Kampuchea and Beyond

Ho Tram October '07

We needed to get away from the city for a little while so we high tailed ti to Ho Tram for the weekend. Ho Tram is only 2 hours from city on the east coast of Viet Nam and just north of the Mekong Delta. We hired a driver for $80 and make a quick exit from Ho Chi Minh at 6:00pm Friday night. Everything takes 10 time longer than it should in this country and the journey was no exception but we arrived in time for dinner, beer and bed. On awakening Saturday morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the high end restaurant and then hit the beach. Not as beautiful as many but still nice and peaceful with quite a bit of local life to observe.

Fishermen go out in coracles (round wicker boats) paddling expertly over the waves and into the shallows where small shoals of fish reside and stay there most of the morning before returning to sift their catch before transportation to market. The odd motorbike goes up and down using the beach as a road but apart from that it is very quiet and a perfect weekend getaway.

We spent lots of time drinking in the bar and playing cards and listening to an assortment of music on the laptop, in between spells of burning time on the beach. Allison is now red all over and I’m tanned to the point of looking ridiculous.


The room has cable and I was able to stay up most of the night watching England’s fantastic run in the rugby world cup come to an end but a valiant effort it was. A shout out for Tom who was at the game in Paris as a guest of his rather presumptuous kiwi relatives. At least we made it to the final eh? I’m sure a good time was had by all.

Presently sat by the pool dreaming the day away forming plans for future travels in SE Asia. Bring it on! Allison just woke up and wants to know where all the wine has gone. Oh, and she’s hungry, again. Back to Ho Chi Minh in 2 hours.

Ho Chi Minh City

People say that Ho Chi Minh is a mirror of Bangkok a decade ago. I hope this is not true. If people traded their 100cc motorbikes in for cars, then the city would be in perpetual gridlock. Like ants, they swarm everywhere. It is not unusual to find them going the wrong way down a highway, cutting corners on the pavement or jostling for position at the lights as though starting from the front of the grid in formula 1. Cargo includes children of all shapes and sizes (a whole family may fit on with apparent comfort), live chickens for dinner, and an assortment of goods large and small. There are millions of them, and all packed into a city with the same population of London but in a much smaller area. Expats don’t like to take them – “too dangerous” they say, but Allison and I were quick to take the chance. Actually, they are quite safe and easily the best way to get around – like taking the bicycle option in London. I am working out a way to convert my driving license, as I need to get one. I miss the driving from back home.

The city itself is divided into several districts labelled by number, with district 1 being downtown and containing all the suave restaurants and bars, shops, hotels, etc. The further away from this district you get, the less touristy and expatriated it is. I was quite surprised by the amount of up market places to go and drink, eat and shop. It was immediately obvious that HCMC is an upwardly mobile place. Viet Nam has the 3rd fastest growing economy in the world after China and India and there is plenty of evidence of that here. Skyscrapers are going up everywhere, many people have mobile phones, everybody has a motorbike or cycle, some have cars and there is a big expat community. On Friday and Saturday nights, the centre of town is packed and buzzing; on Monday’s and Tuesday’s it is still busy. Food is very cheap and excellent most of the time and accommodation is extortionate if you want aircon and an uninterrupted power supply.

Also, like Bangkok, if we do experience serious climate change and the ice caps go into meltdown, this city will be under water in no time; perhaps not a place for long term property investment. There are canals and tributaries to the Saigon River snaking all over town although, unlike Bangkok, they do not offer a means of transport. The water levels go up and down with the tide, like the Thames, but there are storms pretty much every day at the moment which turn roads into rivers within minutes. I thought I’d seen my fair share of this in other cities like Delhi and Manila, but Ho Chi Minh is something else. Motorbikes come to halt and people perch on top of seats in the bus shelters waiting for the flash floods to subside. The whole of district 1 can turn into a lake on the odd occasion. A fantastic display of natural ferocity supplemented by crackling skies and displays of lightening that make you gasp with wonder. November is supposed to be the worst time for heavy rains before the relative peace of December and January. March and April are apparently unbearably hot and a time to escape to the hills at every opportunity.

The humidity of Saigon was a little suffocating at first, but we are pretty much used to it now. Allison has a sweat problem she says, but don’t we all. Even the locals perspire in this climate. I seem to spend much of my life in aircon atmospheres though, and I can go the whole day without having to suffer much what with aircon taxis, apartment and office filling my days during the week.

Work has been interesting and really quite stressful, with long hours and many obstacles to negotiate. The Viet way of working is very different from our own. Lots of bureaucracy to negotiate and a lot of time needed in which to do it. After 3 weeks I have just started to discover some patience which is essential for my sanity. Business is conducted on a relationship building basis here. Lunchtime social skills with the movers and shakers are more important than ability at technical stuff and you can spend a lot of time trying to work out the most influential people. It has been important to recognise the pitfalls with taking yourself out of your comfort zone and to understand there will be up’s and down’s. Every day is a rollercoaster but every week it gets easier. Definitely worthwhile and I can’t help getting excited about the next few years. All in all, I’m less busy than I was at home although I’m working longer hours. The 9 to 5 day of back home is more like an 8 till 6 or 7 day here. The residents of Ho Chi Minh are on a mission to grow, and grow quick. Working Saturday’s is not uncommon and I had to do one on my first weekend here. Not a habit I wish to partake of too often I hope.

The people are friendly in the main but determined, resilient and full of energy. The city never sleeps. It is interesting to note the differences between men and women. Women hardly ever drink and never smoke. They always take the moral high ground and pale at the suggestion of mischief, which is rife here amongst the men. Women always take care of negotiations when it comes to money and bartering is second nature to them. Men love to drink and get pissed with the boys whilst the women stay at home amusing themselves. Men aspire to power and prestige and the wheels of industry must be greased in order to make progress - all are looking to make a fast buck. Also, there is no room for sentimentality and all are looking forward not back. No mention of the war then, it would be futile to try. Politics also, are not for Western ears, people are unquestionably loyal to their system and so they should be. All expats must fit in and avoid trying to change things, unless you are looking for a fast ticket back home.

The food here is bloody amazing. Going for lunch with the Vietnamese is a good learning experience and a chance to brush up on your etiquette. There are a host of places to choose from and one can get any type of food here. We’ve had curries on formica tables, fancy Mediterranean style steaks and pizzas of a sometimes dubious quality. The local food is easily the best. There are many places to go and get fantastic food that is dominated by delights from the sea. Lobster, oysters, mussels, clams and even snails are all delicious. And, so fresh that it can still be alive on the plate! Beef and pork dishes are equally good but not too spicy like in Thailand. All food is served tapas style and easy to negotiate with chopsticks which we are both now quite adept with. Lots of tempting dipping sauces accompany all dishes and the herbs are fragrant and plentiful. I wish they would find an alternative to fish sauce though. It doesn’t mix well with meat.

The local speciality of Ho Chi Minh is hot pot, which we have best enjoyed in Cholon which is home to a large proportion of the Chinese population. Cholon is the kind of place where you get pointed at when you take your table. Lots of giggles and stares that make you realise you are being adventurous. A motorbike taxi of 30 minutes gets you into the heart if it which leaves you exhilarated and ready for a good feed. The hot pot of boiling, spiced broth sits on a burner accompanied by an assortment of raw seafood and a couple of plates of tropical salad and veg. The seafood then goes into the hotpot once it starts boiling and cooks in 2 or 3 minutes.

Prawns are still moving on the plate when it arrives and even jump off from time to time. I still laugh when I think of Allison jumping off her chair the first time we saw it – and much to the mirth of the locals!

Beer is very popular here. Groups of men will often go to ‘beer gardens’ where a crate or two is placed at the foot of the table and guzzled greedily throughout the night. 10 beers is normal for one person on these occasions and is always poured over ice, which is strange but helps to alleviate the hangover the morning after. Our business cannot fail here. The Vietnamese love a drink and like to be seen with the most expensive beer when they can afford it. The basis of which forms our strategy in Viet Nam for K1664. A high end beer which says ‘look at me I’ve got cash’.. The weight we’ve lost from the very healthy food has more than been made up for with the sheer quantity of beer that we have been drinking. I reckon I could earn a pretty sum from sumo wrestling now!

Cholon is also the area for temples and pagodas. Again, not many tourists get to these places, which make them all the more appealing. Always, they are small oases in the storm that is the cacophony of noise in this city (usually from people on the horns of their vehicles – a constant array of ear busting sounds and very annoying first thing in the morning). Nestled between high rises and hotels and teaming markets, these pagodas are peaceful and perfumed with Buddha’s sat serenely in bronze and gold and surrounded by religious offerings of flowers and incense sticks. Touring the sights is an excellent way to spend a Sunday and reminds you of the more cultural side of Ho Chi Minh. It’s easy to forget this when you are immersed in expat life so it’s important to do something a little different as often as possible.

Shopping has consisted of DVD’s only as the shopkeepers think Allison is too fat for their clothes. Yes, they actually give their honest opinion! You can get a whole series of any American drama for pennies here, which is great for us as the TV is obviously crap. We have almost got through the first series of Heroes and are looking forward to the next one. Cost - £3! We have several series of CSI, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Without A Trace, House, Prison Break, etc. to get through over the coming months and don’t miss UK TV at all. All our favourite shows without the crap celebrity culture that goes with it. Great. DVD’s are not the only thing that the Vietnamese are good at copying either. You can buy just about every classic painting copied in minute detail and real paint for $20 or so. All clothing comes from here in the first place so that you can’t tell fake from real. Put your orders in and we’ll bring you your trainers back next year! I’m hoping Allsion can get her wedding dress here for under a £100!

We should be moving into our new apartment, which is actually a penthouse, next week. Most expats live in apartments resembling hotel suites and we had to look long and hard to find our place. Our place is more like an English flat with 2 floors and some outside space, but it’s a fair distance from the centre of town – 25 minutes on a bike. It’s worth it though, as most of the apartment blocks lack any sort of character and are very, very expensive. It has all mod cons and lots of glass at the front which makes it feel quite contemporary. Our stuff will arrive from the UK soon and we are both looking forward to getting settled in to our new home.

The beach is only 2 hours away and we will try to get away once per month as this city will surely get a little claustrophobic after long spells. We have been busy scouring the internet for suitable places to relax and are off to Ho Tram on the South China Sea for a weekend soon. The next instalment of the blog will come from there.

All the best to all wherever you are. We have a lovely spare room for whenever you’d like to visit.

Whale Island - 24th / 29th September 2007

Allison has been made an honest woman of - it was the only decent thing to do. After all, she's followed me half way round the world for the next chapter of life's great adventure. The series of leaving do's had left us somewhat jaded and we needed a holiday. So, we headed off to Viet Nam and a pretty little lump of rock called Whale Island (north of Nha Trang). We arrived after a 30 hour journey from Reading which had left us knackered. It was an emotional farewell to all but we were glad to be on our way. The sun had set before we arrived at Whale Island and it was very hot. We could see nothing but only wanted to quench our thirst in the bar before hitting the sack. I'd already laid down my plans for the day after. We would get up and I would propose over breakfast. Actually, I waited until after lunch as my nerves got the better of me. I did make it onto one knee - well, actually 2 knees really, as we lay on the beach burning at a rapid rate and sweating furiously - very romantic.



Of course, Allison was certain that I was pulling her leg, but when I produced the rocks the realisation hit her and she shed a few tears whilst commenting about how sweaty she was and that I should be on one knee rather than slumping over her like a beached whale. However, very happy we both were. Of course, she did say yes! Thanks for all of you that have sent congratulations; it will mean a lot for us if you keep in touch whilst we are in Viet Nam.


Of course, the next big task is for Allison to arrange the wedding. I suspect this will be difficult but she will no doubt get lots of help from the family. Nothing to grand please - my wallet can't take it! I hope Allison realises that I fit the stereotype of a Yorkshire man perfectly, i.e.: tighter than a badger's arsehole! Perhaps it will be a long engagement....

With that task out of the way, some serious relaxation began. Whale Island is a quite beautiful place although not the best I have seen. But very comfortable and just what the doctor ordered for us both. We spent most of our time lounging on the sun beds, drinking at the bar or sleeping in the lovely beachside hut. Lots of seafood for lunch and dinner and lots of reading.
I read 'The Quiet American' (Graham Green) and 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' (John Le Carre) in just 2 days. The food consisted of 3 courses of seafood for lunch and dinner which got a little boring but it was ok. We went snorkelling a couple of times which was ok. The resort is an eco-reserve and they've worked hard to bring back some life to the area. There was lots of evidence of dynamite fishing but the corals were recovering well. Some nice small colourful fish but the most exciting specimen was a menacing lion fish. I look forward to some more extreme diving in this region with Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands being the holy grail for next year.

By the time we arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, we were ready to get started on all the practical issues with settling in a new country but Whale Island had been well worth it and a gentle introduction to Viet Nam.