Trips and Travels

Minggu, 14 Mei 2017

Off We Go to HCMC : prelude

Y'ello folks!
long time no see (who wants to see your blog, anyway? you are talking to yourself!)
ahahah yer, whatever!
It's been a long time since I wrote my last story when I was in Japon, I even didn't continue the story in Nara part 2! well, I should do it but hmm perhaps not today as I want to write about my journey in Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam :D

Yep, VIETNAM!
Super crowded place, though I am a typical of big city girl, I was once scared when I explored the whole HCMC, like seriously dude, motorcycles there are very agrressive hahaha, but I like it though!
My trip in HCMC was pretty short, only 4 days, as I wanted short escape from Phnom Penh after doing a conference there. I super really want to visit Ha long Bay actually, but yeaaaah because I need to take longeer bus or plane tickets to go there, and I am only a student, so I decided to take the cheaper bus from Phnom Penh.

I woke up in earlyyy in the morning and waited for the pick-up service I already booked with my friend Rosita, a day prior. I paid USD15 including the pick-up service. They promised me to pick me up at 6 am in the morning, and I am a very punctual person (ahem!) so I was standing in front of our hostel waiting for the pick-up service.

6.10.... nothing

6.20.... still nothing

and 5 minutes later, a big limousin bus approached our hotel. I was happy, yay!
the driver got out from the bus and asked my receipt then I gave them but he said "No, not you"
I mean, like what?
He then came into the hostel and 5 minutes later he came out with two european couples. BUAHHAHAHA, okay so not this great limousin bus. I thought I was that exclusive so they needed to pick me up with a nice limousin bus.

short after that, a tuk-tuk driver approached us and he asked us if we were going to HCMC bus, with bad english.
"You? tuk tuk?"

well.. I didn't understand what he said so I answered, "No, I am not Tuktuk"
he was confused again then he said, "Ho chi minh! ho chi minh!"
AAAHH.. SO HE WAS OUR DRIVER!
great, we were picked up by a tuk-tuk! not bad!

So we went to the bus station at 6.40 or something, he drove very fast, as our bus was actually at 7 am, and we assumed that he overslept so that's why he was kinda late to pick up us and WE GOT LOST to the wrong bus station. HAHAHA, nice. we arrived at the correct bus station at 7.20, the bus driver was kinda patient as we were the last one who jumped in!
Thanks sir :D
So here we go, our 6-hour-trip to HCMC began.

I kinda expected that my bus would be full of foreign travelers so we could exchange stories and probably do the spontaneous trip with them. BUT NOT AGAIN, the bus was full of Cambodian people or Viatnemese perhaps, as we were the only foreigners from Indonesia, :D the bus was super comfy and we enjoyed the trip, the bus driver played some original Khmer or Viatnamese songs which were very ear-catchy! I danced on the seat, a bit, as the music offered you a dance-feeling tune.
We were sleepy, then we ate our snacks we bought from seven eleven last night. I really enjoyed the scenery, the long way scenery, kinda different with what I usually have in Java, Indonesia. Similar but a slight different.
 
The one thing I like was, before we crossed the border between Cambodia and Vietnam, we passed through some 'casino areas' and we thought we were in Las Vegas. Super different what we had in Phnom penh, this area was pretty 'colorful' with big hotels and casinos.So, I searched on internet and found the location is called Bavet . You can click on to get to know what it is.

Then, the bus stopped for awhile, at some restaurant, we were hungry as hell, but we were hesitating about the meal and we kinda didn't have any dollars left :p So we just took a deep breath and said bye bye to the food. As the bus started to hit the road, we were asked by the co-bus driver what kind of food we ate, we said none since we didn't have money, and he said, "the food was free".

CRAP!

As we entered the border, Rosita and I were the only persons who jumped out the bus to do some check, immigration in the border was not that fancy, but pretty calm and I  liked it, no rushy-rushy and less people. The immigration officer spent time to look at my passport, checked my face again, checked the passport, and asked me what will I do in Vietnam, I said, hm holiday. So he smiled at me and said that I needed to do some re-check on my baggage again. HAHAHHA, cheeky!

Then yay, we were in Ho chi minh! stamped!
Which the city was totally different what we had in Phnom penh, super lively, and cheerful and we found starbucks!!! AHAHHAAH, you capitalist pig!
We arrived safely in Pham Ngu Lao, the similar Khaosan Road in Thailand, where the backpackers stay or average students like us stay with two big suitcases . hahaha (how could you consider yourself as a backpacker when you traveled with suitcase?)

In my opinion, I like Pham Ngu Lao better than Khaosan Road, don't ask me why but next to our hotel there was a park (I didn't really know the name, something like September park or whatever), and very nice view to just being lazy and judging people passing by :p
Because we were damn hungry so we walked along Pham Ngu Lao to find some famous Pho, I made some brief research that don't buy a Bo Pho as it is pork and I don't eat pig, (maybe because you are the capitalist pig, eh Vera?).

One of The best food in the world

I had some interesting discussion with Rosita, how to consider this food is halal food or not, hmm pretty rough discussion along the street and we also had to fight the traffic! 

I still remember when she said, 
"No, Vera, I can prove you that our food we eat in Indonesia is 100% halal!"
"Like how?"
"I can show you the butchery places close to my home!"
"So you think those butchers distribute the meat in our whole city?"
"We can do some research about that!"
"Challenge?"

I know this somehow led to some unnecessary arguments

But it was less tense after we found some veggies food! See?! good food brought you some good mood and everyone was happy as the pho was super delicious and spicy!!!

LOVE IT. BLESS YOU VIETNAM. 

It was already at 4pm and we just walked aimlessly to just sightseeing and did some random trivial things between us.

Rosita and The Park

Them People

PS. I really like taking pictures of people in the street, or local people there instead of taking pictures of myself. Local people are the example of reality, endearment, a very original part of what we are facing now. Then, it always brings a long flashback memory what I have done there when I see the pictures.