An Adventure Indeed!

What's more interesting than blogging? Travelling, I guess. And I've just done so, which I believe I had told you here, long before my departure. So, to cut the introduction short, I just want to share my stories while I was travelling in Ho Chi Minh and Singapore. I was only away for a week, too short to actually be called an adventure, and I had so much baggage with me, it wasn't a real backpacking journey. Nonetheless, it was still a journey to be told, from someone who never really sees the world in her whole life time. 

Departure

I departed on June 7th, 2015 with one of my best friends. Our first destination was Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. But there wasn't any direct flights from my city, so we had to make a stop in Singapore. Since we aimed to spent as little as we could on plane tickets, we chose the flight with almost 24-hr stop over in Singapore. We didn't regret it.

As soon as we arrived in Changi Airport, we were almost immediately drawn into the countless shops  available there. We spent almost 2 hours browsing and eyeing for goods, and tried really hard not to spend a single penny. After a quick bite, we decided to explore the gardens in the airport: the enchanted garden, the sunflower garden, and so on and on. Time really flew by when you're in one of the best airports in the world. We then signed up for a free city tour provided by Changi, and set off in the evening. The tour took us to some of the popular attractions in the city, such as Merlion Park and Gardens by the Bay. Some pics were taken, and we returned to the airport at around 8pm. By this time, we were pretty much exhausted and hungry. But our connecting flight to HCM was still 10 hours away. We had a lot of time to kill. We ended up sleeping (or more like dozing on and off) in a small cinema in the airport, trying our best to get a rest. 

Next morning, we finally flew to Vietnam with butterflies in our stomach, partly because our stomachs were pretty much empty. 

Ho Chi Minh, The Crazy City

(I mean no disrespect by calling it the crazy city, it is what it's called by the younger generations there. )

Than Son Nhat International Airport

Upon arriving at Than Son Nhat Airport, I immediately threw away all my false thoughts about the country. I had expected a much more modest airport, and less modern in design, but I was wrong. The airport was better than what I had imagined it to be, and it was a huge relief. After obtaining our luggage, we exchanged some dollars to Vietnam Dong, and bought a local SIM card to contact our local friends, and headed to catch a bus to the city centre.

Long Hostel, where we stayed in HCM for 2 nights

Finding the 152 bus to the city was really easy, but trying to find our hostel was another story. We got off in Pham Ngu Lao area in District 1, which is basically the backpackers' centre. Never had I imagined the area to be that big, that we wasted more than an hour to find our hostel. We almost gave up finding and took a taxi instead. But, after recharging our battery by eating a delicious bowl of Pho, we finally found it. The hostel was in a small alley behind a market, so it actually wasn't hard to find, we just didn't know our way around, yet.

Wondering around in Ho Chi Minh

One thing any tourists will instantly notice from the city is the traffic. The amount of motorbikes in this country is unbelievable. Don't forget that I come from Indonesia, which has more than enough motorbikes and also heavy traffic in big cities. But I was taken aback by the flow of traffic and the riders here, which in my opinion, are way more insane and unruly than what I see back in Indonesia. Don't even get me started about trying to cross the roads, you always have to be thick-skinned and fearless, and luckily as an Indonesian, I'm pretty experienced when it comes to crazy road-crossing.

I also learned one valuable lesson from this short trip: don't believe everything you read in a guide book. Before I set off on this journey, I had bought a guide book for HCM, which, believe me, was very helpful in a lot of ways. However, I think it kind of misguided us by saying that you could easily walk to any of the tourist attractions in District 1, which was said to be close to one another. Wrong, wrong, and wrong in so many levels. Well, if you travel on a bike, speak the language, or know every corner of the streets, yes, by any means, going on foot is totally doable. But, for travellers like us, who visited the city for the first time, didn't speak Vietnamese, and definitely didn't ride a bike, it wasn't that possible anymore. Walking from Pham Ngu Lao to Ben Tanh Market, for example, is fine and easy. But that's about it. Trying to reach other places on foot will get you nothing but sunburnt, confusion, and frustration. 

Bitexco Tower with Sky Deck where you can see the city from above

We tried, however, to go to Bitexco Financial Building on our first day on foot, because we didn't know how far it was. We crossed so many big roads, crossing our fingers praying for our lives to be spared, before finally arrived. It took us nearly an hour for what it said to only be a 15-minute journey. It was worth it. Despite all the hardships, it was a proud accomplishment for us to arrive in one piece. But, we decided to take the easy way back, by taxi. We weren't the fittest, we know. And it was the only time we went on foot to reach a tourist sight. We knew better. 

So, what's the best way to explore Ho Chi Minh? I gotta say, by motorbike, ridden by locals you personally know, or book a local city tour (try saigonfreewalkingtours.com, I highly recommend it). If you're an experienced traveller, then going on foot and by bus will be alright for you.

Food and Delicacies

Pho

Banh Mi

Let's make this clear. I absolutely LOVE Vietnamese food. During my 4-day stay in HCM, not even once I expressed dislike to the food I tasted. It's that good. The first food we tried was Pho, a bowl of noodles with clear broth, slices of meat (pork, beef, or chicken), and some veggies. We also tried the bread, which is called Banh Mi. Banh Mi is basically a sandwich, but with baguettes instead of the usual American bread. Though considered a normal breakfast menu by locals, it was special for us. Then there's also other noodles we tried that the name I forgot. Let's just say it was seafood noodles. The broth was spicy and red, unlike Pho, and it tasted just as amazing. 

During our stay, we spent a lot of times hanging out with locals, and thus were fortunate enough to try so many different local food. I was so thankful and never slept with empty tummy. On our second day, for example, we booked a street food tour organised by university students. The guides took us to many street food places, where we tried Vietnamese pizza and the heavenly coconut ice cream. On the other nights, my Vietnamese friends took us to eat spicy chicken feet, pork skin, and fried octopus. I gained weights. I was happy and felt guilty at the same time. 

Besides food, we also drink. Ha. Vietnamese loves coffee and tea. I think I visited at least one coffee shop each day. Their coffee was a bit too strong for me, but the tea was perfect. I can drink it every day for all I care. 

The bottom line is, try to taste different kind of food and drink while you're there. You won't regret it.

Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnel

If you go to Ho Chi Minh, there are 2 places you always have to visit: Cu Chi Tunnel and the Mekong Delta. I did both tours on 2 different days, each gave me different kind of feelings and sensations. Cu Chi Tunnel, on one hand, provided me with a vivid war experience, which was sad and scary, but was impressive anyway. Mekong Delta, on the other hand, gave me a more peaceful feeling. We got to see the countrysides, walked through the villages in different islands, and explored the riverside while being on a small boat, paddling our way through the second longest river in the world. It was different, and was surely magnificent. I enjoyed both of them and would recommend them to you. Unfortunately our tour guide (who was the same person for both tours) didn't speak good English, so it was a challenge in itself trying to comprehend his explanations. He tried, though. And I respected him, as his job wasn't easy at all. 

I left Ho Chi Minh with a bunch of good memories. I made new friends along the way, experienced different sides of the city, and spent less than $100 for a 5-day-4-night trip. I will return to see more the country has got to offer. 

The Ever-Changing Singapore

We arrived back in Singapore on June 12, where we stayed only for 3 days and 2 nights, because we believed it wasn't wise to stay for too long. We both have been there before, plus the living cost is high. I didn't bring that much money. Arriving from a city as hectic as Ho Chi Minh, we got to relax and wind down a bit here in Singapore. Everything is still the same -- the city is clean, super organised, and it was easy to travel everywhere. What's more, you don't have to pray for your life every time you cross the street, which is good, I suppose. 

But I noticed that although it looked the same from what I remembered 5 years ago, it also has changed a lot. They are building more MRT stations, expanding their already-massive airport, and there are even more high buildings and skyscrapers. I know that this country never settles for less. Their economic growth is one of the fastest in Asia, and I could see why. They just never stop.

More and more walking

While we were in Singapore, we only used MRT as our mean of commuting. We mainly visited shopping centres and bought mostly cosmetics that obviously took up most of the space in our suitcases. One fine morning we visited the Botanic Garden. I didn't expect the garden to be that huge, didn't think it was highland, and was extremely grateful we had decided to leave our sandals behind and wore sneakers. We entered the garden from one gate and left from another gate. I think it's fair to say we walked for more than 10 km that day. I remember feeling cramped on my feet, felt like my soul was gonna leave my body, but we persevered, and we did it. All the walk has made me realised how unfit I am. I think a little work out is on the way this year. 

Next Destination

When I landed back in Surabaya, I instantly thought of my next destination. "Where will I go after this? What countries do I want to see next?" Judging from my budget, Europe and America are still far off, so I set my heart on countries in Asia. Maybe the Philippines, or Thailand, or Malaysia. Then South Korea, China, and Japan. There are so many different options I can take and I can't wait to see where my feet will take me next. I may start late, but it's better than never. 

PS: This July, I'm flying to Hong Kong and China to visit my relatives. It will be a different kind of holiday, since I'll travel with my family. But it's still something I look forward to. :)