We have family of friends (from Red Deer) we wanted to visit in a town called Tuy Hoa. It was only going to be my wife and me, the kids were going to spend the day with the grandparents (in summary - kid2 continues to love every moment with them, kid1 was bored and did not make life easy for them on this day). These friends live about 130km north of us. In Vietnam, this is not a short distance. It would take 4-5 hours sitting on a motorbike to get there and about the same on a bus. And that means braving the Vietnamese roads. So, instead we took the train. The train took 2-3 hours, was cheap (around 8 dollars each, round trip) and more comfortable than the bus. We don't get motion sick on the train, but both of us can get ill on the bus.
First train we took was a 'local' train that went directly to the town we were heading. It left at 6:30am so that means we left before 5am to make this train. My wife bought the tickets for this train. My wife is not a detail person when it comes to travel. So she just asked for two tickets and got the cheapest seats she could get. This meant hard seats - literally wooden benches and no AC. It was a 3 hour trip (only late by 10mins, which is very good for Vietnamese trains) and the train was pretty crowded. Comfort was alright, but my butt hurt after sitting on the hard seats for 3 hours. We tried to sleep, but that wasn't very successful. So my wife and I had a good chat on this train. We haven't had a lot of opportunity to do that this trip, we've just been so busy. Since there was no AC, the windows were open so that meant it was also noisy. The train was blowing its horn at least every 30 seconds.
So we got into Tuy Hoa and met our hosts. We bought our tickets back to Nha Trang right away. We would go back the same evening and this time my wife decided to try out a bed. We spent time with our friends, had a great swim in the ocean and had a seafood lunch.
On our way home we had a bed in an AC car. But the trip was only 2 and a half hours and a bed does not turn into a seat - they stack the berths 3 high. So you had to lay down for the trip. But the nice thing about AC is that the windows are closed - so no horn! The berth itself is wood and they have a thin mat over it. It was not very comfortable. We slept for about 30 mins or so. My wife started chatting to the other people in our room - 6 berths in a room. On a short trip my wife admitted it would be better to have a AC soft seat. So its always a learning experience, although we're unlikely to take the train again on this trip. The train we were on came from Hanoi and was heading to Saigon - that trip takes 36 hours.
It was cool to see another town. It was a nice little city and we were very happy to take the trip. Next time the kids will be older so we'll likely take them with us. We only went 130km, but we went somewhere a bit different, and I always enjoy that. And taking the train was far better than our other transportation options.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
The Very Busy Road
Probably the biggest problem we have here in Vietnam is getting from point a to point b. We live 15kms out Nha Trang on a farm that doesn't have a whole lot - it has internet and sattelite tv. So if you want to do something, you gotta go somewhere, and that involves driving. And like most people in Vietnam, that means driving and riding a 125cc motorbike.
I love these 'smaller' (by Canadian standards) bikes. I drove one for 2 years in Taiwan. But the traffic in Vietnam is something fierce, so for the safety of my marriage, I've chosen not to drive here. I leave that up to my wife. She grew up in this traffic, but after being away for almost 6 years, she is also having trouble with it.
Problem 1 - Road quality. In the countryside, roads are max a lane and a half wide - or smaller. Sometimes they are no better than a dirt trail. Even the 'paved' roads are full of potholes. This means you can never go more than 30km/h (for your own safety). This makes getting somewhere slow... We went to a beautiful riverside area today, 10km/h from our village - took at least 30 mins to get there. Now, I have noticed increased quality in the roads. The road to Dalat was in very good shape. The main highway is in much better shape, on the stretch from the farm to Nha Trang doesn't have any potholes anymore. 6 years ago, there were potholes on that road that could swallow a car (in particular there was one at a major intersection into Nha Trang). Some of the major highway is 4 lane, but not all of it.
Problem 2 - Anything can happen on the road. Its rice harvesting time now, people need a flat, dry surface to dry their rice. Hey - a road fits that description! Nevermind if its the road to get into your community or the most important road in the entire country, people need a place to dry their rice. This same major highway is also home to most of the country (it appears). So people have their home/business opened to anyone, nevermind the big trucks, buses, cars, motorbikes and oxen carts that are also using the road. Need to get into a business or your friend's house (perhaps they're conveniently the same place) - no problem. And these business range in everything from local coffee shops to motorbike/car dealerships to metal fabrication facilities.
Problem 3 - Volume. On the main highway, it just kinda gets ridiculous. You're sharing the road with so many different types of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Sure, the majority are motorbikes, but there are still an awful lot of trucks and buses too. In the city it gets worse because, its a city. There are just more people.
Problem 4 - No Rules. There really doesn't appear to be much in the way of driving rules. A left hand turn is taken whenever you feel like it. Right-of-way goes to the fastest. Passing? Whenever you feel like it. Traffic accidents are very common. I've noticed that people are wearing helmets now and that the police are getting stricter to keeping a max of two adults on each bike. But the few times I have seen police on the roads is at the scene of an accident. When I lived here 5 years ago, I saw a few fatalities. Hopefully I'm not here long enough to see another.
Problem 5- Idiots. We have them in Canada of course, and with the speeds we drive in Canada, they can be more dangerous. So of course they're guys and gals who zip past you, weaving their bike through traffic like no one else exists. But drinking and driving is common, especially among truck drivers. My brother in law is a truck driver and he says its scary what gets behind the wheel of bus or truck.
So with all these issues, we don't like driving much. But we have to do it to get anywhere. We leave kid2 behind most of the time now though. She doesn't like riding on the bike. Kid1 is alright, but we took the bus to get into Nha Trang the other day and that worked just as well as a bike. But the bus only runs until 6pm though and the bus doesn't go everywhere. The key though is to keep it slow, keep it cautious and keep your head screwed on. If you see the idiots then get out of their way. Slow down and move to the right as much as possible to let the big vehicles pass. And wear a helmet.
I love these 'smaller' (by Canadian standards) bikes. I drove one for 2 years in Taiwan. But the traffic in Vietnam is something fierce, so for the safety of my marriage, I've chosen not to drive here. I leave that up to my wife. She grew up in this traffic, but after being away for almost 6 years, she is also having trouble with it.
Problem 1 - Road quality. In the countryside, roads are max a lane and a half wide - or smaller. Sometimes they are no better than a dirt trail. Even the 'paved' roads are full of potholes. This means you can never go more than 30km/h (for your own safety). This makes getting somewhere slow... We went to a beautiful riverside area today, 10km/h from our village - took at least 30 mins to get there. Now, I have noticed increased quality in the roads. The road to Dalat was in very good shape. The main highway is in much better shape, on the stretch from the farm to Nha Trang doesn't have any potholes anymore. 6 years ago, there were potholes on that road that could swallow a car (in particular there was one at a major intersection into Nha Trang). Some of the major highway is 4 lane, but not all of it.
Problem 2 - Anything can happen on the road. Its rice harvesting time now, people need a flat, dry surface to dry their rice. Hey - a road fits that description! Nevermind if its the road to get into your community or the most important road in the entire country, people need a place to dry their rice. This same major highway is also home to most of the country (it appears). So people have their home/business opened to anyone, nevermind the big trucks, buses, cars, motorbikes and oxen carts that are also using the road. Need to get into a business or your friend's house (perhaps they're conveniently the same place) - no problem. And these business range in everything from local coffee shops to motorbike/car dealerships to metal fabrication facilities.
Problem 3 - Volume. On the main highway, it just kinda gets ridiculous. You're sharing the road with so many different types of vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Sure, the majority are motorbikes, but there are still an awful lot of trucks and buses too. In the city it gets worse because, its a city. There are just more people.
Problem 4 - No Rules. There really doesn't appear to be much in the way of driving rules. A left hand turn is taken whenever you feel like it. Right-of-way goes to the fastest. Passing? Whenever you feel like it. Traffic accidents are very common. I've noticed that people are wearing helmets now and that the police are getting stricter to keeping a max of two adults on each bike. But the few times I have seen police on the roads is at the scene of an accident. When I lived here 5 years ago, I saw a few fatalities. Hopefully I'm not here long enough to see another.
Problem 5- Idiots. We have them in Canada of course, and with the speeds we drive in Canada, they can be more dangerous. So of course they're guys and gals who zip past you, weaving their bike through traffic like no one else exists. But drinking and driving is common, especially among truck drivers. My brother in law is a truck driver and he says its scary what gets behind the wheel of bus or truck.
So with all these issues, we don't like driving much. But we have to do it to get anywhere. We leave kid2 behind most of the time now though. She doesn't like riding on the bike. Kid1 is alright, but we took the bus to get into Nha Trang the other day and that worked just as well as a bike. But the bus only runs until 6pm though and the bus doesn't go everywhere. The key though is to keep it slow, keep it cautious and keep your head screwed on. If you see the idiots then get out of their way. Slow down and move to the right as much as possible to let the big vehicles pass. And wear a helmet.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A quick trip to Dalat
So we decided to take a quick overnight trip to Dalat. It wasn't something we had planned, but an opportunity to share the rental of a van came available Monday night, so we decided to leave Tuesday morning. We decided to take kid1 with us, and kid2 stayed home with the grandparents.
Some background is required. My wife and I met in Dalat. When we got married, we took our parents there. We really like the city. Its cooler there than on the plains. The architecture is different and there is a fair bit of nature that hasn't been spoiled by a rice patty or coconut grove. Instead there are greenhouses everywhere in the city limits, but you don't have to go far to enjoy a pine tree forest and there is a lake in the middle of town. It wasn't a priority for us to visit on this trip, but a good opportunity presented itself, so we decided to take it.
There is a new road to Dalat. What used to take 5 hours, now takes 3. There was also significantly less traffic on this road than the previous one. We hardly passed a single motorbike, bus, truck, ox cart or bicycle. There was some traffic (of course, this is Vietnam) but it was quite light for Vietnam standards. But the road is up a number of mountains so it is very twisty and turny. This is a new road, so the potholes were at a minimum, but there were still some. Vietnamese are not used to driving in closed vehicles for long distances (heck, they're not used to either situation) so unfortunately most people got at least a little carsick... On the way up, I have to admit that my stomach was a bit twisted as well. We have a very good driver (the family uses him whenever they need van transportation) so he did his best by keeping speed down and watching out for pot holes, but there is only so much one can do.
When taking a van, you also need a place to park it, and Vietnam does not really do parking lots for anything that has more than 2 wheels. Some hotels have courtyards or space on the ground level to park a vehicle. It took us a little bit of time to find us an affordable hotel, but we found one for less than $15 a night. It was alright, except it was on a main road and quite loud at 6am. But it was central and close to the lake. It also had reliable wifi.
We went to a few of the attractions, took a lot of photos, and just had some relax time. I took kid1 to bed about 7:30pm and I played on the tablet for a few hours while my wife hung out with her sister and brother and friends until 10:30. She even took a tandem bike around the lake. But the trip was short. I didn't want to spend that much time away from kid2, we have things we still want to do in Nha Trang and of course my wife still wants to visit with her parents. We could have seen a lot more, but there was also the issue of keeping kid1 occupied. Kid1 is the type of kid that needs to keep his hands and head busy (at the same time). You can keep him occupied for a considerable period of time with something new, but once he has something figured out, he needs something else new. He often complains of being bored... He is only mediocre about sighseeing. He likes taking pictures though and is pretty good at it.
We got back and kid2 didn't even really care that much that we got back. She is really enjoying the time with the grandparents and as long as she is with people, is happy. Apparently she is a lot like my wife when she was this age. Naturally happy, always wants to make people laugh and smile.
So the quick trip was good. Keeping kid1 occupied is a work in progress and a continual learning experience. I'm personally getting a lot of relaxation in - I'm working on a book and a game on my tablet. But that relaxation usually happens once the kids go to bed. Fortunately kid1 goes to bed no later than 8pm... if it gets later than that, he'll go and put himself to bed...
There is a new road to Dalat. What used to take 5 hours, now takes 3. There was also significantly less traffic on this road than the previous one. We hardly passed a single motorbike, bus, truck, ox cart or bicycle. There was some traffic (of course, this is Vietnam) but it was quite light for Vietnam standards. But the road is up a number of mountains so it is very twisty and turny. This is a new road, so the potholes were at a minimum, but there were still some. Vietnamese are not used to driving in closed vehicles for long distances (heck, they're not used to either situation) so unfortunately most people got at least a little carsick... On the way up, I have to admit that my stomach was a bit twisted as well. We have a very good driver (the family uses him whenever they need van transportation) so he did his best by keeping speed down and watching out for pot holes, but there is only so much one can do.
When taking a van, you also need a place to park it, and Vietnam does not really do parking lots for anything that has more than 2 wheels. Some hotels have courtyards or space on the ground level to park a vehicle. It took us a little bit of time to find us an affordable hotel, but we found one for less than $15 a night. It was alright, except it was on a main road and quite loud at 6am. But it was central and close to the lake. It also had reliable wifi.
We went to a few of the attractions, took a lot of photos, and just had some relax time. I took kid1 to bed about 7:30pm and I played on the tablet for a few hours while my wife hung out with her sister and brother and friends until 10:30. She even took a tandem bike around the lake. But the trip was short. I didn't want to spend that much time away from kid2, we have things we still want to do in Nha Trang and of course my wife still wants to visit with her parents. We could have seen a lot more, but there was also the issue of keeping kid1 occupied. Kid1 is the type of kid that needs to keep his hands and head busy (at the same time). You can keep him occupied for a considerable period of time with something new, but once he has something figured out, he needs something else new. He often complains of being bored... He is only mediocre about sighseeing. He likes taking pictures though and is pretty good at it.
We got back and kid2 didn't even really care that much that we got back. She is really enjoying the time with the grandparents and as long as she is with people, is happy. Apparently she is a lot like my wife when she was this age. Naturally happy, always wants to make people laugh and smile.
So the quick trip was good. Keeping kid1 occupied is a work in progress and a continual learning experience. I'm personally getting a lot of relaxation in - I'm working on a book and a game on my tablet. But that relaxation usually happens once the kids go to bed. Fortunately kid1 goes to bed no later than 8pm... if it gets later than that, he'll go and put himself to bed...
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The bar scene, not my scene
So I was able to get some 'exploration' time by myself in Nha Trang City. Took the bus into town from Dien Khanh. Cost less than 20 cents to take the bus and it goes right through the centre of the city. Those that know me, know I love to walk. So I got off a few bus stops early from where I was planning to head and walked through the tourist district. Got a better lay of how things have changed - and boy have they changed! Not many places I went to 5 years ago are left. I also took a walk along the beach, pretty much going to the very south end (and braving the traffic along with it - I had to cross the road a few times). I have a much better sense of Nha Trang now and this knowledge has already helped me know where to take the kids. It was also nice to have a night out, although I've certainly outgrown the bar scene.
I started out at Louisiane - where I had a 'warm up' beer. Their black beer is really good, much better than anything I knew I would for the rest of evening. 750ml cost me almost 4 bucks. By Canadian standards, a bargain, but quite expensive for Vietnam. But the place has more of a restaurant feel, so if you are solo, you're likely not able to strike up a conversation with anyone.
Next was Guava.This was probably my favorite place when I lived in Vietnam. The owner, Quinn, is a Vietnamese Canadian who is a really nice guy. He has lived in Nha Trang for 10 years and is raising his family here. He has a 6 year old. So if you have questions about what to do with kids in this city, he's the guy to know. Had a couple of beers here on the first round - cost me 2.50 including tip. Tipping is optional in Vietnam. According to the guys at Guava, if you leave a tip great. If you don't, the waitresses are not bothered by it. And the tip can be anything 10 cents or 5 bucks, there doesn't appear to be a guideline. I tend to tip if the service is good, and usually to round numbers. For the record, my wife is a better tipper than I am. But she has worked in restaurants for 7-8 years (in Canada and Vietnam), so she knows what these people go through.
I know the food is good at Guava, so I decided to try somewhere else. Especially since I think I'll be eating at Guava a fair bit - I still think its the best place in town. I tried out a 'new' place called Booze Cruise. I thought it was the former site of the old Irish Pub, so thats why I went there. Well, although their website does market them as an Irish Pub (so it is still perhaps on the same site, I know nothing otherwise), it is a booty bar, pure and simple. The waitresses wore shorts so short that I wouldn't let my daughter out of the house with them on. Didn't talk to anyone while I ate my burger (the burger was good), the other patrons were too busy talking up the waitresses. Beer was still a buck, but it was a lower quality beer than other places. The rest of the beer was marked up significantly.
After dinner I still had to a while before my wife could come to pick me up, so I went to another bar called the Watering Hole. Beer was still buck, talked to a retired Canadian for a bit. This guy has also been in Nha Trang for a while, nice chap. The Watering Hole is an expat bar, I was the youngest person in the bar (and also noted that the waitresses were the only ones not sporting a y chromosome). It was alright, dunno if I'll go back.
So I ended up back at Guava. A few more people were at Guava at this time (about 8:30 at night). Wife picked me up and we met up with some of her relatives for soup and smoothies in Dien Khahn.
When I go out, I want to meet some interesting people, maybe learn a thing or two about another culture, and enjoy some good food. I had a good chat at Guava with Quinn and his British manager. The bar was quiet that night so there will be other opportunities to meet others there.
I followed Quinn's advice and took kid1 to Nha Trang Centre the next day. Its a department store/entertainment complex. It has an arcade, bowling alley and small children's play park. Kid1 enjoyed it, but was a bit bored because he only had daddy to play with. We played some video games. We also found another amusement park at the 'Cultural Centre'. We went on a couple of rides, and looked around. We will definitely be returning, there appears to be a lot to do and all the rides are kid1 friendly. Some of them could even accomodate kid2.
So Nha Trang has a bit to accommodate the family, although it is still the backpacker/Russian party zone of great repute. Now, we just gotta steel our nerves and be more comfortable driving through its traffic!
I started out at Louisiane - where I had a 'warm up' beer. Their black beer is really good, much better than anything I knew I would for the rest of evening. 750ml cost me almost 4 bucks. By Canadian standards, a bargain, but quite expensive for Vietnam. But the place has more of a restaurant feel, so if you are solo, you're likely not able to strike up a conversation with anyone.
Next was Guava.This was probably my favorite place when I lived in Vietnam. The owner, Quinn, is a Vietnamese Canadian who is a really nice guy. He has lived in Nha Trang for 10 years and is raising his family here. He has a 6 year old. So if you have questions about what to do with kids in this city, he's the guy to know. Had a couple of beers here on the first round - cost me 2.50 including tip. Tipping is optional in Vietnam. According to the guys at Guava, if you leave a tip great. If you don't, the waitresses are not bothered by it. And the tip can be anything 10 cents or 5 bucks, there doesn't appear to be a guideline. I tend to tip if the service is good, and usually to round numbers. For the record, my wife is a better tipper than I am. But she has worked in restaurants for 7-8 years (in Canada and Vietnam), so she knows what these people go through.
I know the food is good at Guava, so I decided to try somewhere else. Especially since I think I'll be eating at Guava a fair bit - I still think its the best place in town. I tried out a 'new' place called Booze Cruise. I thought it was the former site of the old Irish Pub, so thats why I went there. Well, although their website does market them as an Irish Pub (so it is still perhaps on the same site, I know nothing otherwise), it is a booty bar, pure and simple. The waitresses wore shorts so short that I wouldn't let my daughter out of the house with them on. Didn't talk to anyone while I ate my burger (the burger was good), the other patrons were too busy talking up the waitresses. Beer was still a buck, but it was a lower quality beer than other places. The rest of the beer was marked up significantly.
After dinner I still had to a while before my wife could come to pick me up, so I went to another bar called the Watering Hole. Beer was still buck, talked to a retired Canadian for a bit. This guy has also been in Nha Trang for a while, nice chap. The Watering Hole is an expat bar, I was the youngest person in the bar (and also noted that the waitresses were the only ones not sporting a y chromosome). It was alright, dunno if I'll go back.
So I ended up back at Guava. A few more people were at Guava at this time (about 8:30 at night). Wife picked me up and we met up with some of her relatives for soup and smoothies in Dien Khahn.
When I go out, I want to meet some interesting people, maybe learn a thing or two about another culture, and enjoy some good food. I had a good chat at Guava with Quinn and his British manager. The bar was quiet that night so there will be other opportunities to meet others there.
I followed Quinn's advice and took kid1 to Nha Trang Centre the next day. Its a department store/entertainment complex. It has an arcade, bowling alley and small children's play park. Kid1 enjoyed it, but was a bit bored because he only had daddy to play with. We played some video games. We also found another amusement park at the 'Cultural Centre'. We went on a couple of rides, and looked around. We will definitely be returning, there appears to be a lot to do and all the rides are kid1 friendly. Some of them could even accomodate kid2.
So Nha Trang has a bit to accommodate the family, although it is still the backpacker/Russian party zone of great repute. Now, we just gotta steel our nerves and be more comfortable driving through its traffic!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sleeping in the Saigon Airport
I wrote a review on another website about staying at the Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) Airport overnight - Rather than duplicate my efforts, check it out here.
Change is good?
I lived in Vietnam a year before my wife, kid1 and I moved to Canada. When I say I lived here, I truly did - on a farm 15km from the centre of town, working as an English teacher so I could save money and return to Canada. I never did the tourist thing here in Vietnam while I was here, never had the time. In that year, driving up and down that highway into town everyday, walking around the farming village and eating tons of local food, I made a lot of observations. Vietnam is a developing country, the things we take for granted in Canada often just don't exist here. They have many conveniences that we have of course (like cell phones - but many people don't have smart phones yet) but its a mixed bag of what you see and don't have any access to (like frozen foods - only exist in the city at the large supermarkets and I don't know if a lot of people cook with them yet)
A lot has changed in 6 years (of course). In just the farming neighbourhood that my wife grew up in, there are far less wooden shacks. There were houses that didn't have doors, they now have doors and windows. Quite a few places have sattelite dishes, including our own houses - channels include Disney and CNN/BBC. Prosperity is starting to happen. Its still a hard life compared to Canada, but things are changing.
The biggest change for me though is that I can't see the stars anymore. 5 years ago, the farm had the best stars I've ever seen. Now, you can hardly make out the bright stars. This surprises me a lot, that development happened that quickly and that the light pollution encroached so much. But the nearest town (Dien Khahn) has grown so much. There are even traffic lights on the main highway now. Nobody really obeys them and they are not in places that make much sense. One of the major intersections in the country doesn't have lights but intersections with minor country roads do... But that's just Vietnam.
In Nha Trang city, tall, chain hotels are becoming the norm. And they are crowding out the road along the beach. They are starting to build more on the beach, which I think is very disappointing. Having an open beach like they do in Nha Trang is one of the main attractions to this beach within the city. Knowing Vietnam, there probably isn't a followed master plan, prime real estate will just go to the highest bidder.
There are a lot more Russian signs compared to 5 years ago. Quite a few more Vietnamese visiting the beach areas too. Garbage is more prevalent. To be honest, Nha Trang is starting to look more and more like Taiwan - industrialized but still very Asian.
My wish for Vietnam is that development is taken in a sustainable fashion. They really need to pay attention to the garbage and pollution- this will have lasting consequences if they don't. Infrastructure is really lagging, one major 2 lane highway serves most of the country. Otherwise, Vietnam does have quite a bit going for it and I've always been optimistic for this country. A lot happened in 5 years, but they still have a long ways to go.
A lot has changed in 6 years (of course). In just the farming neighbourhood that my wife grew up in, there are far less wooden shacks. There were houses that didn't have doors, they now have doors and windows. Quite a few places have sattelite dishes, including our own houses - channels include Disney and CNN/BBC. Prosperity is starting to happen. Its still a hard life compared to Canada, but things are changing.
The biggest change for me though is that I can't see the stars anymore. 5 years ago, the farm had the best stars I've ever seen. Now, you can hardly make out the bright stars. This surprises me a lot, that development happened that quickly and that the light pollution encroached so much. But the nearest town (Dien Khahn) has grown so much. There are even traffic lights on the main highway now. Nobody really obeys them and they are not in places that make much sense. One of the major intersections in the country doesn't have lights but intersections with minor country roads do... But that's just Vietnam.
In Nha Trang city, tall, chain hotels are becoming the norm. And they are crowding out the road along the beach. They are starting to build more on the beach, which I think is very disappointing. Having an open beach like they do in Nha Trang is one of the main attractions to this beach within the city. Knowing Vietnam, there probably isn't a followed master plan, prime real estate will just go to the highest bidder.
There are a lot more Russian signs compared to 5 years ago. Quite a few more Vietnamese visiting the beach areas too. Garbage is more prevalent. To be honest, Nha Trang is starting to look more and more like Taiwan - industrialized but still very Asian.
My wish for Vietnam is that development is taken in a sustainable fashion. They really need to pay attention to the garbage and pollution- this will have lasting consequences if they don't. Infrastructure is really lagging, one major 2 lane highway serves most of the country. Otherwise, Vietnam does have quite a bit going for it and I've always been optimistic for this country. A lot happened in 5 years, but they still have a long ways to go.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Taking the kids into Nha Trang
After 4 days here, we decided to take the kids into Nha Trang, a city 15 kms from the farm. Now, this doesn't seem like a lot, but that's 15km, on a motorbike, on the country's major highway (they only really have one). This makes it about a 45 minute trip. The city itself is quite nice - its a major resort city and has a beautiful beach. It also has a reputation of being a major party town...
Getting into town was alright. We took 2 bikes into town, one driven by my wife, the other by my sister in law. Sister also brought a friend. So 6 people (2 pint sized) on 2 bikes. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. Kid1 sat on the front of the bike and kid2 was in a front harness. She was alright until the end of the ride. Now, its been 5 a half years since I've been to Nha Trang, my knowledge of the city has degraded, and it has changed a lot. We found some nice beach chairs in the shade to rent (for 5 bucks). But they didn't have any washroom facilities (showers would have been handy). If we had turned left instead of right though (from where we parked our bikes), we could have rented chairs at Louisiane, a micro-brewery/restaurant/beach club. They had washrooms and shower facilities there. The beach itself was nice, its fairly clean, the water was good. It was too choppy and deep to do any swimming though. Kid1 really enjoyed playing in the sand. I was happy to show him how to build sandcastles. After supper we went to a local amusement park and kid1 really enjoyed that, although the park is very low quality. I would say that most rides do not keep up with any sort of safety code.
The biggest take away from this trip was the wife and I needed to communicate better. To be honest, our lack of communication constituted an epic fail when it came to trying to find supper. I wanted kid1 to have some western food and instead of taking him to a proper burger place (there are some in Nha Trang), we ended up at a bar and the burger patty was inedible. It also cost us 10 bucks for the burger and 3 pops. The bar, was a bar. Not exactly the best place to take a family, although it was early so the drunks were not out yet. My wife and I recognize that we had a communication break down and we both really have to work on telling the other what we are expecting. We both have to listen to each other as well.
We got home and both kids were exhausted. Since there were no shower facilities, both kids needed a shower when they got home. Kid1 finally got to eat something at 7:30pm. I definitely want to head back to the beach (and bring some buckets and shovels with us, the sand is wonderful to play with) but I'm not that sure about taking the kids on the bike again. Kid2 was squirmy on the ride home until she fell asleep. Kid1 also wanted to sleep on the bike and that was harder to manage when he is riding on the front of the bike. We will be rethinking this one...
Getting into town was alright. We took 2 bikes into town, one driven by my wife, the other by my sister in law. Sister also brought a friend. So 6 people (2 pint sized) on 2 bikes. It wasn't as bad as it sounds. Kid1 sat on the front of the bike and kid2 was in a front harness. She was alright until the end of the ride. Now, its been 5 a half years since I've been to Nha Trang, my knowledge of the city has degraded, and it has changed a lot. We found some nice beach chairs in the shade to rent (for 5 bucks). But they didn't have any washroom facilities (showers would have been handy). If we had turned left instead of right though (from where we parked our bikes), we could have rented chairs at Louisiane, a micro-brewery/restaurant/beach club. They had washrooms and shower facilities there. The beach itself was nice, its fairly clean, the water was good. It was too choppy and deep to do any swimming though. Kid1 really enjoyed playing in the sand. I was happy to show him how to build sandcastles. After supper we went to a local amusement park and kid1 really enjoyed that, although the park is very low quality. I would say that most rides do not keep up with any sort of safety code.
We got home and both kids were exhausted. Since there were no shower facilities, both kids needed a shower when they got home. Kid1 finally got to eat something at 7:30pm. I definitely want to head back to the beach (and bring some buckets and shovels with us, the sand is wonderful to play with) but I'm not that sure about taking the kids on the bike again. Kid2 was squirmy on the ride home until she fell asleep. Kid1 also wanted to sleep on the bike and that was harder to manage when he is riding on the front of the bike. We will be rethinking this one...
Saturday, March 9, 2013
The story thus far
We decided on traveling to Vietnam last September. Things in our life moved in a particular direction that provided us with the time, money and ability to make the trip. We picked the beginning of March very intentionally - just after New Year so prices were lower, the weather isn't too hot here yet and we're escaping some of Alberta's winter. I have to admit, when I booked the ticket, I was thinking I also needed to book a trip to the shrink as well - 2 kids, aged 5 and 1. Kid1 has always been a good traveler (most days), but kid2 is quite young and will sometimes have a good scream in her car seat. So I really didn't know what to expect.
Well, the flight has come and gone and we've been 3 days on my wife's parent's farm in south central Vietnam, near the beach city of Nha Trang. We spent 37 hours going from the doorstep of my home in Red Deer to the farm. The Journey went... as good as it could have. We had a great route - flew from Calgary to Tokyo direct, spent 2 and a half hours in Tokyo, then direct to Saigon. Nha Trang is 450km's from Saigon (yes, its now known as Ho Chi Minh City, but Saigon is easier to type). You can take a 45 minute flight, 9 hour train ride or a 12 hour bus ride. Any guesses which option we took? We got into Saigon at 10pm, cleared customs by 11pm. Our flight to Nha Trang left at 6am. Dad met us in Saigon. And we waited at the airport for our domestic flight. So to sum up the result of the flight - we were all exhausted at end of it, except for kid1. He slept 7 hours from Tokyo to Saigon. Kid2 slept maybe 6 hours in two days. She's one, she'll usually sleep 12 to 14... So she's still catching up and still cranky sometimes. The stay in Saigon airport was better than I expected - there is quite a bit of space in the international terminal for one to find a large spot and run the kids if they don't want to sleep (kid1 played with his toys) or easy enough to find a spot to catch some sleep (kid2 managed to catch 2 hours). Kid2 did what I expected - on flight 1 (11 hours long) she was happy and friendly. She made some friends (there was a family sitting across from us also going to Vietnam). She slept maybe 3 hours On flight 2 she was a bit cranky and slept 2 hours on a 7 hour flight. By flight 3 she was done with flying and cried for 20 minutes of the 45 minute flight. But once we got to the airport and met with her relatives, she was happy again. Kid1 lived up to his reputation as a great traveler. He kept himself occupied, we played a few games together on the tablet and he watched a bit of tv (but he's not a big tv watcher). This isn't to say that kid2 is not a great traveler, she is just 1 years old and never flown before. She also really likes routine and that got thrown out the window of course. I'm sure as she gets older she'll be pretty good - if you keep her engaged and if she gets enough sleep she is a wonderful child, her normal demenour is happy and friendly and its unusual not to see a smile on her.
So now that we are on the farm, things are going good. The grandparents are LOVING the time spent with the kids. The kids have taken right away to their grandparents. Kid2 will play strange so we thought it might take a few days before she would go to the grandparents. She was good with them in the first 2 hours. On day 2 my wife and I went for breakfast and I don't think kid2 even knew we had left. But she is still quite tired, and is resisting naps. She sleeps for 9 hours at night though. This is only day 3 though - she has to still get used to things. This could still take a week or so to happen. Kid1 has been quite low key and has put himself to bed at twice in a row - first night was at 6pm and second night (in which we had family over) was at 7:30pm. And yes, kid1 put himself to bed in the middle of a small party, and the family is not quiet. He played with his cousins for a good 2 hours though.
Its been 5 and a half years since I was last in Vietnam. First reaction - there is garbage everywhere. Its kinda disgusting. But things are getting more prosperous here. In the old farm neighbourhood my wife grew up in (and in which I lived a year in) has fewer wooden shacks, things just seem more prosperous. Its still the developing world, so things are quite poor here compared to the middle class existence we have in Canada. But I personally think that people are doing better here. So that is a good thing.
It is so good to see my wife's family again. I don't speak Vietnamese but (and I think because of) we get along quite well. Everyone is of course 5 and a half years older. Those that were kids (like my sister in law) are now grown ups and those who were babies are now kids (like my son). So far the kids around here are a bit shy and I think language is a bit of a barrier. But again, this is still early days.
Well this catches things up and sets the stage for future blogs. My wife and I are planning to head into Nha Trang tonight. Can't wait to see all the changes that have happened there.
Well, the flight has come and gone and we've been 3 days on my wife's parent's farm in south central Vietnam, near the beach city of Nha Trang. We spent 37 hours going from the doorstep of my home in Red Deer to the farm. The Journey went... as good as it could have. We had a great route - flew from Calgary to Tokyo direct, spent 2 and a half hours in Tokyo, then direct to Saigon. Nha Trang is 450km's from Saigon (yes, its now known as Ho Chi Minh City, but Saigon is easier to type). You can take a 45 minute flight, 9 hour train ride or a 12 hour bus ride. Any guesses which option we took? We got into Saigon at 10pm, cleared customs by 11pm. Our flight to Nha Trang left at 6am. Dad met us in Saigon. And we waited at the airport for our domestic flight. So to sum up the result of the flight - we were all exhausted at end of it, except for kid1. He slept 7 hours from Tokyo to Saigon. Kid2 slept maybe 6 hours in two days. She's one, she'll usually sleep 12 to 14... So she's still catching up and still cranky sometimes. The stay in Saigon airport was better than I expected - there is quite a bit of space in the international terminal for one to find a large spot and run the kids if they don't want to sleep (kid1 played with his toys) or easy enough to find a spot to catch some sleep (kid2 managed to catch 2 hours). Kid2 did what I expected - on flight 1 (11 hours long) she was happy and friendly. She made some friends (there was a family sitting across from us also going to Vietnam). She slept maybe 3 hours On flight 2 she was a bit cranky and slept 2 hours on a 7 hour flight. By flight 3 she was done with flying and cried for 20 minutes of the 45 minute flight. But once we got to the airport and met with her relatives, she was happy again. Kid1 lived up to his reputation as a great traveler. He kept himself occupied, we played a few games together on the tablet and he watched a bit of tv (but he's not a big tv watcher). This isn't to say that kid2 is not a great traveler, she is just 1 years old and never flown before. She also really likes routine and that got thrown out the window of course. I'm sure as she gets older she'll be pretty good - if you keep her engaged and if she gets enough sleep she is a wonderful child, her normal demenour is happy and friendly and its unusual not to see a smile on her.
So now that we are on the farm, things are going good. The grandparents are LOVING the time spent with the kids. The kids have taken right away to their grandparents. Kid2 will play strange so we thought it might take a few days before she would go to the grandparents. She was good with them in the first 2 hours. On day 2 my wife and I went for breakfast and I don't think kid2 even knew we had left. But she is still quite tired, and is resisting naps. She sleeps for 9 hours at night though. This is only day 3 though - she has to still get used to things. This could still take a week or so to happen. Kid1 has been quite low key and has put himself to bed at twice in a row - first night was at 6pm and second night (in which we had family over) was at 7:30pm. And yes, kid1 put himself to bed in the middle of a small party, and the family is not quiet. He played with his cousins for a good 2 hours though.
Its been 5 and a half years since I was last in Vietnam. First reaction - there is garbage everywhere. Its kinda disgusting. But things are getting more prosperous here. In the old farm neighbourhood my wife grew up in (and in which I lived a year in) has fewer wooden shacks, things just seem more prosperous. Its still the developing world, so things are quite poor here compared to the middle class existence we have in Canada. But I personally think that people are doing better here. So that is a good thing.
It is so good to see my wife's family again. I don't speak Vietnamese but (and I think because of) we get along quite well. Everyone is of course 5 and a half years older. Those that were kids (like my sister in law) are now grown ups and those who were babies are now kids (like my son). So far the kids around here are a bit shy and I think language is a bit of a barrier. But again, this is still early days.
Well this catches things up and sets the stage for future blogs. My wife and I are planning to head into Nha Trang tonight. Can't wait to see all the changes that have happened there.
Lets start blogging again - from Vietnam!
We are visiting my wife's family on a farm near Nha Trang, Vietnam. My son (age 5) was born here, but hasn't seen his grandparents for 3 years. This is my daughter's (age 1) first trip. Since I am living on a farm and not many people speak English around here, I might just be able to find some time to start blogging again. This also gives me a chance to record this trip, so we can look back at it years later. This is something I'm notoriously bad at. I took a year long trip 8 years ago and I think I logged 10 days of it. And I lost the log. Most things just fade into memory now.
Given that this is a public blog, I'm withholding my kid's names. Those that know them, will know who I refer to - my son I'll call kid1, and my daughter, I'll call kid2. Reference to Dr Suess is intentional. I don't know how much I'll be able to update this, but this gives me something to do while I have my Vietnamese relatives over and the kids are occupied. Feel free to comment directly on blogger or on Facebook.
Given that this is a public blog, I'm withholding my kid's names. Those that know them, will know who I refer to - my son I'll call kid1, and my daughter, I'll call kid2. Reference to Dr Suess is intentional. I don't know how much I'll be able to update this, but this gives me something to do while I have my Vietnamese relatives over and the kids are occupied. Feel free to comment directly on blogger or on Facebook.
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