My Saigon Vacation- Episode II: Apocalypse Wow

Day two in Saigon started the way all my days do- with a cup of coffee. Saigon was surprisingly French in its embrace of cafe culture. Everywhere we went there were tables and chairs set out on the sidewalk (or in the countryside, what passed for the sidewalk). Everybody appeared to drink coffee, only there it was called Ca Phe (get it?). They served it two ways: black (put hair on your chest strong) and sweet. Given that my chest is already Wookiee quality, I stuck with sweet. As you can see in the picture above the cafes put a healthy dose of sweet condensed milk at the bottom of the glass. Hot water is filtered through the coffee grounds in the metal strainer on top of the glass. Once you've filled the glass to your liking you stir in the condensed milk for a tasty morning pick me up. This was high octane go juice that kept me moving after late bia filled nights.

We got to the travel agency at 0800 ready to board our bus to the Cao Dai temple, after which we would get lunch and proceed on to the Cu Chi tunnels. On board waiting for us was our tour guide Minh.

Minh told us that the ride out to the Cao Dai temple would take about 2-2.5 hours depending on the traffic, but that we should arrive in time to see a religious ceremony. I didn't mind the length of the ride because I think driving through a foreign country is an interesting way to see how people live. I also figured it would give me a chance to see how poverty in Vietnam compared with poverty here in the P.I. Minh had other ideas for the ride. Once he plugged in the tour guide mic, it felt like hours before he stopped talking (in heavily accented and broken English). And it wasn't a "Let's learn about Vietnam" talk- it was a "The World According to Minh" talk. Whew. Some highlights:
-"People need smile more. Smile make you happy, make you look young. You don't need beauty saloon"
-"Men know women need be #1. Next life, I want be a woman, then I be #1. Now I'm #11."
-"It's good to be small man. Small man only need one bia to be happy. (points at me and my buddy) You need three, maybe four bia be happy".
Minh finally let the sweet sound of silence take over.

The roads out of the city were surprisingly nice, albeit crowded:
About 90 minutes into the ride, Minh came back on and told us that we would be making a souvenir and bathroom stop. Halfway between Saigon and the temple was conveniently located this spot:
Handicapped Handicrafts was a factory where, well, handicapped folks made handicrafts. We got a tour and saw people painting vases, pictures, working with the kiln, glazing etc. It was nice to see that these people were given an opportunity to do something productive and make a living. The downside was everything was marked up about 500% from the night market back in Saigon. I wanted to help, but had a hard time finding just the right thing to bring home. Finally, a light from heaven shone down on the perfect piece of artwork for our home:
I think we'll put it at the end of Addie's bed, right at eye level facing her so she knows it's there protecting the room. After about 20 minutes at the souvenir stand, it was back on the road to Tay Ninh.

A few words on Cao Dai: The the 1920s, the religion was formed by one Ngo Van Chieu following a revelation of "the way" in a dream he had. Per the story, three great thinkers (including the author Victor Hugo- also a Caodai saint) got together in Heaven and signed a document that mandated the creation of Caodaism. A few years later one of Chieu's followers (plus 20,000 others) deserted Chieu, made himself the pope and built the temple that I was going to visit. The religion seeks to create the ultimate religion by combining the tenets of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Catholicism. They claim to be the largest religion in the world because they count everyone that follows each of those religions separately as part of their church too. The author Graham Greene called Caodaism a "joke gone too far". I think Mr. Greene was pretty close to the mark.

The temple had the same vibe as the castle at Disney World. It looks neat but feels kind of fake.
The grounds were well maintained with nice gardens.

The temple was covered in symbols taken from each of the religions noted above.
Lucky for us, we arrived in time to see a Caodai religious ceremony.



This is a nice shot showing the different levels that work their way up to the main altar, where sits the orb of the all seeing eye. It's probably watching me right now. I didn't last too long inside the ceremony. There was music playing and an extremely old man ritualistically banging on a gong that got old pretty quick. Before leaving, I couldn't help but wonder if this counted as going to church since Catholicism is technically part of Caodism. Somewhere, Monsignor Staub is crying.

Overall, the temple was interesting but underwhelming. It was interesting to see another slice of Vietnamese culture, but Caodaism wasn't for me.

It was 40C outside during our visit to the temple. After touring the temple grounds for an hour, I was ready to head out and get some lunch. We went to a restaurant on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.


The restaurant was actually part of someone's house that had been opened up to cater to the numerous tour buses that passed through the area on a daily basis.
The food was ok, but the bia was chilly good. After everyone had finished eating, we stood around waiting to leave for about 15 minutes. The tour group was getting kind of restless and then we realized we were being held up because Minh was playing cards with the bus driver and the owner of the restaurant. Before things got too riotous they ended their game and we were on our way to Cu Chi.

Tomorrow: Part II.

feeling the heat

The temperature rose considerably today. We spent enough time outside in the pool and sprinkler to fatigue the girls and turn our skin pink even after loading on the sunblock. It's more like home for us with the heat. The sun feels more intense here and I'm guessing it's the lack of particulate in the air that leaves the UV rays pounding down on us without much filter. If anything the terrible air pollution in the Philippines acts as a barrier. Take a look at those blue skies. No air pollution here!

My Saigon Vacation- Episode I: The Beer Hunter, pt 2

When last you left your intrepid explorer, he and his cohort had decided that a cool drink might clear their heads and give them courage to brave the mean streets of Saigon (Note: I should have mentioned that it's technically Ho Chi Minh City, but nobody calls it that). We spent a while thinking and drinking and people watching- Saigon is a great place to people watch. Vietnamese, Eurotrash, ugly Americans, kids selling bracelets/fans/bric-a-brac, all passing by as I sat there figuring where to go next. We decided we'd head out and make our way to the Ben Thanh night market....but not before a bite to eat and perhaps another drink. Off we went.

I hadn't had enough to drink to think that hopping in one of these was a good idea:


We wandered into another bar to nosh on some fried pork spring rolls.

Vietnamese food was introduced to me only last year, but it's quickly risen up the list of ethnic foods I like most. These rolls were slammin' dipped in that Nuoc mam (fish sauce). I forgot to take a picture before I'd already started eating. I'm a dude, sorry. We also stopped and got Banh mi, which is hands down one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. If I return to Vietnam, the first thing I do will be track down a Bahn mi stand. The Banh Mi cost 10,000 Dong which equals....50 cents.
I wasn't really sure what was in the sandwich, so I had to look it up on Wikipedia: "Banh mi is a sandwich made with thinly sliced pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, chili peppers, pate, mayonnaise, and various meat fillings or tofu. Popular bánh mì fillings include roasted or grilled pork, Vietnamese sausage, chicken, Head cheese and ham." What the...Head Cheese?! I hope I didn't eat that.

With full bellies, off we ventured into the night.
The streets of Saigon were a pedestrian's nightmare. There seemed to be a never-ending flow of scooters and taxis, none of them paying mind to two awesome backpacking Americans trying to cross the street. I now know what Frogger felt like. We managed to make it to the market relatively unscathed.

The market teemed with people shopping and manning stalls as far as I could see. There were stalls selling everything: foodstuffs, coffee, knock off designer watches/clothing/bags (sorry babygirl, none for you)/shoes and enough t-shirts to clothe the entire population of the Philippines. All goods were relatively cheap- except the Vietnamese coffee I bought which clearly had the American mark up, but it smelled so good I couldn't pass it up. Life is too short to drink bad coffee or beer.

I picked up a rice hat for the girls to add to their collection of dress up clothes (Addie loves to dress up like princesses and the VC). It was as tiny as a hat for little girls should be, and the Vietnamese girls at one of the t-shirt stands couldn't stop laughing about it.
Here's what I didn't eat at the night market:
Or this:

That's dried squid on the back of a motorcycle. It smelled as appetizing as it looks. After the market, we meandered through the city admiring the buildings the French had put up when they were running things.



Somehow during our walkabout we managed to fit in a stop at a travel agency to book a one day trip out of the city to visit the main Cao Dai temple (a kind of kooky religion) and the Cu Chi tunnels (site of some nasty fighting during the war). The bus left at 0800, so we decided to call it a night. We got a little lost on the way home,
but I eventually found my alley.
Tomorrow- Episode II: Apocalypse Wow (for real this time)

pool party

I have been really excited about seeing good friends while being in Washington. I still keep in touch with only two of my very best friends from childhood. One of which is Allison. Last time we saw one another Bella was a newborn and Allison was still pregnant with her first child. Since then both our worlds are vastly different. I'm a Mom of two busy girls and she has a beautiful son. It was great to meet Grayson and catch up with Allison. Addie and Bella enjoyed the company and put on a good show as they always do. The weather was wonderful so the kids played in the pool. By the end of the afternoon I almost wanted to jump in with them. Summer has finally reached the Pacific Northwest.

in and out in the Pacific Northwest

Painting a bird house with your Auntie could never be quite as awesome if you are wearing clothes. Panties and an apron are where it's at. Aunt Emily headed back north yesterday and she had to sneak some kisses on Bella. You definitely have to steal your snuggles with her. She rarely cuddles voluntarily and never for more than a second. She's just got to much to do and see to be bothered by it.

The inaugural fruit roll-up was devoured at the cafe in Powell's City of Books yesterday. I had a few moments to find some used books I was looking for but Addie was far more excited about the shortbread cookie we bought to snack on. I love love love Powell's. Yes, she wore her ballerina tutu dress and knee socks. Jealous?

Adelaide's nail salon was open for customers this morning. Grammy, Grandpa, and Megan all had their toes done. It took awhile for it to dry and you had to avoid getting the vegetation stuck in the sticky paint but all in all we thought she is ready to open her road side salon cart.

I think this picture says it all about the old Dodge 600. The family has felt a little nauseated by it's sight for a long time now. You're not alone in this feeling Arabella.

My Saigon Vacation- Episode I: The Beer Hunter

I've reached the time of year where my ladies leave me for spacious skies, amber waves of grain, and purple mountains majesty above the fruited plains-which gives me with a LOT of free time It's shocking how quiet my world gets without the girls. I wouldn't say I'm bored when I'm by myself, but if I had my druthers I'd be with those three and not sitting around reading about the casting of the new Spider-man movie and looking at Garfield Minus Garfield (check it out). With all the open time on my hands I decided to take a trip with some friends for the long July 4 weekend- to Saigon, Vietnam.

I got a few raised eyebrows at my decision to travel on Uncle Sam's birthday to the place long associated with his defeat. The cosmic irony of an American choosing to be in Vietnam on the Fourth of July when forty years ago it was the last place any American wanted to be was not lost on me. But I thought it would be interesting to see a place that had played such a vital part in America's history in the 20th century. And the round-trip airfare was a hundred bucks, so it had that going for it. I wasn't sure what to expect visiting a communist country. I knew I liked Vietnamese food, but I didn't know much more about the place beyond what I'd seen in Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Forrest Gump, etc. Vietnam surprised me in a good way.

I booked myself a room at the "My My Arthouse", a hostel I had found online. For those of you whose only exposure to hostels was Eli Roth's 2005 movie, take it from me that you can find some hostels that are just a step down from being full blown hotels and not dens of depraved torture. This place had wi-fi and breakfast included for only 16 bucks a night! Sure, I've only got one kidney now, but I had a lot more money to spend on souvenirs and beer.

My Vietnamese trip began with a cab ride to Pham Ngu Lao, the backpacker/hostel area of Saigon. I'm looking for 219/8 Pham Ngu Lao. The address is like nothing I've seen before: 219 divided by 8? Is this a riddle? Is it the start of Robert Langdon adventure? Eventually I find myself at the entrance of a narrow alleyway, shades of HOSTEL flashing through my mind. I walk in and find 217 and 218 without too much problem, but 219 proves elusive. A few minutes of wandering around gets me on the right path but not before wandering past Vietnamese families sleeping/watching tv/cooking on the floors of their homes. The alleys are a vibrant place with houses crowded together, their front doors open directly into the living areas.

I find my hostel where I've reserved a room for three nights. I'm surprised to find that upon entering most homes/hostels, you remove your shoes. I walk barefoot to the staff of the hostel only to find them sleeping on the floor. These two women aren't just dozing; they appear to be in full on REM. It's only about 4PM, so I figure they won't mind if I wake them up so I can check-in. A gentle hello nudges them from their siesta. Turning on the charm I tell them I'd like to get my room. It doesn't take long for me to realize that they don't speak any English. Using a combination of hand gestures and broken English I manage to convey to them that I've reserved a room online (there was a computer nearby that I pointed at to drive this home). The two women nod, shuffle through some papers, talk to each other in Vietnamese, and then wander off without giving me a key. They start going about their business (sweeping the floor, washing windows), which 5 minutes before had been so important that they were asleep on the floor. I still don't have a room. Confused, I sit down and hope this is part of a Vietnamese welcome ritual.

After waiting a bit the owner of the hostel, an older Vietnamese woman, comes down stairs. She smiles at me and when I tell her I'd like to get my room she nods and tells me that the room I booked is still taken. What? I booked online! I booked weeks in advance! Then she tells me that because of the error, I get the triple bed room to myself until the next day when I can move into the room I reserved. Good enough. Two extra beds means more room for hookers. Joke lang!

After getting settled in, I head downstairs to meet one of my buddies so we can head out to explore Saigon.

Note: I'm pretty sure my stepfather was at the Crazy Buffalo in '73.

Without anything in particular in mind, my friend and I decided we should sit down and come up with a battle plan. After a few of these, the adventure began.
Tomorrow- Episode II: Apocalypse Wow

Happy 4th of July!

I had Addie saying "I'm proud to be an American" and "I'm an American" today over and over to get ready for Independence Day. We got Old Navy red, white and blue for the girls to wear to the real Fourth of July cook-out at Talina and Pete's house this evening. There were ribs, cheese burgers, baked beans, and watermelon. It doesn't get much more American than that. The girls sat on the beautiful lawn, played with the dogs, and ran around in the drive way and quiet street they live on in small town America. It was a sweet way to celebrate. Good friends and family enjoying the beautiful summer night. We missed the fireworks because my sleeping beauties were ready to crash at 7PM. Now I'm cursing at the unnecessarily loud fire crackers the neighbors are setting off that will inevitably wake my daughters from their slumber.

Happy 4th everyone!