While my last trip to Vietnam lasted a whopping 18 hours, I settled in for a nice 5-day stay this time around, and even managed a weekend escape to see Ha Long Bay, which is about 3.5 hours by car from Hanoi. Ha Long bay is one of those magical places I have heard about for years and finally got to visit. I was traveling with a few colleagues on this particular trip who I also consider friends, so we decided to book an overnight cruise to check it out. The only downside to this idea is that we were not alone in having it. In fact, our guide proudly informed us that there are over 300 boats that are authorized to cruise Ha Long. And while they do a good job of staggering the outgoing and incoming boats, it does still feel like a lot of people are up in the bay. That's the down side. On the other hand, Ha Long bay is indeed an extraordinarily beautiful corner of the world. The name Ha Long Bay literally translates as "descending dragon bay" - I cannot imagine a more mythically kick-ass name than that. According to my bff the Internet, the legend goes that the bay was created when a great mountain dragon (are there any other kind?) took off for the coast, gouging out the crevasses of the bay from its flailing tail. When he dove into the sea, the area then filled with water, leaving only the mountain pinnacles visible. I buy it... erosion bay just doesn't have the same poetic charm. When you cruise Ha Long, you don't just chill on the ship (which is kinda what I had in mind, to be honest) - you pop in and out on excursions. The first excursion was to climb up to "surprise cave". I took this to mean, "Surprise! You're getting off the air conditioned boat and climbing in 100+ degree humidity into a big-arse cave! Have fun!!" In all honesty, it was pretty cool for a cave, and I was glad to have done it. Even more glad when I found out that our next excursion was a swim in the bay. And thank god - it was seriously, seriously hot in Viet Nam when we were there, with the thermostat reading a "feels like" temperature of 116. The BEST part of the trip, I have to say, was watching the sunset from the upper deck of the boat. where we also had a 'cooking lesson' from the chef who taught us to make (and eat) spring rolls. I am now a card-carrying certified spring-roll-maker. Many more pics from this trip can be viewed in the trip album here.
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In case I have not made it abundantly clear in previous posts, Jakarta is not my favorite city in the world (except when I get to visit with Putri!).
But during my latest work trip to Jakarta, I snuck in a pretty awesome dinner with colleagues at the Oasis Heritage Restaurant. And when dining at Oasis, one would be foolish not to order the Rijsttafel, which is translates as "rice table" and is described by the restaurant as a "medley of dishes from all over Indonesia served by 12 Indonesian girls in traditional costume." The tradition was invented by the Dutch when they occupied Indonesia, and is an experience that can best be shown through video, but pictures will have to suffice. The 1910 flood of Paris was so bad, this is how people resorted to getting around town. While the flooding we are seeing right now in Paris isn't quiet (yet) this serious, this week has not been a good one for the banks of the Seine. After days of torrential rain, the river is now five meters (16 feet) above normal levels, and it's expected to rain again this weekend. Other regions in France and Germany are hit much harder, but combined with transportation strikes this week (of course), it is not a pleasant time to be in Paris. Interestingly, the city actually held a full-scale flood drill in March to prepare for the possibility of a "centennial flood", which refers not to the frequency of this type of flooding but rather to the fact that every year there is a 1 in 100 chance of a monster flood like the one in 1910. Who knew. I bet the city authorities are counting their lucky étoiles for getting the timing of that drill spot on the money.
A close neighbor of the Seine, the Louvre museum will be closed tomorrow (Friday), and they are starting to move artwork from vulnerable areas to higher ground. The Musée d'Orsay will close early. The RER C train shut down starting this afternoon, which is incidentally is the line we can take home if all else fails with the bus system (as in the case of a transport strike, like today). Here are a few more photos from the walk home from work today: |
AuthorBecause why not get married and move to Paris to really kick off your thirties? Archives
December 2016
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