Pic: Banana Flower???
Pic: Garden at San Pao Tong
Pic : Delicious and most expensive duck in Ipoh. Cost RM34 each.
Pic : Udang Galah??? Meat like chicken taste.
Pic : Before in the plate~~~
Pic : In front of Kellie's Castle
Pic : Our room in Ipoh.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
IPOH 3D2N ~ Team Building
Pic: Banana Flower???Pic: Garden at San Pao Tong
Pic : Delicious and most expensive duck in Ipoh. Cost RM34 each.Pic : Udang Galah??? Meat like chicken taste.Pic : Before in the plate~~~Pic : In front of Kellie's CastlePic : Our room in Ipoh.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Sapa 3Days 4Nights
We took the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai. The train started at 915pm. We were lucky because they upgraded our room from VIP soft sleeper to Deluxe soft sleeper. The journey takes about 8 hours. Nothing can do in the train except sleeping. But it is tough to sleep inside the train as it shakes too much. The most challenging part is when you go pee or poo. When you pee you need to sit very tight else your bottom will get off from the toilet bowl. Some more, is more challenging for girls especially we do not sit but squad down. Imagine when you poo~~~~the chocolate cake not aiming into the bowl~~ =P~~~ Lagi TOUGH man!!!! Luckily I did not poo that time ~~ really cannot imagine~~ Hiew~~
"Oh Man~~" many people in the train station when we reached. "Kelam Kabut" , I kept on filtering those white A4 papers with name on it. "Deng~~~, cannot see my name on any of the A4 paper" Suddenly, a man with white jacket came to me with a full name list. I thought to ignore at first, but thinking it might has my name on it because the 2 foreigners next to me pointed on the paper and said "Ya ... ". Quickly, I glanced through it. "Yeah~~baby there's my name" The guy didn't speak much.... but with broken english he said "YOU, wait here .... wait here ...Don't Go." Then he showed us to a bus. It takes around an hour to reach Sapa Town. Along the road, we see nothing but heavy cold haze like white paper. Boon tried to open the window. Cold wind blows ~~ made me shaking ~~ really cold ~~~
After reaching the royal sapa hotel, we are given coupon for breakfast. Then met our lovely trek guide. Her name is Moon. Sounds romantic to me.
Many women and kids have to come out from the villages to sapa town, just to sell the souvenirs, or following the people who are going for trekking for 5-7km, just to sell RM10-12 handicraft. However, they are not as poor as we think. They have color television and satellite TV shows (just like our astro). They whole family like to sit together before dinner for films and tv shows.
Don't feel strange or weird when you see their neighbours are coming in and out from their houses. Is normal for them to have a nap at neighbours house or even meals together.
In Sapa, you will see a lot of black pigs, fat dogs and cats. It was quite pity when I heard the dogs and cats will be on the table in winter. They feed them very nice until the cats and dogs so fat. So cute. But at the end, they cook them during winter time. Because dog meat will make their body feel warm.
Trekking in Sapa is really a great experience. You can see thousands small padi fields, clean and clear river, feel the windy breeze and more .
For the first day, we trekked down from Sapa town to Ta Van Village which we are going to over night there for the first night. It is around 10 km. I still feel energetic for the first day, but when come to second day, my legs already pain.
Moon prepared those delicious meals. We ate together with the home stay owner and her family.
We slept at 10pm. Actually, we played cards for at least 4 hours as nothing much to do there.
Next morning, we continue to trek down to Ban Ho village which is 13km. The most challenging part was when passing through the bamboo forest. Because the land quite muddy.
When reached Ban Ho, we went for hot spring. But the hot spring is not "hot" at all. It costs us each RM2. Then when back to home stay, we took fast bath because at night no electricity. Damn. So unlucky. We have "candle light" dinner. Romantic right?
Then we played the turtle king game for the whole night just using the candle light.
On the 3rd morning, we have to walked up the mountain to where we have our lunch and van picks up back to Sapa town. At night, we back again to Hanoi using the train.
Pic : Hanoi train station to Sapa
Pic : Relax at Ta Van village
Pic : Passing through river
Pic : The Hmong girl which followed us on the journey to Ta Van village.
Pic : She is very cute right?
Pic : Cute boy before head to Ban Ho village
Pic : Beautiful cabbage flowers
Pic : Our homestay kitchen in Ban Ho
Pic : Our homestay room in Ban Ho
Pic : Second day homestay at Ban Ho
Pic : Ban Ho Village
Pic : Red Dao Women
Pic : Together with homestay owner and her family
Pic : Sapa River
Pic : My lovely trek guide, Moon.
Pic : Our trek map in Sapa
Pic : Behind is whole picture of Ban Ho village
"Oh Man~~" many people in the train station when we reached. "Kelam Kabut" , I kept on filtering those white A4 papers with name on it. "Deng~~~, cannot see my name on any of the A4 paper" Suddenly, a man with white jacket came to me with a full name list. I thought to ignore at first, but thinking it might has my name on it because the 2 foreigners next to me pointed on the paper and said "Ya ... ". Quickly, I glanced through it. "Yeah~~baby there's my name" The guy didn't speak much.... but with broken english he said "YOU, wait here .... wait here ...Don't Go." Then he showed us to a bus. It takes around an hour to reach Sapa Town. Along the road, we see nothing but heavy cold haze like white paper. Boon tried to open the window. Cold wind blows ~~ made me shaking ~~ really cold ~~~
After reaching the royal sapa hotel, we are given coupon for breakfast. Then met our lovely trek guide. Her name is Moon. Sounds romantic to me.
Many women and kids have to come out from the villages to sapa town, just to sell the souvenirs, or following the people who are going for trekking for 5-7km, just to sell RM10-12 handicraft. However, they are not as poor as we think. They have color television and satellite TV shows (just like our astro). They whole family like to sit together before dinner for films and tv shows.
Don't feel strange or weird when you see their neighbours are coming in and out from their houses. Is normal for them to have a nap at neighbours house or even meals together.
In Sapa, you will see a lot of black pigs, fat dogs and cats. It was quite pity when I heard the dogs and cats will be on the table in winter. They feed them very nice until the cats and dogs so fat. So cute. But at the end, they cook them during winter time. Because dog meat will make their body feel warm.
Trekking in Sapa is really a great experience. You can see thousands small padi fields, clean and clear river, feel the windy breeze and more .
For the first day, we trekked down from Sapa town to Ta Van Village which we are going to over night there for the first night. It is around 10 km. I still feel energetic for the first day, but when come to second day, my legs already pain.
Moon prepared those delicious meals. We ate together with the home stay owner and her family.
We slept at 10pm. Actually, we played cards for at least 4 hours as nothing much to do there.
Next morning, we continue to trek down to Ban Ho village which is 13km. The most challenging part was when passing through the bamboo forest. Because the land quite muddy.
When reached Ban Ho, we went for hot spring. But the hot spring is not "hot" at all. It costs us each RM2. Then when back to home stay, we took fast bath because at night no electricity. Damn. So unlucky. We have "candle light" dinner. Romantic right?
Then we played the turtle king game for the whole night just using the candle light.
On the 3rd morning, we have to walked up the mountain to where we have our lunch and van picks up back to Sapa town. At night, we back again to Hanoi using the train.
Pic : Hanoi train station to Sapa
Pic : Relax at Ta Van village
Pic : Passing through river
Pic : The Hmong girl which followed us on the journey to Ta Van village.
Pic : She is very cute right?
Pic : Cute boy before head to Ban Ho village
Pic : Beautiful cabbage flowers
Pic : Our homestay kitchen in Ban Ho
Pic : Our homestay room in Ban Ho
Pic : Second day homestay at Ban Ho
Pic : Ban Ho Village
Pic : Red Dao Women
Pic : Together with homestay owner and her family
Pic : Sapa River
Pic : My lovely trek guide, Moon.
Pic : Our trek map in Sapa
Pic : Behind is whole picture of Ban Ho villageHanoi City
We went a lot nice places for lunch and dinner. Summary as below:
1. Little Hanoi - cost us US $ 32 , ordered fresh spring roll and crunchy spring roll, sweet and sour chicken,2 baguette with ham, egg and pho beef. The spring roll here is very nice especially the fresh spring roll. Each roll has 4 prawns and covered with vege and of course the rice paper. 4 black coffee, so bitter need to add in a lot of sugar and milk.
2. 69 Restaurant
3. Mediterranean Restaurant
4. Roadside food - Pho chicken and "yau zha guei" for breakfast
5. Brother Buffet - cost each of us USD16
6. Cha Cha Va Long - cost each of us VND90,000 (RM18) excluding the drinks
7. Peperonnis Pizza - cost each of us VND80,000 (RM16). It has very nice sets of pizza and pasta mix.
8. Pho Co Cafe - I wonder why they said NICE.
9. Fanny Ice-cream - Nice, different flavours ice-cream, I love coconut the most.
We queued up for 3 hours together with local people just to see Ho Chi Minh's 遗容. Deng!!! 3 hours wow~~~ the longest queue I ever queued for my whole life.
They say is lucky if you can see the turtle in the Ho Kiem Lake. Damn, we for sure were lucky. Because when we walked along the lake, Boon saw the turtle first. Then suddenly everyone was rushing to see the turtle (attention : those are local people) including those cycling a long the roadside. They all were following the bumble on the surface just wanted to see the turtle again)
Puppet shows was not so nice. I slept twice during the show. =P.
1. Little Hanoi - cost us US $ 32 , ordered fresh spring roll and crunchy spring roll, sweet and sour chicken,2 baguette with ham, egg and pho beef. The spring roll here is very nice especially the fresh spring roll. Each roll has 4 prawns and covered with vege and of course the rice paper. 4 black coffee, so bitter need to add in a lot of sugar and milk.
2. 69 Restaurant
3. Mediterranean Restaurant
4. Roadside food - Pho chicken and "yau zha guei" for breakfast
5. Brother Buffet - cost each of us USD16
6. Cha Cha Va Long - cost each of us VND90,000 (RM18) excluding the drinks
7. Peperonnis Pizza - cost each of us VND80,000 (RM16). It has very nice sets of pizza and pasta mix.
8. Pho Co Cafe - I wonder why they said NICE.
9. Fanny Ice-cream - Nice, different flavours ice-cream, I love coconut the most.
We queued up for 3 hours together with local people just to see Ho Chi Minh's 遗容. Deng!!! 3 hours wow~~~ the longest queue I ever queued for my whole life.
They say is lucky if you can see the turtle in the Ho Kiem Lake. Damn, we for sure were lucky. Because when we walked along the lake, Boon saw the turtle first. Then suddenly everyone was rushing to see the turtle (attention : those are local people) including those cycling a long the roadside. They all were following the bumble on the surface just wanted to see the turtle again)
Puppet shows was not so nice. I slept twice during the show. =P.
Pic: Pho Co Cafe
Pic : Our Ordered Cafe, Yogurt Coffee, Egg Coffee (Yucks) =P
Pic : Me in front of Ho Chi Minh's House
Pic: In front of Ho Chi Minh's museum
Pic : In front of Ho Kiem Lake entrance
Pic: Day view of Ho Kiem Lake
Pic : Night view of Ho Kiem Lake
Pic : Looks like somewhere in Hong Kong right?
Pic : Boon and I in front of St Joseph Cathedral
Pic : Beautiful Lamp shop
Pic : kalaptop = "假“laptop (fake laptop if pronounce in Cantonese)
Pic : Me in front Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum
Pic : Choco fountain at famous ice-cream shop, Fanny Ice-Cream.
Pic : Brother Restaurant
Pic : BBQ stall at Brother Restaurant
Pic : Brother Buffet Area
Pic: Mediterranean Restaurant
Pic : Famous Cha Cha Va Long (Fish cook with vege)
Pic : Inside One Pillar Pagoda
Pic : One Pillar Pagoda
Pic : Paper rice in 69 Restaurant
Pic : Hanoi Old Quarters
Pic : Hanoi Old Quarters
Pic : Silk bags in Hanoi Town
Pic : Spring Roll in Little Hanoi RestaurantThis vietnam trip is the most enjoyable and satisfied trip I ever have so far. I used different transportation including air plane, boat, sampan, bus, bicycle, car and "11" bus (my feet).
4 of us went there on 22/3/2008 Saturday morning and back on 30/3/2008 Sunday morning. So it makes 9Days 8 Nights. We slept 3 nights in the hostel, 2 nights in the train, 2 nights at home stay and 1 night on boat in Halong Bay.
I spent around Rm1400 for this trip including hostel, packages, expenses in Malaysia before boarding and some souvenirs at Hanoi airport. Based on what I have seen so far, the chocolate sells at Malaysia airport is much more expensive than Hanoi airport. I managed to get the "Messi" Chocolate which has 8 different kinds of flavor for RM17. While at Malaysia airport it sells for RM19.
Expenses Details as below:
Hostel USD14
Air Fare RM358
Package to Sapa USD92
Package to Halong Bay USD57
Package to Tam Coc USD17
Puppet Show VND 40,000
and other miscellaneous
Bear in mind, in Hanoi city, they sell a lot of handicraft, silk bags, teddy bears in silk and etc.
I managed to get the vietnam traditional costume magnet for RM1 each which is the lowest price I asked so far. Other stalls they offered USD1 for 2, some even USD1 for 1. Damn expensive. I also managed to get fish looking small bag for RM4 each. Heard people say the green bean is very famous so each box I bought is around RM3-5. A small silk bag for RM5. A lucky chain for RM0.80. And a pencil case for RM12 (which I bought from sapa little girl as she helped me a lot during trekking )
Be careful when you take taxi/cab in Vietnam, some of the taxi drivers they have "fixed" the taxi meter which it runs so fast as you heart beats. Some taxi , they start the price at RM3 for the first 2KM.
Anyway, I would like to break down my journey into 4 parts, which are Hanoi city, Halong Bay, Sapa and Tam Coc-Hoa Lu.
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