWYIjY70gJDSyRUsOBkmMZhGFCFE6h2HQo5gQYuPngw9TduUI8o/s400/IMG_2640.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The water puppets</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_l_jZGUWIGkOf4XDoQrJUg82MLac4o3BqJ4Sxmha6wVWglBWtYg_cmhuiAnW1gkxdMxySSJCIO4OCShkvZOeK-hF2G-Fb2i0r8cL49k_G7oOAxAcFlISH8xrTPWi508p1IQ/s1600/IMG_2643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_l_jZGUWIGkOf4XDoQrJUg82MLac4o3BqJ4Sxmha6wVWglBWtYg_cmhuiAnW1gkxdMxySSJCIO4OCShkvZOeK-hF2G-Fb2i0r8cL49k_G7oOAxAcFlISH8xrTPWi508p1IQ/s400/IMG_2643.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The music these performers bring adds life to the puppet show</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Next: </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-5-halong-bay-in-day.html" target="_blank">Day5: Halong Bay in a Day</a></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-72074715619925409782013-09-24T17:39:00.000-07:002013-09-25T15:48:15.548-07:00Day 3 & Day 7: Riding the Reunification Express Train to Hanoi and Back<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When we booked our
tickets for Vietnam, traveling north to Hanoi wasn’t part of the plan. Otherwise,
we should have just booked a flight to Hanoi, traveled down to Saigon, and
crossed the border to Cambodia (now that’s an idea!). But after tons of
research, I really, truly, <i>madly</i>
wanted to go to Halong Bay. So what the heck, we built our entire itinerary in
consideration of the 30-hour travel time to Hanoi and another 30 hours going
back to Saigon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Truth be told, I actually
looked forward to the train ride. It lends credibility and authenticity to
being backpackers – traveling like the locals would, listening to their
conversations, seeing them conduct their daily activities, and watching their
movies even if I didn’t understand a single word. But if there’s the <i>good</i>, there’s also the <i>bad</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are different
sections of the train: the hard berth, the soft berth, and the sleeper portion,
from the cheapest to the most expensive respectively. We chose the soft berth
for our trip to Hanoi and spent roughly $60 each. Apparently, train isn’t cheap
in Vietnam. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-0kC9B8TP_RVGQ5_PZrDpDPOCplhSx8d3JoC5Pe_R_p2wBJqR5haN3kEg-PIsePI3JVig8ZiuyXDbzchbVzV2kI3ZFXozRANDG0uFbRR7CmdW5QSPjzYF2plhvabvn9veQY/s1600/IMG_2614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF-0kC9B8TP_RVGQ5_PZrDpDPOCplhSx8d3JoC5Pe_R_p2wBJqR5haN3kEg-PIsePI3JVig8ZiuyXDbzchbVzV2kI3ZFXozRANDG0uFbRR7CmdW5QSPjzYF2plhvabvn9veQY/s320/IMG_2614.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The soft berth section</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Shortly after we boarded
the train, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy ride. Adults were talking to
one another with thin, high-pitched voices. Kids were screaming and running
around. When people slept, they put their feet up on the seats even up to your
head. I must have given a fellow passenger THE LOOK until he backed off. The
bathrooms were ill-kept. Each hour, a food cart would roll along the aisle and
the seller would bark loudly for the entire world to hear. It also didn’t help
that they have very little regard for health and sanitation. My neck, back, and
spine ached from all that sitting and dodging all those unidentified flying
liquids and solids. The train takes multiple stops in between and the
passengers would leave all their trash behind – to the horror of the next
passengers (but they didn’t seem to mind). I felt like time stood still. The
soft berth was rarely empty all throughout the trip and my travel buddy and I –
were the constants. That whole experience was death by train. And a painfully
slow-moving one at that.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-ed_Pkf0dJvrhCYGb2qBfJAZuTqll-bou2uPqqXxZPvqqiHmsHZJ7Pt953vU6B7MrDWYSY4FnEZ-heTppt5GtZVXcZoI-Bg5VcCqTG78-k9lPn1Z6lZ9mpdfMUgxe1HFIV4/s1600/IMG_2814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-ed_Pkf0dJvrhCYGb2qBfJAZuTqll-bou2uPqqXxZPvqqiHmsHZJ7Pt953vU6B7MrDWYSY4FnEZ-heTppt5GtZVXcZoI-Bg5VcCqTG78-k9lPn1Z6lZ9mpdfMUgxe1HFIV4/s320/IMG_2814.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The sleeper section</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Coming back from Hanoi,
we knew better. Even if it was more costly (around $90 each), we chose the
sleeper section. It is more private and comfortable and can accommodate 6
people with 3 beds on each side per room. They didn’t change the bed sheets though,
so if new passengers boarded in one of the stopovers, they’d have to use the sheets
of the passengers before them. There are multiple compartments in the sleeper
section but the bathrooms were well-maintained. If you don’t like to hear the
screaming vendor with the rolling cart, you can just close the door and lock
it. It wasn’t exactly the cleanest but it was so much better than the soft
berth. And this time, I got to appreciate the simple pleasures of a slow ride.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So what do you do on a
30-hour train ride?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To fight the boredom of a
long train ride, I bought a book – Into the Wild by Jon Karakauer. I finished
reading the book, updated my travel journal, listened to music, slept, ate (we
brought our own food), and just marveled at the sights we passed by. There was
one portion of the train ride where it seemed like we were teetering on the
edge of a mountain and on the other side, we can see the vast blue ocean. Breathtaking.
We also saw plenty of lush green rice fields, which is not surprising since
Vietnam is one of the largest exporters of rice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Will I ride the train in
Vietnam again? For long distances, no. But a couple of hours can be tolerable,
I guess. There were a couple of stops that were worth hopping off on, such as
Da Nang or Nha Trang. I would definitely want to come back and explore what
those places can offer. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Next: </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-4-exploring-old-quarter-streets-and.html" target="_blank">Day 4: Exploring the Old Quarter Streets and Watching the Water Puppet Show</a></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-38250188119464592502013-09-23T17:13:00.001-07:002013-09-24T17:42:39.089-07:00Day 2: Cruising Along Mekong Delta<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_ZROnDFl80B93G_82X8oubvbBJuzKcjJ_rGPIaD3R_cc0LTHEL_iWdLbGLzCa_03gdrbfGGNrlel8nQzYL8VPXGNc2CUlb0rs5C9HovZkqC2YJbmAUM07FmWRD9mWHr9laM/s1600/IMG_2572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO_ZROnDFl80B93G_82X8oubvbBJuzKcjJ_rGPIaD3R_cc0LTHEL_iWdLbGLzCa_03gdrbfGGNrlel8nQzYL8VPXGNc2CUlb0rs5C9HovZkqC2YJbmAUM07FmWRD9mWHr9laM/s320/IMG_2572.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Breakfast in Vietnam is typically <br />a baguette with toppings of your choice</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We were off to an early
start on our second day. We signed up for the group tour for Mekong Delta through
our hostel and the bus was going to pick us up at the hostel at 7:45AM.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There are pros and cons to
joining guided group tours. One disadvantage is being forced to stop at places
that do not merit your interest or attention. On the other hand, a guided tour
allows you to relax in the company of fellow tourists. Further, your itinerary
and transportation are taken care of. As it turned out, joining a guided group
tour was a wise decision. The jump-off point for Mekong Delta River was in My
Tho, which is more than an hour’s ride from Saigon. Then you have to rent a
boat to cruise through the river. Did I mention language is a bit of a barrier?
If you’re a first-time tourist in Saigon, better take the guided group tour and
see if you want to wander off on your own the next time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K6_Ilji9SPnjsMs7rQk2NUVwC2OSikEFrosyk9NIym3lDgwxHOlhG8nhcu8wG0IThhA3SF0C-ZwZ2KVmQojSgT9o_mN6tUAbZAw2SwidNJN4oIwiE4Wh7ifLyrniDHS6twM/s1600/IMG_2583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2K6_Ilji9SPnjsMs7rQk2NUVwC2OSikEFrosyk9NIym3lDgwxHOlhG8nhcu8wG0IThhA3SF0C-ZwZ2KVmQojSgT9o_mN6tUAbZAw2SwidNJN4oIwiE4Wh7ifLyrniDHS6twM/s320/IMG_2583.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Boats of trade in Mekong Delta.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Mekong Delta River
flows through China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. The river water is brown, probably from
siltation, and plays an important role in the trade and commerce of the
countries and the livelihood of its inhabitants.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There were a couple of
stops during the tour: a bee farm where I tasted the most delicious honey tea,
a coconut candy factory, and a fruit-tasting place where we were also serenaded
by traditional Vietnamese music. We also stopped for lunch (included in the
tour package). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3Y42y4OKuvC77YOfyg51QjWwl5rcB93KePmfhVnV5m4JbotfqR1cpYsL_bobg_ZIJYEE31x5ip-kGiqzHs10lZfiggt4HPyQv_e_zhe0bMxqKInP-b3HeqQAYdOnhyHBzf4/s1600/IMG_2600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj3Y42y4OKuvC77YOfyg51QjWwl5rcB93KePmfhVnV5m4JbotfqR1cpYsL_bobg_ZIJYEE31x5ip-kGiqzHs10lZfiggt4HPyQv_e_zhe0bMxqKInP-b3HeqQAYdOnhyHBzf4/s320/IMG_2600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The chocoholic on a paddle cruise!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The highlight of the tour
– well, at least for me – was riding a small paddle boat and cruising through
the narrow river channels. It was an exciting experience! When I stepped into
the paddle boat, I was so sure the boat would topple and we’d all fall into the
water. I held on to my dear Hunter. <i>(I
baptized my camera Hunter. Yes, I name my stuff.)</i> But the paddlers have
mastered the art of balance and even if there were occasional boat-to-boat
bumps, the paddlers deftly used the paddle and we coasted on the calm, brown
waters gracefully. I was a happy kid on a sunny afternoon. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">Next: </span><span style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-3-day-7-riding-reunification.html" target="_blank">Day3 & Day 7: Riding the Reunification Express Train to Hanoi and Back</a></span></i></span></span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-20772282887424278542013-09-23T01:41:00.001-07:002013-10-05T20:51:16.045-07:00Day 1: Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) City Tour<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After finding our hostel,
checking in, and being ushered to our 6-bed dorm-type room, I finally hit the
sack at about 4 AM. I was tired as hell but relieved that several months of dreaming,
waiting, and planning did not go to waste. I woke up a few hours later at mid-morning
on a Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first order of
business for the day was to eat. I was starving! There are a couple of places
to eat along our street but The Coffee Lounge caught my attention (It must be
the purple umbrellas.) I had bacon, eggs, bread, and iced coffee. It was a bit
pricey for my standards but when you’re hungry, you cannot be so picky. I didn’t
want to try Vietnamese food just yet. <i>*wink*</i>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Second order of business
for the day: exchange our USD to Vietnamese dong (VND). This was a bit of a
challenge at the start. Although Vietnam is known to be one of the low-cost
tourist destinations in Asia, a lot of Vietnamese people know very little to no
English. There are no English translations for shops or services so we had to
rely on context clues and guts to ask shop owners. We probably walked an entire
street just looking around before reaching an intersection and deciding we didn’t
want to walk around aimlessly anymore. We decided to ask. We later found out
that a lot of shops in Vietnam can exchange your dollars to VND. You just have
to ask. And yes, if you need to, a little sign language or charades can help
you put your question across. Also, a lot of shops accept USD so we saved our
VND for expenses like fare and food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1BKHB2-2YrwSUNRzcDBqRlX1Nnj81yZxltyqyD_UZPL70lig3PTZjiEc5JhocJ48R1fkG4kMUXus0IPxkw9OMy3CKuoLzjMXslxo660A9lYDBC3rXXJejQyhWQd2q839P5Q/s1600/IMG_2456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1BKHB2-2YrwSUNRzcDBqRlX1Nnj81yZxltyqyD_UZPL70lig3PTZjiEc5JhocJ48R1fkG4kMUXus0IPxkw9OMy3CKuoLzjMXslxo660A9lYDBC3rXXJejQyhWQd2q839P5Q/s320/IMG_2456.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ga Saigon ticketing counters</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We needed to purchase train
tickets for our trip to Hanoi the next day so we took a cab to Ga Saigon (the
train station). We had the same dilemma – no English translations. So we simply
mimicked what the residents did despite the fact that we did not understand a
single word on the slip of paper we had on our hands. Thankfully, it was the
right thing to do. Now, time for some sightseeing!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeOUXVOupQh11jqAYXVmVdMMD-cdgEZ0SHs1p3OMO2L-_9tztVIPzUUBDAQakC90ciDao34FiRNHHKhPQtUkqRAoNO-LSyQ3wz3jQq1Kq68gjVt6yZTOe8XGHoU3XPCs3eHs/s1600/IMG_2472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDeOUXVOupQh11jqAYXVmVdMMD-cdgEZ0SHs1p3OMO2L-_9tztVIPzUUBDAQakC90ciDao34FiRNHHKhPQtUkqRAoNO-LSyQ3wz3jQq1Kq68gjVt6yZTOe8XGHoU3XPCs3eHs/s320/IMG_2472.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trung Nguyen's coffee-flavored ice cream</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It started to drizzle after
walking from the train station so we ducked into the nearest Trung Nguyen café to
let the rain pass. Trung Nguyen is one of Vietnam’s homegrown coffee brands and
there are cafes in almost every corner. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From Trung Nguyen, we
decided to stop and look around Ben Thanh Market. They sell about almost everything
in Ben Thanh from coffee beans, bags, and souvenir items. We bought a few items
and when we remembered that we still have several days of traveling (and spending)
to do, we swore to go back before flying back so we know how much money we can
still burn. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMCekDeYwinMFsLnwB1q627idGJIUjouzjXBL3qK_iKi3Q1aQ4nTUZd4xW9oR7il4lZtNPcwg9Amx4_EBiGOJsGU4G6nf5smmGApw_j6MBmpVyW_FpxNo1QEXRkGyyheArhE/s1600/IMG_2491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMCekDeYwinMFsLnwB1q627idGJIUjouzjXBL3qK_iKi3Q1aQ4nTUZd4xW9oR7il4lZtNPcwg9Amx4_EBiGOJsGU4G6nf5smmGApw_j6MBmpVyW_FpxNo1QEXRkGyyheArhE/s320/IMG_2491.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An old Canon camera in the museum</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><b>Ho Chi Minh City Museum.</b> This
wasn’t part of our original itinerary but after a lot of wrong turns and stops,
we somehow ended up here so we explored it anyway. For a small fee of 15,000
VND (around Php 30), you can see interesting pieces of artifacts from their
history.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyF6-p-fl-w0MCkKOn9VC6GBAVRXgpn6-978fYNCVQANl8BAgLl0AukM9ilBd6EzCrhUmCtgSJxTmUUldYJe65YpUrZPFM92ICi5X4QHCJafgjNuexTBqVG97JKxkG2ZowPM/s1600/IMG_2526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvyF6-p-fl-w0MCkKOn9VC6GBAVRXgpn6-978fYNCVQANl8BAgLl0AukM9ilBd6EzCrhUmCtgSJxTmUUldYJe65YpUrZPFM92ICi5X4QHCJafgjNuexTBqVG97JKxkG2ZowPM/s320/IMG_2526.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>From the balcony of the Palace</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Reunification Palace.</b> The
quest to find the Reunification Palace inspired a lot of <a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/how-to-walk-streets-of-vietnam.html" target="_blank">travel tips for navigating the streets</a> of Saigon. More on that in another post. Entrance fee
was 30,000 VND. From outside, it looks
like Malacañang. I loved the water fountain in the middle of a very green
circular field. Other than that, I found it too plain. What we found there are different
meeting rooms with well-preserved furniture. Quite frankly, I enjoyed my museum
visits more than this but then again, history was made here so it still feels
great to visit a place that was instrumental to the country you’re visiting. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9Ifiu5Q398wUsl08ifANj8rm0YvhSnH7zWriUJBBo2YT3EtMNOyJu8_LlwzLoDIpowOI0hBEDuJLABmh3gxQN6NmV6TGouRfcvP11GEyoAQpR_iie13MDlJtdjLwHeODPFQ/s1600/IMG_2535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI9Ifiu5Q398wUsl08ifANj8rm0YvhSnH7zWriUJBBo2YT3EtMNOyJu8_LlwzLoDIpowOI0hBEDuJLABmh3gxQN6NmV6TGouRfcvP11GEyoAQpR_iie13MDlJtdjLwHeODPFQ/s320/IMG_2535.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Amen! A sight for the tired eyes.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Notre Dame Cathedral.</b> A
fellow Filipina we met at the Reunification Palace suggested we should check
this out because of its architectural beauty and it was indeed a sight to see.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt2-9thQny9rPHZmYZ5QLF-6araBBsfETvCwJthCzQ60tBTgi2zcwU18DeNjBYQAtHOrluN9b23LKtjloQiKp1fwKynBQzw8G0jWzSQwhjkTv6q5vZXn3Wl-xyEDVYkTvfw8/s1600/IMG_2539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUt2-9thQny9rPHZmYZ5QLF-6araBBsfETvCwJthCzQ60tBTgi2zcwU18DeNjBYQAtHOrluN9b23LKtjloQiKp1fwKynBQzw8G0jWzSQwhjkTv6q5vZXn3Wl-xyEDVYkTvfw8/s320/IMG_2539.jpg" height="263" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The clock on the building does the trick.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"></b><br />
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Central Post Office.</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"> The
only reason we even trooped to this place was because we badly needed a map and
a few people we asked told us this is where we could get it. The post office
was also conveniently located beside the Cathedral so all we needed was to walk
and get in. It’s a busy, busy, busy building with lots of people coming in and
out. For some weird reason -- although I highly suspect it was the big clock on
the façade of the building and the beautiful Old French interiors – I imagined I
was in Europe. This place is a haven for tourists, too. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0npyTY1UuxO2NuEAAENGdEC43TQx1GfisH_dOOt8Kqw2ip4IDUsJq2-icSlyZ2fSrjsVSCNSdw2mrYDAVJQ2WgpzhgtOW3VSzCAhrY5u77aJZZFhZSocTBkzQyxKxes4qfI0/s1600/IMG_2542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0npyTY1UuxO2NuEAAENGdEC43TQx1GfisH_dOOt8Kqw2ip4IDUsJq2-icSlyZ2fSrjsVSCNSdw2mrYDAVJQ2WgpzhgtOW3VSzCAhrY5u77aJZZFhZSocTBkzQyxKxes4qfI0/s320/IMG_2542.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My travel buddy & blogger Maan inside the Post.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">There are several ATM
machines, money exchange booths, items to sell, and a mailing center. It wouldn’t
be called a post office for nothing. We lounged around a bit because we were
tired from all the walking, even exchanged some USD, and just watched people
doing their own transactions. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Diamond Plaza.</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"> By the
time we left the post office, my stomach was grumbling. We saw that there was a
mall within the vicinity so we went in and guess what we found – KFC! <i>Ahh, the
little joys</i>. Although their gravy is nowhere as lip-smacking as the one we have
here, I was just glad I had my first rice of the day. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMABZwVQuepVWKeo20DNi4uAFjvamaLek30Cmg-TZHAiKnaxieB-_3eB_wCTsQ1i1dYhuYQz0Y1g4S7TNwLbMQmLwxQTFdFbleVhgq1Al6EfM6_1BYq2mdaV30rgEa9j0IJI/s1600/IMG_2564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhMABZwVQuepVWKeo20DNi4uAFjvamaLek30Cmg-TZHAiKnaxieB-_3eB_wCTsQ1i1dYhuYQz0Y1g4S7TNwLbMQmLwxQTFdFbleVhgq1Al6EfM6_1BYq2mdaV30rgEa9j0IJI/s320/IMG_2564.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Saigon Opera House at night.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Saigon Opera House and
City Hall.</b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"> Dusk was starting to settle when we left the mall. We just had to see
Saigon Opera House and the Ho Chi Minh City Hall, which are both astounding at
night with the lights illuminating the French-ness
(if there is such a word) of the buildings.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Our tummies and our hearts full, we decided to call it a day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rjDsWU2eifizoAK2wJnYA73QCwpdJYAu5TgyGaxqHUeYE9MihZI6dZeMRee1Be2n2UmsM7-OuUqn_shx-gzoVDTBGg-lYx-TkYp6SLVIEdhj8W2p-JV_S8jcMhjFQVxV5DI/s1600/IMG_2565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rjDsWU2eifizoAK2wJnYA73QCwpdJYAu5TgyGaxqHUeYE9MihZI6dZeMRee1Be2n2UmsM7-OuUqn_shx-gzoVDTBGg-lYx-TkYp6SLVIEdhj8W2p-JV_S8jcMhjFQVxV5DI/s400/IMG_2565.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ho Chi Minh City Hall. There's actually a wedding pre-nup shoot happening right there!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: </span><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-2-cruising-along-mekong-delta.html" target="_blank">Day 2: Cruising Along Mekong Delta</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-2970432919053968712013-09-19T19:39:00.001-07:002013-10-03T19:38:23.849-07:00Vietnam: Into the Motorcycle Capital of the World<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A couple of bloggers and
travelers have named Vietnam as the motorcycle capital of the world. And I
acquiesce. At least for the major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh (Saigon),
the moniker does give justice to the hundreds and hundreds of motorbikes that
rumble into the streets each day, sending locals and tourists a run for their
lives. You cannot go to Vietnam and sashay like a ramp model. Of course, that
wasn’t the impression running through my head in the pre-Vietnam days. Vietnam
for me, meant coffee, French colony, and the UNESCO World Heritage site, Halong
Bay.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We touched down at Tan
Son Nhat International Airport at an ungodly hour. Our flight was delayed for
more than an hour, pushing our 12:20 AM arrival further into the wee hours of
the morning. The airport was almost deserted, save for a few sleepy personnel.
We took a cab ($20) and went straight to our hostel in Pham Ngu Lao Ward in
District 1. Fortunately, the taxi driver knew where the hostel was exactly
located. The city was asleep too except for a couple of bars that were still
open. I thought Saigon was a nice, quiet little city – until we slept and woke
up the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Saigon literally roars to
life everyday with the motorcycles. One of the local tour guides told us that
with the exception of children and old people, everyone owns a motorcycle in
Vietnam. They outnumber the taxis, private cars, and buses and goodness, they
run alongside these bigger modes of transport as if they were the same size! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFofaePiqkDuBXznmryccNfGwYSLFo-uSs0GpTd5fSunrzAczGpG_ORaAUrfipxnop032W7eyDGQTluSg7EYZpH49XFglTrPOQnmzWqVWQ73TDLqKKh8q8tRDiWQuMZAPVfg/s1600/IMG_2444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFofaePiqkDuBXznmryccNfGwYSLFo-uSs0GpTd5fSunrzAczGpG_ORaAUrfipxnop032W7eyDGQTluSg7EYZpH49XFglTrPOQnmzWqVWQ73TDLqKKh8q8tRDiWQuMZAPVfg/s400/IMG_2444.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>In Vietnam, a motorcycle driver is the king of the road -- even at rest.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span></i><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So it wasn’t the quiet
city I initially expected it to be, but it is a nice city. Their coffee exceeded
my expectations and is incredibly delish. Something about the way they prepare
the coffee or their water or their milk makes it really special. I brought home
coffee from Vietnam and tried to make a cup as tasty but it is not quite the
same. This is something you really have to try for yourself.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhD2J2lYGMGDp3uDNAZnp8COKq_MhJG2asQ9ScAvN3fxYQPsKAPn8RF3GfWbPhSIE05AIV2HNizYA8uvkf1NJR_FfJeiWa0uQJAhCSEm_YqWMfdG3H8s2pYGfQ7qAeqfCAMA/s1600/IMG_3088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqhD2J2lYGMGDp3uDNAZnp8COKq_MhJG2asQ9ScAvN3fxYQPsKAPn8RF3GfWbPhSIE05AIV2HNizYA8uvkf1NJR_FfJeiWa0uQJAhCSEm_YqWMfdG3H8s2pYGfQ7qAeqfCAMA/s400/IMG_3088.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Trung Nguyen is one of Vietnam's homegrown coffee. (the chocoholic's favorite)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">The French colony
influence did not disappoint either. Vietnam has beautiful architectural
structures. What I also admire is that they seem to be hell-bent in documenting
their history, as evidenced by the number of museums they have. Sometimes,
their museums overlap each other in some aspects. Nevertheless, it’s a
conscious effort towards preserving their history and culture.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I will talk about Halong
Bay in a separate post, as I am about to break down our backpacking trip per
day. Because I really wanted to visit Halong Bay, which is in Hanoi (north) and
still cross over to Cambodia (we are quite the ambitious first-time
backpackers), we had to plan our itinerary really well. Although we ticked off
a few items during the actual trip, we pretty much followed the itinerary we
set for ourselves. Here’s a quick overview of our itinerary:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-1-ho-chi-minh-saigon-city-tour.html" target="_blank">Day 1: Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) City Tour</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-2-cruising-along-mekong-delta.html" target="_blank">Day 2: Cruising Along Mekong Delta</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-3-day-7-riding-reunification.html" target="_blank">Day 3 & Day 7: Riding the Reunification Express Train to Hanoi and Back</a></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-4-exploring-old-quarter-streets-and.html" target="_blank">Day 4: Exploring the Old Quarter Streets and Watching the Water Puppet Show</a></span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-5-halong-bay-in-day.html" target="_blank">Day 5: Halong Bay in a Day</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-6-up-close-with-vietnams-patriarch.html" target="_blank">Day 6: Up Close with Vietnam's Patriarch</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-8-epic-40-traveling-hours-for-love.html" target="_blank">Day 8: The Epic 40++ Traveling Hours for the Love of Cambodia</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-9-apsara-dancing-and-shopping-at.html" target="_blank">Day 9: Apsara Dancing and Shopping at the Angkor Night Market</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-10-visiting-angkor-and-presenting.html" target="_blank">Day 10: Visiting Angkor and Presenting... The Happy Pizza</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-11-why-you-should-start-your-angkor.html" target="_blank">Day 11: Why You Should Start Your Angkor Experience at the National Museum</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-12-getting-into-little-trouble-at.html" target="_blank">Day 12: Getting Into A Little Trouble at Ben Thanh Market</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-13-exploring-cu-chi-tunnels.html" target="_blank">Day 13: Exploring the Cu Chi Tunnels</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And so begins our journey.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: <i><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-1-ho-chi-minh-saigon-city-tour.html" target="_blank">Day 1: </a></span></i></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-1-ho-chi-minh-saigon-city-tour.html" target="_blank">Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) City Tour</a></i></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-59527510882671760672013-09-18T12:45:00.002-07:002013-09-19T19:43:00.569-07:00How We Almost Didn’t Make It To Vietnam<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e815lrNfUQsHC2PECM6lONAlLatlHXS7L7KJ9bqEIr8QkpK3ci7_W2e_j2FLRKfhQDruNH9NHdNj40to7XncwL7m1Wxedn5nKuIXAgKUg3-Df0G3OjalV-Rqohc6zkoRRSs/s1600/IMG_2426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3e815lrNfUQsHC2PECM6lONAlLatlHXS7L7KJ9bqEIr8QkpK3ci7_W2e_j2FLRKfhQDruNH9NHdNj40to7XncwL7m1Wxedn5nKuIXAgKUg3-Df0G3OjalV-Rqohc6zkoRRSs/s320/IMG_2426.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The chocoholic's backpack</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">No journey is ever
complete without a few bumps along the way. The first bump of our first
backpacking trip came right at the beginning when we missed our flight to
Vietnam.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">No, we weren’t late for
our flight. In fact, we were already at the Mactan Cebu International Airport two
hours before our 6:15 PM flight to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA),
where we’re supposed to take a 10:50 PM connecting flight to Ho Chi Minh. Between
the 7:30PM estimated arrival time in NAIA and let’s say, the estimated boarding
time of 10:20 PM, we had more than two hours of layover. We even checked in
online so we can avoid the long counter lines. Besides, we took the term backpacking
literally to heart and we carried one backpack and a smaller handbag each so no
check-in baggages and more mobility for us. We were more than confident we’d
catch the flight. The one thing we forgot: to factor in the moody, often
tempestuous weather that the rainy season brings. June is, after all, the start
of that season.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our flight to Manila was
delayed for about an hour. By the time the plane took off, I was very anxious. <i>We’re going to have to make a run for the
international airport as soon as we touchdown</i>. The flight was a little
turbulent – something I’m quite used to. I was a little relieved when I started
seeing the buildings as we were about to land although I noticed the plane was
shaking from the turbulence a little more than the usual. Like what I normally
do before landing, I closed my eyes and waited for the landing <i>thud</i>. Instead, the plane accelerated,
turned its nose upwards, and flew steeply back into the air. I quickly turned
to my travel buddy with horrified eyes. It didn’t help that the week before the
flight, the airline hit headlines when one of their planes overshot a runway in
Davao airport. I recalled one passenger’s testimony of his experience. How
convenient. Times like that, you NEVER want to remember things that can only
aggravate your already frazzled nerves. Not one passenger said a word but we
were looking at each other with meaningful expressions. We really thought we
were in trouble.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Then the PA system
cackled to life, breaking the uncomfortable silence and the captain explained
that he had to abort landing due to zero visibility. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Phew</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. He said he’d try to land the plane again but while we’re
still circling the skies, he received a different order: all flights are to be diverted
to Clark. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Uh-oh</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">. I told my travel
buddy Maan we could get off in Clark and spend our dollars in Subic if
everything else fails. Of course, that was just a joke in an attempt to lighten
the situation. But deep inside, I was fighting my dwindling hopes. We landed in
Clark safely and smoothly. </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Thank God, we’re
alive!</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> But we were stuck there, in our seats, inside the plane for 3 hours.
At around 1AM, the plane received clearance to go back to NAIA.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By the time we arrived in
NAIA, our plane to Saigon already left. The Cebu Pacific crew offered to put us
and several passengers in the next flight and even extended their hospitality
by graciously booking us in a nice hotel with free breakfast, lunch, and dinner
for the next day before being shuttled back to the airport to take our
rescheduled flight. The rescheduled
flight would have sufficed but hey, the free accommodation, shuttle, and meals
did not hurt one bit either. In fact, the gesture was truly appreciated. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After all the paperwork
was completed, we were shuttled to St. Giles Hotel in Makati. After assuring
our parents we were safe, we finally slept at 4AM. <i>What.A.Night!</i> Despite hitting an unexpected snag in our plans, I am
still extremely grateful that I lived – to tell the story and to write it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Next: </span><i><span style="color: red; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/vietnam-into-motorcycle-capital-of-world.html" target="_blank">Vietnam: Into the Motorcycle Capital of theWorld</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-66602139033044534342013-09-18T03:02:00.000-07:002013-09-19T19:42:33.778-07:00Asian Backpacking Chronicles: Vietnam and Cambodia<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnmTy38GzckBP9oAlxp7kJRJxzsMtXRa0hPw89AQM345aDVeXhv3QGMSIjpY0w41wN7mJnvXH6RAWEvkBWkK6LOoTZsNePeh5h7mxqTx0c9D1TbfFQanNAlWS3PVmSZfyY-k/s1600/IMG_1601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnmTy38GzckBP9oAlxp7kJRJxzsMtXRa0hPw89AQM345aDVeXhv3QGMSIjpY0w41wN7mJnvXH6RAWEvkBWkK6LOoTZsNePeh5h7mxqTx0c9D1TbfFQanNAlWS3PVmSZfyY-k/s400/IMG_1601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Travel is love, but I
never wrote “go backpacking” in my bucket list, mostly because I had vague
ideas about it. I've always associated backpacking with mountain or rock
climbing – what with those huge, towering bags that could carry an entire
wardrobe. And I’m a self-confessed introvert with very little to no interest in
sports or anything that requires physical agility. I have a poor sense of
direction and awkward balance. So with utmost certainty, I’ve concluded
backpacking is not meant for me. That is, until I watched a documentary by
Sandra Aguinaldo on her Vietnam and Cambodia backpacking trip. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Aside from dispelling the
myth that it is similar to mountain or rock climbing, backpacking didn’t seem
such a bad idea after all. If anything, it sounded exciting, fun, and challenging.
Traveling on a low budget with a backpack in tow sounded physically exhausting
too but the thrill of novelty, the promise of adventure, and the potential of
spawning great tales and stories far outweighed my apprehensions. This was a
life experience I couldn’t miss. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I couldn’t stop yakking about
it until I convinced myself and a few friends to follow suit and travel by
backpack to Vietnam and Cambodia. Quite the ambitious travelers, we set plans
for a two-week backpacking adventure for June 2013. This was around October
last year. The universe cooperated in this pursuit because the day after we agreed
on the travel dates, Cebu Pacific announced a seat sale. It is on, baby! :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">So, for my next blog
posts (yeah, I figured there’d be more than one), I will write about the
Viet-Cam experience – the quirks, the little misadventures (<a href="http://bitsofchocolate.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-we-almost-didnt-make-it-to-vietnam.html" target="_blank">we almost didn’tmake it!</a>), the joys of first-time backpackers, and everything in between. </span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-58050740631177274702013-09-04T01:14:00.000-07:002013-10-06T20:02:08.348-07:00The Slow Down Challenge# 2: Fast Eater, Multi-Tasker<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I’m joining the Slow Down Challenge initiated by one of my favourite
writers Jeff Goins. If you want to jump in, here’s <a href="http://goinswriter.com/slow-down/" target="_blank">how</a>.</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ve been slacking. Guilty, as charged. But
the day after I posted the first challenge, I got a really painful canker sore
on my lower lip. I couldn’t, for the life of me, accomplish the second
challenge without wincing in pain. Thankfully, after several swabs of gel, I am
back to business and ready to pin down the next challenge.</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbm9PO-Lg-NejZiJlWBL6ZZFFQE0_tb9lhuKN3c3kPQjdi8RiJj9pLnhG-8snhUGlhTbIlZxdae46W3ny7Q4MhFhYm_NKHpLwW-t5N5US9u9oKZ2qyGbymmD9KmLQ9FNk1ILQ/s1600/slow+down+challenge+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbm9PO-Lg-NejZiJlWBL6ZZFFQE0_tb9lhuKN3c3kPQjdi8RiJj9pLnhG-8snhUGlhTbIlZxdae46W3ny7Q4MhFhYm_NKHpLwW-t5N5US9u9oKZ2qyGbymmD9KmLQ9FNk1ILQ/s400/slow+down+challenge+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am part of a
generation of fast-food eaters. I am a fast eater. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The challenge proved
to be tougher than I expected. Sure, I love food. Nothing gives me more
pleasure than eating out with friends and family celebrations are more
memorable with Mom’s culinary specialties. However, appreciation of food itself
is often short-lived and rarely went beyond the critical taste test. The rest
of the eating experience is carried out on autopilot. Even when I’m eating
alone, my brain is too busy reeling with all kinds of to-do lists. <i>So yes, excuse me food, to the backseat you
go. I’m too busy to count how many times I have to throw you around my mouth.</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So to chew
slowly and make each bite intentional and deliberate would take a lot of effort
and self-control. Then again, that’s the point of taking a challenge, isn’t it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Summoning all
my energies and fighting the urge not to babble, I sat down and started with
small servings. In the beginning, it was easy. My entire attention was on the
food in my mouth, how I cut it to bits, or how the juices teased my taste buds.
It was indeed a fuller culinary experience. I felt so much in control and so
in-the-moment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And then we
started talking and the to-do lists flashed on my mind. Poof! My resolve flew
out the window. But it doesn't mean it ends there. Because I’m going to keep
trying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">On hindsight,
if this challenge proved anything, it underscored the fact that I’m a huge
multi-tasker even in the simplest pleasures of life such as enjoying a hearty meal.
I have so much to learn how to slow things down. And I can’t wait to start.</span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-63894080456387881032013-08-22T11:13:00.000-07:002013-10-06T20:02:08.351-07:00The Slow Down Challenge# 1: Itsy Bitsy Silky Spidey<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I’m joining the Slow Down Challenge initiated by one of my favourite writers
Jeff Goins. If you want to jump in, here’s <a href="http://goinswriter.com/slow-down/" target="_blank">how</a>.</span></span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s been more
than two months since I left my third employer.<i> </i>I am jobless, unemployed, and “bumming professionally,” as I’d
like to say. This is by far the longest I’ve been without a job. No rigid 8 to
5 routines and overtimes, no deadlines to beat, and no reports to finish. <i>Life couldn’t
get any slower than this</i>, I thought. I owned my time. I did things because
I wanted to, not because I have to. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then I hit the
2-month mark. I became restless, uncomfortable, and paranoid when I should be
basking in this glorious, temporary freedom. I guess when you’ve been in the
rat race for so long, your brain is wired to shun the dull moments and prompt you
to get back in the game asap. If you’re the kind of person whose eye is always
on the destination and not the journey itself, this might work. But for me, who
is an avid advocate of deliberately living and not merely existing, this
perspective raises red flags. Quality trumps quantity, every time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyway, back to the challenge. Here's the <a href="http://goinswriter.com/smell-roses/" target="_blank">Slow Down Challenge for Day 1</a>.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This was an interesting challenge. Can I slow down any further?</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I decided to
explore the little nooks in the house and started with the dirty kitchen.
Nothing, except for 3 frogs lumped together in one corner. I stood in the empty
garage, closed my eyes, and used my ears to catch unusual sounds. Except for
the television sounds coming from the neighbour’s house, nothing. I checked out
the trees, the plants, and everything green. Nothing. Damn.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Abandoning the
idea entirely, I decided to take out my camera for a little practice shooting
instead. I was about to take a shot of a small flower when I saw it. <i>Itsy bitsy spider dancing around its web.</i>
I zoomed in on the little creature, hoping to capture a macro shot but it won’t
stay still. Then I realized it was building its web. I have never seen a spider
build its web before. I watched it with awe as it tirelessly spun a geometric
fortress made of silk. How did it even know where to go or what to do to
unleash that flimsy silk from its arms? I held my breath, almost too afraid one
huff of air might blow the web away. A mysteriously beautiful creation was
unfolding right before my eyes. I took a few snapshots, hoping my amateur
photography skills could give justice to such splendour. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank You, for all
things beautiful and breathtaking. </span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-63093257640151814312013-01-06T09:30:00.001-08:002013-01-06T09:37:48.260-08:007 Milestones That Made My 2012 Awesome<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I don’t
typically do a countdown of sorts to welcome the New Year. Recently, however, I
came across an interesting school of thought called The Happiness Advantage by
Shawn Achor. Watch his Ted talk <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLJsdqxnZb0&playnext=1&list=PL804846646EBCD4AF&feature=results_video" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></b>.
Witty presentation and entertaining as hell, too.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">According to
Achor, we have a twisted view of happiness and success. Our brains are wired to
think that if we work harder, we become more successful. The more successful we
get, the happier we become. That is our current formula for success and
happiness. After years of research, what he found out is that our brains work
in reverse! When we train our brains to be positive, we are more productive,
more resilient, and yes, more successful. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So what does
this have to do with me? (or you, for that matter) Well, what this simply means
is that we underestimate the power of positive thinking. Note that the
operative word is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">train</i>, which
involves a conscious, wilful effort towards achieving it. One of the strategies
Achor highlights to start creating the ripple of positivity is to list down the
things you are grateful for every single day. And this is how I want to start
the year – light, positive, and just plain thankful for the awesome year that
was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;">On average, one
year gives us probably around a hundred noteworthy experiences – good and bad, pleasant
or otherwise. I have narrowed mine to seven. And since my goal for this post is
to be as positive as I can, here are the seven best experiences that made my
year awesome and memorable in different ways. <span style="mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Swimming with the whale sharks in Oslob.</span></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;"> Oslob is a quiet town in the southern
part of the Cebu province. Well, it used to be quiet until word got around that
whale sharks (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">butanding</i>, in the local
language) were spotted in the beaches. Oslob became a sensation. Everyone wanted
to go there to see the whale sharks, including yours truly. So several of my
work colleagues and I packed our swimming gear, cramped ourselves in a rented
multicab, and drove around 2 hours to Oslob. And it was beautiful. Just like a
lot of Cebu towns, it was rich in cultural heritage. The whale sharks did not
disappoint, either. The experience was breathtaking and a little scary –
swimming just meters away from live creatures bigger than you with nothing
between you and them but just water. And those mouths! Oh my god, I think if
they really wanted to, they could suck you right into their mouths. I had this irrational
fear that they would gleefully chomp down my legs, but thank God, it never
crossed their minds. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As we were leaving,
my heart sank when I saw chips of paint on their mouths from bumping into the
boats. I just wish there was a better way of taking care of them.</i> We drove
back to the city that afternoon and as we were driving along the south road
properties area – as if on cue, fireworks lit up the sky. Amazing. Seeing the colours
engulf the black night in smoke and light. That would have been a perfect ending
to a beautiful day. Until the engine of the multicab conked and wouldn’t start.
Epic fail. We were stuck for about an hour until help came along. Nevertheless,
it was a great day and we had a pretty good laugh about it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Writing my bucket list. </span></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">A bucket list is simply a list of things you want to do or experience before
you die. I never thought I’d make one for myself. But the whale shark encounter
in Oslob really inspired me, along with the realization that the clock is
ticking and there are so many things I still wanted to do, experience, or make
out of this life. Some of them reasonable. Some of them just plain crazy. But
who cares, right? My life, my rules. I once wrote a post on the difference
between existing and living. Writing my bucket list made me look into my own heart
and define for myself the kind of life I want to live. My bucket list is my personal
manifesto, a promise to myself to not waste this life, and a declaration to
live out my dreams. You see, life is so random that I want to put a little more
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deliberate-ness</i> into this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">random-ness</i>. I don’t know if it makes
sense to you but it does to me. And strange as it may sound, I have a really
good feeling that going after each item in my list will teach me a thing or two
about life and living. So I am quite the excited little kid. And the world is
my playground. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Learning how to drive. </span></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">I wanted to learn how to drive for a number of reasons, the most
ridiculous of which is getting another valid, government-issued ID in the form
of a driver’s license. On a more serious note, I wanted to learn how to drive so
I don’t have to keep asking my brother or my father to drive me to where I want
to go. Also, one of my items on my bucket list involves driving so learning to
drive is simply a means to an end, not the end itself. Anyway, I took driving
lessons last year and learned the basics. A little more practice and mastery
should do the trick. So for now, it’s a work in progress. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Taking up a crash course on film. </span></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">The last time I dabbled in film was during my college
years for my thesis. I love watching films. Creating one is a different story
though and requires a lot of patience and hard work. The filmmaking course was
offered on a scholarship. I got in, attended the classes, and produced a
5-minute film about </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=KJ8ID-0xIs4&feature=endscreen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mega Cebu</a></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Auditioning for a musical play. </span></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Another item in my bucket list. The thing with a bucket
list is that once you put each item into writing (and does not remain as some
vague idea in your head), you have signified your commitment to doing
everything your power to make it happen. If you are gunning for a life with no
regrets, this commitment might be the extra push you need to keep going despite
the frailty of your convictions. When I woke up in the morning of the audition
day, I wanted to get sick. My feet were cold and it felt as if I drank a dozen
cups of coffee. I was nervous and jittery all over. My heart was in my throat
and my mind flew somewhere else. Anyway, to make the long story short, I walked
into that audition and went as far as the final casting audition. I’d have to
say I enjoyed going through the process. It was all very new and exciting to
me. In the end, I didn’t make it to the play but I have ABSOLUTELY no regrets.
Well, until next time then. </span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Traveling to Shenzhen, China. </span></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">In 2011, I traveled to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Davao. I
thought for 2012, I’d lie low and save for a major trip in 2013. But I guess I
got lucky. Our team decided to hold our teambuilding exercises in Shenzhen,
China. I always feel ecstatic when I travel. And who doesn’t? It’s an adventure,
a trip outside of your comfort zone. It means meeting new people and immersing
yourself in a new culture and a new way of life. Geography can be very limiting.
Yes, I am referring to the physical boundaries that separate nations, cities,
and towns. Traveling gives you the opportunity to look at life in a different
lens. It liberates you from your own narcissism and ignorance. Plus, you get to
learn about yourself or the people you’re traveling with. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Getting inked. </span></b><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">Safe
to say, I did not end my year with a bang. It was more like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bzzzzzzt</i>. A buzzing sound like that of a
bee, except that it came from an electronic needle that stung my flesh over and
over again. Getting a tattoo is an item on my bucket list. People have asked me
why the hell I wanted to undergo such torture. I guess it’s my own way of
testing my limits; in this case, my tolerance for pain. Tattoo, check! <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">The bar has just been raised and 2013
is going to be a tougher year – because playing it safe in the status quo is a
dangerous thing. I hope my 2013 will be bold, risky, and adventurous – in a
positive way. But I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. I’m taking it easy,
one milestone at a time. I super love what one of my favourite writers, Jeff
Goins, says: </span><span class="usercontent"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-themecolor: text1;">"Some
of the best things in life cannot be planned. They can only be enjoyed. So go.
Live. Be surprised." <o:p></o:p></span></i></span></span></span></div>
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the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-28989944618573004622012-12-31T07:45:00.001-08:002012-12-31T07:49:27.389-08:00I write, just because<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 6.7pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“<i>Then why didn’t you
become a writer?</i>” a colleague asked me once – too quizzically, I began to
think he was mocking me. I was telling him writing is, was, and has
always been my therapy and my passion. He smartly asked me back why I
wasn’t working in the media.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Well, you really don’t
need to be in the media to write, do you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some six years ago, I
found myself fascinated by this craze they call web logging or <i>blogging. </i>Publication
in an instant. I fell in love with it. And who wouldn’t? You have the power
right at your fingertips (literally) to say something however and whenever you
want to. There’s a downside to this, though. This newfound freedom to put your
thoughts in the cyberspace is prone to abuse. Some use it as their personal
venting space talking gibberish. Some use this to spread false rumors and
inaccurate reports. As for me, this kind of new media allows me to be a writer
in my own right. I have always been the quiet type around people. But when I
feel strongly about something, I want to be heard. And although I am more vocal
now that I’m older, I will always go back to my first love: the written word
and its beautiful progression – from being just a faint wisp of idea floating
around this universe until it finds its way to me. Inspiration strikes. And
when it does, it hits like a storm. Unstoppable, unrelenting. Words sail
through like bullets and I find myself furiously typing my thoughts out in pure
white heat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Six years ago, in this
same blog, I said that people have their own reasons why they write and that
the reasons vary from time to time. So now, six years later, I attempt to list
down the reasons why that burning flame of passion never seems to die out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 6.7pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I write because I’ve
always been such a dreamer. Of things. Of places. Of times. A hopeless
idealist. And when reality frowns upon that idealism and shatters it painfully
into a million pieces, I retreat to where it all started, my heart bleeding
profusely over a love lost, friendship wasted, or failed endeavor. Living in a
world that can’t stop talking, my pen silently bears witness to every sorrow as
it slowly ebbs away, giving in to joy and ultimately, to hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 6.7pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-left: 4.5pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-PH;">I write to create memories. Someday, I’d like to look
back and imagine how I felt during each milestone in my life. I write to NOT
forget. </span><span lang="EN-US">I
think we often suffer from some sort of memory loss, although I highly doubt it
is deliberate. Human as we are, we have a natural compulsion to remember all
happy thoughts and just forget the ones that ripped us to shreds. Sure, it’s
easier that way. But we have got to remember the lessons, the wisdom that kept
us going until we finally found the strength to pull ourselves back together. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-PH;">I don’t want
to forget these things – the little details and the experiences that made me
who I am today. And who I will be tomorrow. </span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 6.7pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 6.7pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I write to keep my
personal sanity in check. It makes me think. Once. Twice. Many times. It makes
me argue with myself. Crazy, I know. And I don’t actually know how to explain
this without sounding nuts, so I’ll leave it to the expert(s) to do the
explaining. Norbet Platt said: “The act of putting pen to paper encourages
pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which
helps us regain our equilibrium.” If you were to ask me, life does not always manifest
itself in the obvious. You have to scratch beneath its surface, dig through
your thoughts, and burrow through your own fears and doubts to find the gold
that truly matters. Whatever that gold is, I leave that up to you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 6.7pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: 6.7pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">I could go on and on. Tomorrow
and the day after, I will only find more reasons to write. Even if it means I have
to face my demons (sloth, lack of discipline, perfectionism) to get my writing
done, I will keep writing. Until I become a better writer. And until I become a
better person. :)</span></span></div>
the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18202326.post-37405873629851513492011-12-31T02:18:00.000-08:002011-12-31T02:46:23.167-08:00Hello, 2012<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Are you truly living or merely existing? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Almost a year ago, I gave myself a challenge to find my answer to that question. And a challenge to write more than once for the year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I guess the latter was a bit harder to accomplish – what with all the juggling a striving young professional has to deal with these days. Then again, I might just be full of excuses. Writing requires time and discipline. And I shamelessly lack both. Wink, wink. Anyway, my ramblings on the creative process of writing belong to a different post, which has been sitting idly on my laptop for quite some time. I will go back to that soon. But for now, the challenge I set for myself is begging for an answer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What does it take to live? What does it take to exist? To exist is to eat, to breathe, to clothe oneself, and to do everything that enables one to physically survive. To live, however, is to go beyond this mere existence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">To live is to love, to pursue your greatest passions, to read a book, to write, to laugh out loud, to travel and see the marvels of the world, to learn new things, to take risks, to conquer fears, to experience the full spectrum of human emotions, and the list goes on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have to admit, existing is so much easier than living. But what kind of life would that be? I only have one shot at this life, and I don’t even know how long I’ll live, so I gotta KICK.ASS.AT.THIS!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">2012 brings another 366 days of as yet unknown struggles, joys, challenges, and rewards. But even before all those come around, the beginning of the year gives us a chance to define for ourselves the kind of life we truly want to live. For me, right now, that’s all that matters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So 2012, bring it on. Happy New Year, everyone. <em>La vita e bella.</em></span></div>
<br />the chocoholichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04798936505408048978noreply@blogger.com3