Greetings from Song Tien!

Monday, January 9, 2012
Posted by TwoLively

Here's the post I tried doing earlier, on the airplane (but I can't get the Kindle's internet connection to work...)

Leg Two: Seattle to Tokyo
Loooong flight (12 hours.) Downloaded all my music into Kindle...but didn't move it from "the Cloud" into the device, so I couldn't access it without internet. So, I stayed up all night in vain! Since I didn't have my own playlist, I had to listen to the Madonna channel...over and over. By the third loop, I couldn't take another round of La Isla Bonita! Wish I had packed GasX...'nuff said. On this flight, we crossed the International Date Line, and we were always following the sun, so our day never turned into night... Every time I opened the window, I expected to see it was dark outside, but it wasn't!

When we got off our flight (in Tokyo), I noticed a woman (from the airline) holding a sign with our name on it. Instead of the 3 hour layover we were expecting, we had about 15 minutes to make the connection. So, this woman raced us thru the airport...the opposite end of course! When we got there, we bumped into Oz and Glinda. (We assumed, but didn't know for sure that they'd be on the same flight.) Glinda was having passport issues (her passport was issued before she married Oz, so the name on her passport, and the name on her ticket didn't match up), and jammed up the line--so, our escort (can I call her that?) raced us to another section of the airport. We had issues because a) all six pieces of our checked luggage were put in just my name alone, and b) the date of our entry into Vietnam did not match (because they changed our flight to an earlier flight.) We had five Japanese ladies robotically typing into their computers, consulting their manuals, and trying to call anyone in support. Finally, our escort called someone herself...and told them whatever code it took to make it work. Luckily, the 15 minute delay ended up taking about 45 minutes (thank heavens!) and we literally walked up to the gate as everyone was boarding the plane. And, fortunately, Oz and Glinda made it too. Throughout our flight, we saw the empty row where Group 1 should've been sitting...

Leg Three: Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh
Six and one-half hour flight... As we mentioned earlier, we didn't have the 3 hour layover like we were expecting, and we wished we could've had that layover to walk around a bit, to stretch our legs. This flight (All Nippon) was extremely nice. There were built in entertainment systems for each seat -- FREE! There were movies (new releases, plus older movies, like "Field of Dreams" from 30 years ago!), video games (Tetris, Scrabble, Pong, Asteroids), music, etc.  They had cameras mounted on the plane, so as we took off and landed, we could see the pilot's view, and the ground beneath us. Nice...but sometimes ignorance is bliss. Unfortunately, we didn't notice the footrests until we were landing (but we know for the flight home.) 

MarcoPolo mocks TwoLively's gaming (I don't get that obsessed!)...bento box meal
Add your best caption: Tootsie discovers a spoon ???...Japanese characters on Sprite can

We exited the plane, then had to wait in customs to pay our entry visa. After we made it thru (the very last travelers!) we exited the terminal and were greeted by throngs of Vietnamese...maybe a crowd of 1000 people? It felt like we were celebrities, and they were our paparazzi! Scanning the crowd, I noticed one guy holding a sign with our name on it. It was our sister-in-law, The Travel Agent's brother. Thank heavens! It was such a relief to see a friendly, unfamiliar face. He helped us get in the shuttle, and we drove for a good hour + to our hotel. Our driver was very good...but driving in Vietnam is craaazy! The scooter people weave in and out like road lice. Horns honk nonstop! Our drive kept honking his horn at them, and about clipped a duo on a scooter, who didn't move over. Other drivers were using the dotted line in the road as a suggestion, not a firm guide. We've determined that the biggest vehicle on the road wins the driving game. We made it to our city...but I'm not actually sure what city we are in (Later: Song Tien, which is outside My Tho [pronounced "me ta"--the area where our sister-in-law is from.] It's about 1 1/2 hours to Ho Chi Minh, aka Sai Gon.)
When we got to our hotel (Song Tien Hotel), it was dark and locked up tight. Brother had to keep yelling for someone to wake up and let us in!

Our hotel is about 6 stories tall, and we're the only people here. Digger, Glinda & Tootie got bigger rooms (with Lucy & Ricky--single--beds)...while MarcoPolo and I got a smaller room, with a bigger bed. Another bonus is that our room has water that works, so we can flush our toilet and take a shower. The other rooms don't have water, and the hotel people have disappeared again. Our hotel room has water dripping from the ceiling, by the light fixture. So, we can take a shower...but we might be electrocuted!

It took us about 30 hours to travel to Vietnam. I'll type more later! --TwoLively

Hello Sai Gon....

Thursday, January 19, 2012
Posted by TwoLively

At 5 AM, we hopped aboard Emergency Exit and headed to Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Sai Gon.) Instead of traveling down the coastline, we headed through the central portion of Vietnam--so we hoped the road would be better. For the first hour, we navigated precariously windy mountain roads in the dark (which was a mixed blessing.) The roads were just as bumpy, and it was about seven hours of nonstop vibration, interspersed with the occasional catch-some-air-and-bounce-right-out-of-your-seat kind of potholes (words just can't convey how rough it truly was... Tootsie called it "4-wheeling on crack".)

We stopped for breakfast and a potty break (NOT a squat toilet--whew!) at a truckers convenience store (more upscale than that sounded... Better than a Flying J's or Loves.)  We bought some freakishly large and sweet grapefruit sections. Tootsie was jonesing for some chocolate, so she daringly bought a few chocolate-looking muffins from the display case. After we left and were traveling down the road once more, Brother noticed the muffins; he told us the store had refused to sell him the SAME muffins because they were "too old." Not good for Vietnamese, but apparently *just right* for Americans! Rrrr! The muffins were discarded, and Tootsie was out 14,000 dong (less than a dollar--but still--it's the principle of the thing!)

The central portion of Vietnam has dense foliage, and looks like the Vietnam we hear about/see in the movies. We passed an area where rubber trees were grown--and we saw workers tapping rubber from the trees. We stopped to take pictures of ginormous boulders that appeared out of nowhere. And, because our amusement always revolves around someone else's gastric distress: MarcoPolo experienced the panic of needing a restroom. When cousin said "10 minutes" until the next rest stop, we felt fearful--but to our amazement, Cousin's "10 minutes" was only 11 minutes (although that last minute seems like an eternity when you're the one in distress!) To our evil delight, MarcoPolo got to experience the joys of a squat toilet. And, at this pitstop, we also saw some people...grooming???...where Tootsie's previously uttered phrase "you DOn't have lice" would be appropriate.

Huge grapefruit sections...ginormous rock formations...
rubber trees...lice pickin'...his-and-her-toilet paper pose (we learned if you don't carry your own tp, you are out-of-luck!)

We stopped for lunch and shopping at a place that looked like a small mall (more like a VF Factory Outlet.) Before you entered the main store, your purse had to be Saran Wrapped into a safety sealed bag. Tootsie's backpack wouldn't fit into the shrink-wrap machine, so she opted out, and headed to Pizza Hut! For the record, Vietnamese shop the same way they ride scooters--crazy, line jumping, cart crashing, small space fitting, goal-driven shopping. The Travel Agent purchased some Mamy Poko Pants, aka diapers, for our 3 year-old nephew. She accidentally forgot about kilograms vs. pounds and bought diapers sized for a 10 year old! Meanwhile, Cousin rushed us along, so we didn't have time to linger at this mall (we started to connect the dots and realized Cousin always had a hidden agenda; we noticed Cousin didn't put our luggage under the bus, and saved this cargo space for the stuff he bought along the way. Then, on the way to Sai Gon, we detoured to his house so he could drop off his purchases. On the last day, Cousin had already been paid, so he was ready to conclude our day early!)

We finally arrived in Sai Gon...sweltering hot (no breeze), crowded, busy, noisy, dirty...a big city, indeed! Our hotel was slightly more expensive than previous hotels ($40 vs. $22.50) but sooo worth it! Our rooms were extremely clean; they had either jacuzzi tubs or multi-head walk-in showers, flat-screen tvs with cable, round eco-flush toilets, blow-dryers (finally!)--and it included a free breakfast buffet to boot. Glinda wasn't thrilled with big city life, and we all agreed that 1 1/2 days in Sai Gon would be enough, and as much as we'd miss the deluxe accommodations, we would leave a day early.

Shower...bed...ergo-toilet...blow dryer

We unpacked and headed across the street to the Ben Thanh Market. There were signs warning us of pick-pockets, and The Travel Agent had previously warned us many times to watch our valuables (I don't carry money on me...but hey, who couldn't use a good free groping!) It was late afternoon, and the place was crowded, sweltering hot. As we walked down the tiny, overpacked aisles, there were shouts of "Madame! Madame! Many size! Many color! Big variety" or "Big Budda, whatcha lookin' for?" and the vendors physically groped and grabbed every single one of us, trying to pull us into their stall. It felt like we were walking through a spanking machine!

We didn't videotape our initial walk-thru, which was extremely grabby and intense. Later, when we got our bearings and decided to videotape, the aisles weren't as packed as the first aisles, so we couldn't recreate the intensity. With that in mind, here's a video (imagine it x10!):

The stench inside was overwhelming: we smelled pockets of air that reeked of b.o., bodily fluids, fish, feet--fortunately this blog doesn't have smell-o-vision! (If a locker-room and a brothel had a baby...) We gamely walked up and down a few aisles, and nearly passed out due to the heat...and smell...and claustrophobia... Meat and various live sea-creatures sat out in the open air. Vendors napped in booths; some hired extra helpers who gave the literal meaning to "working under the table." We saw pedicures and manicures being given in the middle of aisles, and right next to food preparation, too. So many interesting sights to behold. It was stimulation overload! On the way back to our hotel, Glinda got goosed!

Shoppin' - Woman literally "working under the table" (see her leg?) - Sleepin' on the job
Flowers - Crowded aisle - Glinda with creepy dolls

Try crossing this traffic:

For dinner, we finally found a good Pho restaurant--a chain called "Pho24." We didn't realize there was one located almost across the street from our hotel, and we ended up walking over a few blocks, to a different location. However, it was well-worth the (unnecessary) walk! It was probably the most delicious and safe thing we've eaten so far. Glinda, our non-Pho lover, ordered a porkchop, which she had to eat with a spoon!

Buh-Bye Sai Gon....

Friday, January 20, 2012
Posted by Tootsie & TwoLively

As previously mentioned, we were eager to see the sights of Sai Gon--then head back to the spot where we originally began our trip, the city of My Tho (because it was quieter and more laid-back...our safe, happy place.) We brainstormed and decided which Sai Gon attractions we'd like to see (earlier, Cousin told us there was a silkworm farm in Sai Gon, but unfortunately we couldn't find any info on where it was located.) The top Sai Gon attractions we wanted to see were within walking distance of our hotel.

"Hi" Napkins (when found) are always folded into small triangles...Oz translating into his phone...
Our navigators debate the course...Street vendors (notice the intricate carved messages on the watermelons...and the coconuts had carved bases, too)

We started off our day by heading to the Presidential Palace. It was a huge building...with no air-conditioning, and no breeze! The main elevator was out-of-order, so we had to fight a throng of school children for the remaining elevator. There were microphones for the tour guides to use, and since we were on our own self-guided tour, Oz made use of the equipment. To our surprise, we heard Oz's familiar voice broadcast over the speakers, welcoming us to his palace. Later, Tootsie defied the posted sign, and *almost* touched the piano. Tootsie and TwoLively opted not to trek down to the bunker, so they found some chairs outside in the shade, where there was a breeze. While Tootsie contemplated running into the royal fountain, TwoLively fell asleep with her mouth wide open (twice--and nearly fell out of her chair!)

The last pictures are of the underground bunker, and the tank is a replica of the one that crashed thru the gates,
overtaking the Presidential Palace...the fall of Sai Gon.

After causing enough rucus at the palace, we decided to punish ourselves by going to the War Remnant Museum. There is much to say--and not to say--about "historical truths" served up with an (American) family-sized side of guilt. Who knew that all birth defects in Vietnam stem from one source: Dioxin (aka Agent Orange.) Nasty, terrible stuff! The full recap of this museum will be discussed in an open forum, at Family Travel Night. On a sidenote: we knew the museum closed for lunch, but we were caught offguard when precisely at noon, a bell rang, and all the museum lights went out!

Airplanes...a mother crosses a river with her children to escape...a soldier cries when he learns people he'd talked to minutes before were killed.

On the walk home, we decided to stop by the Water Puppet Show, to pre-purchase our tickets. We knew we were in the general area, but the map did not show precise locations. MarcoPolo would like our readers to know we WERE NOT lost! We simply did not know the specific location... Here is where I'd like to record a smarmy, special note for all posterity to read:

                                            On Friday, January 20th, TwoLively was right! 

In a moment of serendipity, I turned the map, noticed the side street, and realized it was tucked back in the middle of the block. Yes, bless my sweet dippity, I was right!

The Water Puppet boxoffice was closed, but we sat out front anyway, perplexing the guards, trying to catch our breath and cool down. It was 1 1/2 hours until the boxoffice opened again, so Oz and Monte graciously offered to walk back to the boxoffice to purchase our tickets (while some of us had a DELICIOUS nap!)

As we walked home, MarcoPolo and Monte trailed slightly behind the group. We passed several hair salons, where the women wore suspiciously low-cut, micro-mini pleather outfits. Our suspicions were confirmed when MarcoPolo and Monte later told us that they--the BALD men--were offered a "shampoo."

We stopped at a frozen yogurt shop, and most of us ordered club sandwiches, which had a piece of ham, egg, and cheese--but was tasty nonetheless.

Resting on steps..."Safe" place to shop...Dragon hedge...
"Club" sandwich...Shampoo, baldie? (Marco took pictures on the sly)

In the evening, we made it back to the Water Puppet Show. Before it began, we sat down outside and waited. As we were standing up, we noticed RATS! running along the wall behind us. We went inside the theater, and the puppet show began. The stage was a pool of water, with a screen behind it. On either side of the stage, there were people who played instruments, sang, and did the puppet voices. Above the stage, we saw a rat run across the curtains and down the wall...which kept us on edge for the rest of the play. The play was a series of individual, unrelated scenes. In one scene, two birds meet, an egg pops out of the water, then it turns into a baby bird. In another scene, farm workers planted crops, and green rice grass grows up out of the water. The water puppets did interesting things, too--like blow smoke out of their ears. We were always wondering: how'd they do that with puppets?

Ignorance Is Bliss...

Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Posted by Tootsie & TwoLively

Today was our last day in Vietnam. Since our flight didn't leave until 11:55 PM, we planned to hang around our hotel until noon, then head to Grandma's house for the rest of the day. The Travel Agent reminded us to eat lunch before we headed over. Unfortunately, we were so busy doing nothing (sleeping in, Skyping, blogging, hanging out) that we ran out of time to walk across the bridge in search of lunch (TwoLively: Ok--I admit it's my fault! I realize I often run Mormon-Standard-Time--LATE!--and, yes, MarcoPolo reminded me multiple times that we'd run out of time. Oooh. The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy.) Since we ran out of time, the only option was to eat lunch at the Nasty Restaurant across from our hotel--which really wasn't an option at all! So, Tootsie headed back to her room to enjoy a delicious SlimFast Bar...and Monte, TwoLively and MarcoPolo scrounged up the last of our emergency rations: a can of tuna and crackers, and a can of chicken and crackers. We sat at our hotel's we-only-serve-breakfast-and-kem-at-night empty restaurant...enjoyed the balcony view...and pretended those crackers were waaay more delicious and far more heartier than they really were!

At noon, Taxi Drivin' Uncle picked us up, and drove us to Grandma's house. Oz, Glinda, Tootsie, and TwoLively decided to walk the short distance out of the neighborhood, and back into the town. TwoLively was searching for the mysterious candied roses we had sampled at New Years...but, unfortunately, we did not find them (we later found they are sold exclusively for New Years.) We DID find a meat vendor, with all sorts of fly buzzin', meaty carcases rotting in the sun. Tootsie was especially grossed out by a skinned goat head for sale. TwoLively saw a duck nestled with a few chickens, and thought it was particularly cute the way the different species were snuggled together...until she realized their feet were tied together, and it was a forced snuggle!

Believe it or not, we found our way back to Grandma's house! We had a delicious lunch of Chicken Mushroom Soup, and as we ate, we told The Travel Agent about our walk. She told us that earlier in the morning, she and her Aunt visited those vendors. In fact, she helped pick out the very chicken we were eating in our soup! Talk about fresh...and TMI!

We spent a good deal of time outside on the porch, rearranging, repacking, and weighing our suitcases. We tried to pare down on the non-essentials, so The Family was gifted our Costco-sized bottles of Tums, Immodium, Handi-Wipes, etc. All that packing tuckered us out...which Uncle noticed. He swept off the floor, then brought us kiddy-sized princess pillows, so we could nap on the floor. We shamelessly sprawled out all over the living room floor. The cool tile felt so cool and refreshing. We now understand why dogs sprawl out on the tile!
Travel Agent's Aunty-in-Law (a wife by marriage--her husband is Grandma's son) is a weaver, so we asked to see her wares. She showed us her supplies (huge bolts of plastic, cut about an inch wide), then she showed us a storage room full of finished handbags. She generously invited us to pick out some totes for ourselves! We chatted, and learned that she's been weaving for about ten years. She visited a relative, saw them weaving, and asked to learn. At first, she worked as a subcontractor, and sold bags to the wholeseller. Today, she is the wholeseller, and she has subcontractors working under her! The bags we chose were handle-less, so we watched in awe as she expertly braided plastic into handles. Then she did a series of knots, which secured the handle to the handbag. Tootsie and Glinda tried their hand at handle-adding (but not TwoLively--she wanted her tote done right! ha ha) The Aunt makes up to 15 bags per day. Small bags sell for 20,000 -- medium sized ones, for 30,000 (with double-stripes) or 75,000 (with triple-stripes.) We found out that the bags we'd previously seen on our walk into town were her bags--very cool! We wondered how she even made the bags. She graciously demonstrated how to make a bag from start-to-finish. In the video, watch how her hands fly! It was fascinating to watch!

Meanwhile, Grandma demonstrated for the guys how to weave hats. She is 71 years old, and she weaves about 10 hats per day, about 5,000 each. She sells the untrimmed hats to a wholeseller, who machine-cuts a circle around the brim, and machine-fold and sews the edge down. Grandma gets the reeds for her hat from a neighbor, who dries them out, and machine presses them until they are flat (we walked by him on our walk, and he gestured to show us what he was doing.) These type of handcraft skills are amazing to watch, and important to preserve.

Before we left, Uncle removed the fruit from the altar, and presented it to us. We were told by The Travel Agent that it was a sign of deep respect for us. We were very touched, of course. We are their wacky American family (complete with our I-Love-Lucy moments.) Sometimes ya gotta just wonder if they think we're commitable. It was a great experience to travel to Vietnam to meet The Travel Agent's family. We all agreed that we'd love to have Brother and Sister come visit us!

All-too-soon, it was 5:00 PM, and time to head to Ho Chi Minh. Due to our excessive, clunky luggage, a mini bus was hired to transport us to the airport. With all the extra space available, there was room for our Goodbye Committee: Brother, The Travel Agent, and Monte to ride with us. During the 1 1/2 hour ride, the driver blared a musical--LOUD--but thankfully, he kept his eyes on the road, and didn't watch the video! Our Goodbye Committee walked us as close as they could, outside the main doors, by the fan club area (which was packed and crazy.) They pointed the way inside, and tried to give us last-minute instructions. After we walked inside, we stood in a group huddle, trying to figure out our next move. None of the signs were in English...and which counter was ours? We looked back and saw our Goodbye Committee standing outside the glass windows. The anxious look on their faces read, "They have no freakin' clue..."

Fortunately, the airport was fairly empty inside. We'd arrived at the airport 4 hours early, which was far too early for counter to be open. So we parked our Great Wall of Luggage next to us and sat...and waited...and waited...and waited. Then we waited some more. When midnight rolled around, we boarded the plane for Leg One of our journey home: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam to Narita, Japan.