:side by side:
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 || "Retreat...or maybe not"
Actually i'm totally dreading this trip. Totally detest group tours. Haven't been on one since I went Korea with my family many years back...The whole thing about big group of people travelling and always having to wait for that 1 or 2 persons who'll never abide by the meeting time given by tour guide really irks me. Then always hurried here and there by the tour guide + Waking up at wee hours just so that we can cramp as many places to visit as possible but of which 80% are things that i'm totally not interested in.
Anyway coming back...cos i'm in the planning committee, I have to go for this trip...arghhh Don't ask why is it that i'm in the planning committee and i hated group tour and it still turned out as such...i'm totally out voted! *whinewhine*
It was a TIRING 3D2N!!! Not at all a retreat!! What's more...I had a really unfortunate time there! I lost my diamond pendant which i forgot to take off before flying off and my camera went cranky! Hiys...But nonetheless its my first time to Vietnam...quite an experience tho i would say its not a tourist friendly place...i wont consider going back again for a holiday.
Sweetie Paul took leave to send me off at airport...first time taking Tiger Airways which takes off at the Budget Terminal which is also my first time at that terminal...Don't like Tiger and don't like container-looking budget terminal.
I like the colors tho...
No aerobridge...i really wonder what happens when it rains...I can imagine the staff ferrying people with umbrella..haha totally OFF!
We were brought to Pho24 for lunch! Yeah hee...my Favourite!!!! PHO!!!
After coming back to Singapore, I actually found a Pho24 in Millenia Walk. It's like a chain restaurant...but i still like the one in Holland V...must try!
Colorful...
This is the national hero...fought valiantly for the nation. The sculpture is in the middle of this round about in the central of the centre. We'll need to go round this round-about where ever we go. So we came across this sculpture a zillion times too...
Our hotel was much nicer than i imagined...the rooms are clean and nice and everything was functioning properly. Phew...a big relief...
Around the hotel...
Right up the first stop is SHOPPING!!! man...its Singaporean national past time so how can we miss this when we travel right! haha
Our hotel is minutes away from the Ben Thanh Market...a very big bazzar like Chachuchat Market in Bangkok but of coz Ben Thanh is much smaller in size. You can find anything and everything here. Everything from raw food to dry food to ready cooked food, babies clothes to adult clothes, kitchen appliances to furniture can be found within this market!! And we were only given 2 hours to stop! arghhh...totally detest group tours!
We gave up after a while and just settled for a cheap and refreshing coconut drink...super sweet and delicious!!!
We then proceeded to tour some touristy spots in HCMC...*yawns*
NICE...THE L.V. boutique...
But I can only stand from afar to take photo... =(
We went for a dinner cruise...hmmm not impressed either...
HCMC has very nice hotels tho...more like a business travellers place!
There's this super nice ice-cream just besides our hotel...we all fall in love with the coconut ice cream! yummy...and ultra cute too! But its irritating the kind of lights they use!
Next day...more touristy places to visit...*yawns big time...*
First stop is the well-known Handicapped Lacquer Workshop...the lacquer ware is really really nice but they are soooo expensive! I saw the "chiong" stuff in the market...*made mental note to get them in the market instead* keke
These are the handicraft produced by handicapped people...very inspiring!
Next few stops were really really really boring...seeing all buildings and becos we have a tour guide who has super poor command of English...we dont understand whats hes saying half the time! Its a real torture!
The also well known Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office...
We also went to An Dong Market in the Chinatown...totally negative! super stuffy and cramped and i lost my necklace here!!! hmmp...
The place that left the deepest impression is the War Remnants Museum. We saw the events of the Vietnam war that was so devastating and even up to today, the effects of that horrible war still linger on...
Many deformities due to the chemicals used during the war...depressing!
But you can always see hope in children...their sense of hope reflected in the cheerful drawings...this is so much better compared to the drawings we saw in East Timor...full of hatred, resentment, death and hopelessness.
After the depressing trip to the museum...our emotions were somewhat more balanced after a super shiok massage!! Always *hearts* massages!! =P
Our tour guide also brought us to this supposedly very famous coconut ice cream place. The business is so good that they took up all 5 storeys of the building!!! But seriously we didnt find it that fantastic...we actually like the coconut ice cream just besides our hotel! haha
The last day is FREE AND EASY! FINALLY...my roomie and me rushed back to the Ben Thanh Market to do our last min shopping!!! Bought lotsa coffee, polo tees, lacquer ware, beaded bags and shoes, ehhh cannot remember what else...
One of the trophies from the last min shopping is this nice uber sweet hand sewn bag...their iconic design but can be found in thailand too...almost ended up "fighting" with my colleague over this piece coz its the one and only piece! haha now its my treasured lunch time bag! keke
And at last, its Home Sweet Home!!!
LOve BindS~~~ 15:48
========================================================
