Don't need a special oven

Starting off I got right back to life, back to reality. I worked 3 night shifts in a row which was fantastic since I am 12 behind, so working nights was a cinch. If I could do that well regularly I would love working nights and that would be my preference.

One of my new years goals was to start cooking, and actually the real stuff, by scratch as well as some authentic stuff. Since I took cooking classes in Vietnam and Thailand I could start off right. I came back to a stack full of mail, within it was my Cooks Illustrated magazine. I found a Chicken Tandoori recipe that I decided to try.

Tonight was the night. It took three hrs and a bowl of cereal for dinner instead of chicken. Now I have dinner for a week. It is pretty tasty.



This is the whole chicken. I wrapped it up and put it in the fridge.

A new TRANFORMERS...maybe!!!

So I was looking at the Internet Movie Database and I discovered something that made my adrenalin rush. There maybe another Transformers movie coming out called Revenge of the Fallen. For all those who are lovers of the first check it out:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2100888345/

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi757662489/

A place to rest at the end

Kata Beach, Phuket

I had my final day with my group. A 14 hr overnight train ride and then Valentine's in Phuket. Although I am single and alone at this time I really had one of the best Valentine's ever. I had a fabulous warm shower, a 2 hr Thai Massage (which was one of the best massages that I've had. A Thai massage is really different than any other, the person uses pressure points, using their whole body to stretch and rub you down. Sounds kinda weird but really couldn't get much better). Then I had myself some ice cream, a bit of shopping, then dinner with my new group of friends, and it ended with a flight to a Phuket. I said good bye to my group, and plan on keeping touch through the infamous facebook. Yes I am going to open up my account again but make a few minor adjustments and deletion first (if you know what I mean).

I arrived at my hotel, The Beach Boutique Hotel at 2 AM. They upgraded me to a better room. It is fantastic. The bed is so comfortable, better than one I have at home. The beach is 400 meters from my hotel. The Beach Boutique is located in Kata Beach, supposedly the quieter of the beaches. Patong is crazy with bars open all night and incredibly noisy. Yet as I've walked through Kata, it too is becoming that way. There are little mini bars, and biggers ones, noisy racket with snooker tables and the like. I find it difficult to understand that so many people live for a drink, and can't go out and have a good time a glass or bottle in their hand. Such a social thing. Oh well we all make a choice and I chose the latter which is wiser, and a bit more enjoyable the next day. :) Kata is a developing town. I am glad I am here now and not in 5 yrs.

So my plans while I'm here. I'll just list it and write about it when I get home. Today I spent the day at the beach. I am definitely not a sun bathing beauty. I can't spend the day laying around the beach. I have to be active, playing in the water, walking the beach, snorkeling. I will never be one of those people even when vacationing to sit around. It just isn't my nature. The beaches are crowed with people but enough beach chairs for us all. I am the only women not wearing a bikini, and I am glad I can say that I remain modest. I wouldn't really wear one unless I were incredibly pregnant (too fat to wear regular bathing suit), on my honey moon, or putting on a wet suit. Many women actually walk around topless, but none of them are really beautiful so they don't really draw that much attention. :)

Tuesday I am going out all day to check out caves by canoe or kayak, visit a few islands, a gypsy sea village, lunch provided and won't be back until 1800.

Wednesday I am going to PhiPhi Island and snorkeling and exploring the island and different beaches. Yes I am visiting the place where a James Bond movie was filmed (the second one I've been two actually, the first being in India in Udaipur), and the beach that the Beach was filmed at as well. I look forward to getting out into the ocean and seeing some coral and fish.

Thursday is a bit of a blunder. I unfortunately have a 2 AM flight but I am checking out of my hotel that day so I didn't want to do a beach activity because I'd be nasty for 24 hrs coming home. So instead I am going to visit some beach resorts like the Marriot, and another one as they try to sell me the property. Why? Because the incentive. I get 4,000 Baht to spend at the Spa, then $4,000 to spend dining and shopping. Hey maybe I'll invest in something, who's to say?.

I've loved my trip. I could go on and on if I didn't have an extra bag to carry around and a limitless budget. I must return to work and make more money to save for school and another trip which is of course in my plans. But not all by my lonesome this time. I just keep thinking when I come back to Bangkok I'll do this and I want to see here and there in Thailand. It is a awesome place to travel for those that aren't seasoned travelers. It is built for tourism and the Thai people encourage it.

Adios! See you soon America!

Daring and yet not so...

The other night I was walking through the night market in Luang Prabang carrying my journal because I'd written all the things I wanted to buy for family and somewhere I placed it down when I was looking at something and now I don't have a journal. I am really glad now that I've been keeping up with my blog. But I was sad all the same I write random thoughts and insights when driving and addresses of people I've met along the way that I would love to keep in touch with but I guess it really wasn't meant to be.
Well my last day in Luang Prabang I met up with that Aussie lady, Pauline, and went to the villages. It was a bit disapointing. The first one was really up market, many shops were remodeled and looked like boutiques I might find at home and looking for a bargain compared to the night market which was my goal didn't happen. But I got to see silk worms and several of the processes of how silk it made, and also the making of paper from bark. There were some really gorgeous paper products that I wish I could have carried with me. I really wanted to go home and start the trade but I don't really have trees to strip bark from. :) My brilliant idea that I shared with Pauline was a bit of a let down. The other village isn't worth mentioning. The conclusion is that many people aren't struggling but thriving in this little city.

The weather has been in the 30's here, cool mornings but heating up quite well. And my skin is still peeling. A few things I want to mention about the city for my own memories. The street in which my hotel is located is the drag in the evening for the teenagers. They sup up their motor bikes (some nicer than other) and have lowered the "handlebars" to lowride their bikes. They cruise the strip as well as race with the high pitched roar of their engines. It is quite funny. I also got to see a bit of a rumble, a kid pulled out his knife on another kid. But he sped away on his bike before anything really dangerous happened.
Along the walk to the main part of the city their is a sports field. In the evenings men, teenagers play soccer, in the morning people run around the track. But it is quite a sight to see broken tables, and chair, and trash littering the field as well.
Early in the morning the monks walk along the streets, there are people waiting to put food into their sivler tins that they carry over their shoulders. That is apparently what they eat all day. Luang Prabang has many temples, and schools for the monks so there are probably hundreds of them living in the city.

The rest of my day in Luang Prabang consisted of wandering the city. I walked along the rivers, the Mekong and another one that joins it. All along the river is lined with gardens and more gardens. It is quite a sight and really beautiful. I visited some of the Wats, I ran into the Aussie guys and walked with them for a while. A couple of the Wats are up on a hill which gives a great view of the area. I got another massage, had green curry for dinner, and then wandered the night market. A great discovery that I tried (good thing the last day or I might have had too many of them) were these delicious oreo shakes that you can get at the food stalls as well as the fruit shakes. It consists of 2 oreos, ice, some milk, and sweetened condensed milk. I was skeptical how it might taste but was surprised at how good it tasted. I'll try that one at home with my awesome blender! :) I got bagettes made for the next day and walked back to the hotel with the Aussie guys stopping at a restuarant for "french fried".

So for the Daring and yet not so...I was very sad when I was informed that all that we got was an afternoon in ChiangMai, Thailand. I'd heard so many great things about it and yet would have no time there but about 6 hrs. The problem is the Mekong and the distance. It is about a 11 hrs bus ride or so, or 2 days on the slow boat up the river stopping at a port place for the night. I really didn't want to spend two days on a slow boat so I opted to leave the group for the next two days and take a speed boat up the river. I'll try to explain the experience but it was something that you almost have to be there. A speed boat is meant for racing but the owners have built seats or a wooden plank screwed in across the boat to make seats. There were actually 8 of us on the boat usually they put 6 foreigners or 8 locals, a luggage difference. American from Tahoe, Ken, and I were put with the locals. I was crammed into a "seat," cushion on the floor of the boat with two feet of room and about maybe 5 feet wide. I sat in a coach most of the time, turning from side to side because the plank was jabbing into my back for the duration (6 hrs) of the trip. We sped up the river going about 50 mph. Since it is dry season it makes it slightly more risky since there are more rocks and shallow areas. But we were provided with helmets and life jackets. We stopped several times for gas and an hour for lunch, but it was just all on his time. I didn't realize, silly me that Laos is also Communist, so the people have to get their books signed and stamped at certain posts during the day. One evening I was walking around and saw ladies sitting at tables with stamps and little pieces of paper but now I know what it was. I passed my group before PakBeng the port stop, I hollered to them as we passed by. I was so glad I paid the extra to head out on my own. Our boat left incredibly late of course but we still made it to the first stop right after the first boat, and to the final distanation before them. Yet we were still cutting it close on the border crossing, which closes at 6pm. I was worried I wouldn't make it to ChiangMai and my whole purpose of taking the speed boat would be defeated. But I said a little prayer and it was answered. I barely made it by 15 minutes from the boat dock, up the hill, tuk tuk to the border. I had to pay extra because it was a late crossing as they called it, and took a boat across the river to Thailand. I then had to find a bus to ChaingMai. Which was right there for me.

I arrived in ChiangMai at 11:30pm. People were still out and about, walking around. I hauled all my luggage, now 3 bags, to the hostel I wanted to stay at. I think I strained a muscle in my left shoulder. But I'm getting a great workout. I couldn't carry my stuff up the river banks though, the American offered to help me with that one. Anyhow, first thing I pulled out brochere for activities and things I wanted to do the next day. I talked with some ladies sitting at the table of where I was staying and figured out what I wanted to do.
The next morning I headed out on my adventure, it was a little bit of everything. I didn't know what I was getting myself into but I really enjoyed it. The guide, Care or Don, developed a little crush on me since our group was small, 3 people, and he offered to take me around afterward and take me to the places I wanted to go to. Anyways, getting ahead of myself. The group consisted of a Finlander who hooked up with a Thai women in Southern Thailand, and myself. First off we headed to the OrchidFarm, it was amazing. And it takes years for them to grow and bloom. Then we went to a Nationalities place that represented some of the villages, and really had a group of Villagers living there. Most memorable was the long neck tribes. We hit a Indian place where I'm sure the tour gets some kind of commission for taking us there, an elepant ride through forest, lunch along a river bank, a short hike to a waterfall, then whitewater rafting, and bamboo rafting. It was a great day. I ended up going with Care, to Doi Suthep which is a temple on the hilltop giving a great view of the city. He then took me to get a massage, and the night market. He was a really sweet kid, which I say that because he is Danny's age, and petite like most Asian guys. It was a full-on day, he dropped me off around 11:30. I was incredibly exhausted. But it was so much better than I expected it to be.

Today I am taking a Thai cooking class for the day. I meet up with my group in the afternoon to take a overnight train back to Bangkok. I want to go to the floating markets, get another massage before my flight down to Phuket. I won't be scuba diving because the cold that I have once again caught from some of my group members. But I am excited to relax. The hotel I choice is on Kata beach, it is the more quiet beach of Phuket, Patong is the jumping place, bars, and late nights. It is about a 5 minute walk to the beach.

Gotta go for my class now...

Luang Prabang

It is a little place, cute town also full of tourists but not all backpackers. The city has a curfew which they strictly enforce. Thank very much. Even the bars, everything shuts down at 11pm. I like it because backpackers can only drink for a couple hours and not all night long. :) I arrived here late afternoon after I 7-8 hr bus ride through the mountains it was really beautiful.

Can I say before I go any further that going with a tour group small as mine is really is the best way to get from place to place because I don't have to deal with the broken down buses, and fighting through men trying to get you to go to a specific hostel immediately upon your arrival to a certain place. It is already arranged and transportation is already taken care of, the downfall I can't stay longer if I like a place, and I have to stick to the plan and route. There are so many marvelous places south and north Laos that I have to pass by this time.

I dropped my bags and headed into town. The hotel is the farthest away from town that I have stayed this whole time. It takes me a good 20minute walk, which is quite far for those of you who know how briskly I generally walk. I headed first to arrange my next couple days adventures, one I will mention after I've surrived and it is done. Then I headed back up to the main drag where the night market had popped out of nowhere. I feasted my eyes upon the fruit shake stalls. A whole 16 oz cup of this stuff for less than a dollar. And the best market I've been to, not the D&G, or Gucci but really handmade, stiched, sewn, and weaved. It is marvelous. My bag will be a lot heavier when I leave this place. I wandered around a bit and then headed home. I 'd say that I've never fallen asleep earlier than I have here. I walk around so much, and I'm so busy all day that when the evening comes I just crash. I ate dinner at a buffet. Yeah but a "one time only" buffet for 5,000 kip which is less than a dollar. I was stuffed with veggie rice, and noodle goodness.

The next morning I met up for a trip up the Mekong to the Pak Ou Caves which is a bit of a tourist trap but I knew it was going to be that way, and I still did it. I can't say why. But I did meet some great Aussies that I tripped around with the rest of the day. Then I took another trip in a mini mini van to Kuang Si Falls, with beautiful milky torquoise waters fall terraces about 100 meters high, with pools all around of refreshingly cool water. The drive there I met another Aussie women who inspired me. She has started her own business and actually was out on a bit of a business venture in Thailand before heading over to Luang Prabang. I hiked to the top of the falls, which you never get a good view of the falls from the top of them....hahaha silly me. But I did get a marvelous view of the valley below.

I am meeting that Aussie women tomorrow and we are going to venture to a couple villages where the women actually weave and make their textiles. I say women, what is it that the men do if the women are making all the money and taking care of their babies? :)

Until next time...

The quiet peace and beauty...Laos

So before I get into anything I just want to say what happens when you get a sunburn on top of a sunburn. My mother asked me that question and here is my answer...I ended up peeling like a snake everywhere. I haven't had that much skin shedding at one time and I'll say it again...Everywhere!! I have patches of whiter areas where I peeled and other areas which are more tan. It lots kinda funny.

Over the summer I was a little obsessed with making smoothies so when I came here I was in heaven. They have food stalls with marvelous fruit shakes, amazing fruits: dragonfruit, mango, papaya, pineapple, banana. I had one for breakfast, lunch, and dinner today. That wasn't all I ate. I also had a delicous bagette which they also sell at food stalls on the street but this time I got one with nutella and super crunchy peanut butter. I was in heaven.



As always I am going out of order of things. I ended my last blog with the puppet show. I was really great. I can't really describe it but I'll give it a try. The music is traditional Vietnamese. The puppets are controlled by people behind the house background holding long sticks. The whole show is the puppets in the water depicting different scenes of a Vietnamese life, and a couple legends, and stories of the four sacred & holy animals which are the dragon, unicorn, the phoenix, and forgive me I can't remember the 4th so I'll have to add that in a bit later when I remember to bring my journal with me. I decided that I like the instruments of the "Oriental" music as my mother would call it. (I love you mom). And my tour leader introduced me to mixing the traditional with a bit of rap. It would sound marvelous! I'm just waiting for more artists to figure that one out. :)



The next morning we headed out to cross the border. I expected it was to be less complicated because I've heard nothing but Laos is so much more relaxed. I need a little bit of that. But the Vietnamese border guy wanted to make his dollar and charged us just that to leave. I don't mind but I'm sure he pocketed the money. Vietnam was the most expensive Visa that I applied for too. Bah I was just tired. So once we crossed the border is was the first time I heard....Silence. They don't honk their horns all the time, and they also obey traffic laws. I actually felt safe to cross the street when the traffic had a red light. That was amazing!

The first stop was Vientiane. It is the Capital city with a population of about 250,000. I also felt right at home there. The city is also along the might Mekong or not so during the dry season. I rented a bicycle and road around the city visiting a market, and wat, and one prominent feature to the nation and buddhists in general but I once again can't remember the name. It was a smaller city, I rented the bike for the day for under $3 US. I also went the to White Lotus and had a marvelous foot massage which included lower legs, shoulders, arms, neck and head. I'd say that any guy able to give a massage like that would melt me like buttah. :) Oh now this is when I discovered the blessful bagettes that you can buy for less than $2. I tried it with everything on them, patte, ham, chilli sauce, cucumber, tomato and it was so great. But I shouldn't have kept it all day and then ate it the next morning without refrigerating it. I paid for it the next day when I visited the John.

The next city I visited is Vang Vieng. A crazy little place full of backpackers, mostly drunken ones at that. It is a beautiful place with huge Karst mountains, and caves filled with water and some not. There are tours to float down the river in tubes like at home. But there are bars lining the river, and also rope swings. So you get crazy drunk travelers, drinking there way down the river and some don't even get that far. I chose not to participate in that option but really wanted to head to the caves, and wander about the country side among the mountains. I rented a motorbike thinking I could see the caves and countryside in one day since that is all we got in Vang Vieng. But I got slightly lost, but not lost lost in the countryside. I thorougly enjoyed my trip although I didn't see nearly as many cool caves as the Aussie bloks did. I shoulda hung out with them this day. But I am happy to say that I managed not to get a sun burn this time. This little place has accomodated tourism quite well. They sell flip flops (for all those that lose them in the river), torches (for caves), and t-shirts that say "I tubed VangVieng" oh and the best yet is the some of the restuarants have these great recliner like chairs with tabletops to be right over your legs, so the guests can watch Family Guy or Friends on the "big screen TV's at the front of the restuarant. I don't like either of those shows but some Westerner is now rich for coming up with the idea. On the street you can buy bagettes as well, and women also have a heat plate to make pancake/crepe like things which don't taste all that bad. But best of all that I found was the Organic Farm Cafe with delicious Mulberry shakes, and Mulberry pancakes. I had both. There is a farm outside the city that grows Mulberry Trees...I thought all Mulberries grew on bushes but I guess I am wrong.



Now I am sitting in Luang Prabang, another city which sits on the Mekong River. So I will end this segment and start a new post.

Capital city and embalming...so creepy!

I had the worst day imaginable today. I'll tell you a little about it. But first I must say I miss wheat bread, and cold cereal. I won't miss crazy honking of horns in Vietnam. Random things: did I mention that a families mode of transport might be a motorbike. It is normal to see a couple with 2 or 3 kids on a scooter bike. It is pure insanity. Something facitious but nontheless funny: the only fast food chain I have seen in Vietnam is KFC (I haven't eaten here but bought ice cream). So if you look closely at the Colonel he looks a little like Ho Chi Minh with glasses. The clever plan of this leader was to develop a fast food chain to make all Americans fat so they couldn't fit through the tunnels during the war. Not funny but at the same time maybe slightly. :)
Right so now I am in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital city. Also could be refered as the place we all get ripped off at. Food, souveniours, and even cyclos, motobikes all give you the run around. Parts of the city are beautiful with gardens running down the middle of the roads, little lakes dispersed throughout, big trees, and flowers, and other parts are dirty, and old. I think I probably walked 10k today, and yesterday 6k. I wandered around old quarter, through streets dubbed silk street (because it is mostly silk), candy street, shoe street, cigarette street, and so one. Random names that won't mean anything to anyone but me, Hoam Kiem Lake. Legend has it that, in the mid 15th century, Heaven sent Emperor ly Thai To a magicl sword, which he used to dirve the Chinese our of Vietnam. One day after teh war he happened upon a giant golden tortoise swimming on the surface of the water; the creature grabbed the sword and disappeared in to the depths of the lake. Since that time, the lake has been known as Ho Hoan Kiem (Lake of the Restored Sword) because the tortoise restored the swored to its divine owners. Very few giant turtles actually live in the lake, but sited one in 2006. The craziest part of this is at the Ngoc Son Temple on a small island of the lake, is the embalemed remains of a gigantic tortoise suposedly from the lake.
I found a delicatable pastry shop with the most delicious eclair type things but filled with a vanilla custard instead of cream, and melted chocolate drizzled over the top. I was in heaven. I designated this day to eat what it is that I wanted. So getting out of order of things which is what I normally do anyways. Upon arrival to Hanoi we actually left again a couple hours later to Halong Bay, which has huge karst mountains jutting out of the water. We had a day trip out on a sailing Junk, and swimming if we wanted. It was overcast, and not swimming weather. So my photos didn't quite capture the majesty of it all. The karst mountains also have caves, similar to the ones in Utah called Timpanogas, that we walked through. It was an amazing natural beauty, after seeing so many man-made wonders I really appreciated the naturally evolving beauty.
About embalming...I went to Ho Chi Minh's Masoleum. Vietnamese really worship him, I mean how many other world leaders are preserved for viewing. Stalin, Mao, Lenin. I think it is a little creepy actually. You have walk single file through the Masoleum, guards are everywhere to make sure you are following the rules. I had to remain quiet, reserved, arms to my side. The room is dimly lit with a reddish orange tint, and cold. There lay Ho Chi Minh in the middle of the room in a glass tomb almost as if he were sleeping. Lucky me, he wasn't in Russia being fixed up.
Sites I visited: Temple of Literature, West Lake, Tran Quoc Pagoda, Army Museum, Hoa Long Prison, aka for the prisoners 'Hanoi Hilton'(which is the place where Sen. John McCain was held). That was a nasty place but they described the treatment of American soldiers as the best they could at the time providing the effects of the war, and then described how horrible the French were to the Vietnamese...more propaganda which sheds only partial truth.

Now for my upsetting story and disappointment of the culture. In all my dealings here I have tried to be fair. The story goes I was exhausted from walking all morning. The plan was to hit an ice cream shop and sit by the lake but since there wasn't the ice cream I wanted I finally gave in to the incesant hollering of the cyclo drivers. Before I got in I held up my finger 1-5 as in 15,000 Dong. He said "yeah,yeah, yeah 15 " He rides me around the lake, parts of the old quarter I've already seen, past the real Hilton Hotel, and then back to my hotel. It was only 45 minutes. But in my mind I thought that is such hard work I'm gonna to let him have 20,000 Dong instead of 15,000. I only had a 100,000 left which I give it to him, and he gave me at first 40,000 back, but I refuse that then he attempted to give me 50,000. I tried to negotiate with him, and told him over that we agreed 15, and he says no, sorry, sorry. sorry 50,000. Meanwhile a bunch of Vietnamese woman come up to me, and after hearing the story shake there heads at me upset with me as well, taking his side. I refuse to get out of the cycl0, and insist the rest of my money. I finally get out of the cyclo, beet red in the face pissed off I snatch his hat, and say 'souveniour.' And demand a trade, that only made the other women and now several men more upset. Trying to get the hat back and my bag out of the cyclo. Finally the hotel staff come out, I explain to them the situation and I say it was a misunderstanding I will give him 25,000 but no more. He is still upset, and doesn't care about negoatiating, eventually tries to give me 20,000 Dong but I won't except until I get 25,000 more than the 50,000 I already had in hand. Yeah, yeah you can say it is nothing to me $1.5. but it isn't about the money but the PRINCIPLE. I'm sure it is normal for him to try to rip off the tourists but I don't appreciate dishonesty and then again non-negoatiating.

So that is all. I head to a water puppet show this evening, and out to eat with the group. 4 of them are leaving so it is a kind of fairwell dinner. We are heading to Laos tomorrow, and I'm ready.

Hoi An...tailors, tailor, and more tailors

So today was the first day that I had noodles for breakfast. Today really isn't today in this blog since I am slightly behind in my writing. It wasn't so bad, I am used to eating any type of food at all hours since I have a crazy work schedule.
This time after getting off the nightmare train, and not sleeping not only because the riding style but also the sun burn, I went to the hotel and slept. I didn't leave my room until after 11 am. Hoi An used to be a trading center, it is along a river and quite close to the beach as well. I walked around Old Quarter, with old style architecture, and little tight streets. It is tailor-ville for sure and if I would have thought better I would have brought photos as dresses, and maybe even had my wedding dress made and just hung it up in the back of my closet. Since I already have the design picked out. But I did run into Cobblers, or shoe shops. My roommates know my new obsession with shoes. I picked out 4 patterns that I was going to have made. I didn't find out until the next day that with a disappointed look on the girl's face whom I made a whopping deal with, that my feet are just too BIG!!! And to make matters worse she kept repeating that over and over again. I was a little embarrasses although I know my feet are long, she kept pointing it out and drawing all kinds of unwanted attention to my poor, aparently gigantic feet.
I walked along the river, into the street market. This took me all afternoon. Upon walking back to the hotel I ran into a few fellow group member, Patty & Sean and Linda & Peter. I sat with them while they drank of course, and when I got to cold we meandered our way back to the hotel to get our sweaters and head out for a night stroll along the river and dinner.
Hoi An is famous for some types of food, white rose, fried wonton, and fish cooked in banana leaf. I tried a few of those which are pretty delictable. Some of my group claim Vietnamese food to be slightly plain and bland compared to Cambodia & Thai but I am loving it for its unique flavor. It may not be spicey but it is tasty.
My other day in Hoi An was mostly spent in my cooking class. It was really really enjoyable and I definitely plan on trying it at home. I sure do have lucky roommates :). We had a welcome drink, a trip to the market to introduce of to vegetables, spices, and other such things, and then they whipped out these amazing tools for decorating and making your life easier when cooking. I bought two. Then we hopped on a boat ride down the river to the place where we had our class. The chef was a funny guy which made the class entertaining. He would demonstrate, and then we would make our own, the best part was eating what we made. Spring rolls, Hoi An pancake, and veggies cooked in a clay pot. Not only that but we were fed lunch at the end. It was mighty tasty.

So I missed a few things. Our train ride, we played scum. Some Aussie dude came to our doorway and watched, then sat on our bunk, and after joined us in the game. But the funny part is that he wanted to start adding in his own rules.

Every house, hotel, store, monument, building has a Vietnamese flag hanging from it.
They sell sugared popcorn on the streets, and in HCMC I saw them whirling up cotton candy. There are little parks that have old school fair rides on them, like the scrambler, ghetto bumper cars, and slower than slow ferris wheel. In Hoi An they had a small little fair for the kids which just had the games that you might see had a fair.
Tuk tuks are non existent here, you hop on a moto, or catch a cab. I prefer the moto. I haven't been on a cyclo yet which is a seat in the front for you with a bike like attachment for the man to cycle you around.
Women really do wear the conical hats both in the city, and the rural areas. I bought myself one, it doesn't quite stay level very well. The smallest breeze will blow it around.

So now I am to Hue which is where I will be leaving in a few hours. Not much to say it was a quick stop. First thing when I got here I hired a moto that took me to the tomb of some of the emperors. Ming Mang, To Duc, Tu Hieu, as well as Thien Mu Pagoda (BTW I can probably pronounce those names just as well as you can). My last stop was at the Thanh Toan Bridge...a Japanese style bridge which was out in the countryside. The coolest thing is to see how massive or the expanse of the tombs. Each emperor designed his own but it is more like a park with lakes, gardens, and serveral series of buildings representing parts of life. The final building lies the Emperor. But if the Emperors were really buried there no one knows because many were afraid of tomb raiders and everyone who was involved with the burial was laid down to rest as well.
I wondered around the market, ate at a superb yet expensive place, $10 US. But I got to eat spring rolls off the top of a pineapple that was formed to look like a peacock, and pretty food as well as tasty. The worse was the dessert. I love sweets, that'll be my downfall but this was disgusting. It was Bean cake shaped in the form of a flower, and then poked onto a fake plant to make it look visually appealing...that is all it was.

Today I went to the Forbidden Purple City, designed after the Forbidden City in China but I think more beautiful. In China it is all cement, hardly any plant life, but in Hue the Forbidden City has gardens, huge trees, and lake like things. No crazy adventures today, just limited to seeing the sights. I am catching a train today at 3:45 to Halong Bay. It will be 13 hrs of pleasure.