“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails." - Mark Twain
These quotes are in my head almost all the time, it reminds me to seize my youth.
(Maybe on a flip side, it is not too good as it makes me pretty aggressive with my goals - I want to travel, I want to do this that etc. I get so anxious when I feel that I am being confined and not doing enough with my life. Always feeling the need to be on the move or doing something. Well, I'll learn along the way as I go through life)
I decided to visit Ho Chi Minh for a very short 3 days 3 nights.
2 big questions that a lot of friends asked:
(i) Are you going alone? Why?
(ii) Don't you feel it is too short, might as well not go then?
I'd like to share some thoughts on these. A lot of us think that going alone is lonely, but nooo. In my opinion, travelling alone gives a good space for introspection, and it allows us to decide what we truly want to do - we have the full control of our time. Also, there will be more chances to meet new friends, speak to the locals and be adventurous. Maybe, safety might be a concern but there are definitely ways to work around that. (ps: I was not alone ok hehe since I visited my friends in HCM)
Yes, but what about if the available time you have is short. Would you wait a few more months for the right time to come? Then I will ask myself, till when will you wait? Maybe this is a trait of a young lady - wild, free and she just wants to enjoy the freedom she has.
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HCM is a city for the young - everyone moves around with motorcycles, quick, sometimes reckless but safe. Everything feels so fast here, perhaps it's the effect of motors - crossing the road is also an adventure. Most of their buildings have many levels where one has to climb stairs - I wonder how the old do it over there. The meals there are pork-based and noodle-based. However, there are many vegetarian options available too.
During my stay, I was very lucky to stay with a good friend who is from HCM, so I got to experience the life of a local. Throughout the 3 days, I was always on her motorbike - rain or shine :) The roads to their houses are soooo narrow as well, it is impossible to own a car because there is no place for you to park the car.
Will let the pictures do the talking!
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| Motorcycles in the parking instead of cars |
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| Bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls) |
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Good morning Saigon! Notice how the houses have at least 3 stories.
Also, houses have a corner that has no ceilings in between floors;
this allows families to talk with one another even they are on different floors! |
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| Bún bò Huế: Rice vermicelli and beef - homemade |
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| The narrow street between houses |
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Thank you AIESEC for these friends hehe.
Also thank you for going with me through the most difficult tunnel which no Vietnamese normally completes haha |
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Signature Củ Chi Tunnel pose
(altho I had a hard time getting out of this tunnel) |
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| The narrow and dark tunnel |
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Bún thịt nướng: Cold rice vermicelli with grilled pork, fresh vege & fish sauce
(I love this so much! 5 stars) |
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| Bánh tráng trộn: Rice paper salad |
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The best restaurants don't have to look the best or cost the most.
HCM is a really a good place where you can enjoy quality with cheap money.
This is an old apartment which they turned into a building of cafes.
The Café Apartment
Partea: some fancy tea place, you get to choose your own tea cups
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| Bò lá lốt: Beef wrapped in betel leaf (left) |
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| Bánh xèo: Sizzling pancake |
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| A simple place by the roadside for supper |
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I could not understand a single thing during mass!
Haha should go to the Notre Dame instead, they have English mass there :) |
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| Church choir dressed in Áo dài |
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| Post office! I'm now tanned after this picture haha jk |
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Reading is a culture in VN.
Their book advertisement are made with thought like this :) |
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| Book street, nearby Notre Dame Cathedral |
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Trying the smelly food of Vietnam:
Bun Dau Mam Tom
(bad smell is due to the shrimp paste dip) |
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| Horse Chess - I play this game so badly because it requires so much luck |
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| On my last night, round 1: shellfish |
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| Round 2 was at the riverside with this view *love* |
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As I was watching the nightview, suddenly heard this girls shout and tadaaa
they surprised me with a cake and sparklers. Sooo thougtful and sweet |
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