Five Facts About Moi

Lexy has tagged me. Once you have been tagged, you have to write a blog with 5 facts about yourself. Then choose 5 people you want to tag and list their names. Then leave a comment on their blog letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I love raw food (steak tartar, sushi, Pillsbury cookie dough).

2. I have been to 21 countries.

3. I have swam with dolphins, petted cheetahs, and rode an elephant.

4. I have been TVless for almost three years.

5. Something BIG is about to happen in my life. No, it's not a bébé. Stay tuned.

I'm going to tag:

Doctor T
Foxy
Daisie
Science Geek
Tabitha

Crossing the streets of Hanoi

Traffic in Hanoi



Us crossing the street in Hanoi

Shopping for appliances suck

I hate shopping for appliances. We're moving into our condo next month. As a result, we really needed to buy our appliances. We beat a record. We bought: fridge, stove, dishwasher, over-the-range microwave, washer, and dryer in fifteen minutes. It still wasn't fast enough for my taste.

Siem Reap & Ankgor, Cambodia

Siem Reap's boat ride

Siem Reap's main attraction is Ankgor. Angkor is often compared Machu Picchu or the Pyramids. It's definitely something to see. It is a 155 square kilometres ruined city built between the 9th and the 13th centuries deep in the Cambodian jungle. It was discovered in the 1800s.

Us in a tuk tuk

The End.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia. It turned out to be my favourite country. It's unbelievable that people can still smile after the events they went through. Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge killed 3 million Cambodians. It was one of the worse genocide in history. We visited one of the killing field. You could see bones and teeth in the ground. We also visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Our local guide, whose father was killed during the genocide, made the event even more real. It was a very emotional day.

Children near the killing field

Grand Palace (Cambodia has a king)

Recommendations:
Dining: Luna D'Autunno (Italian), #6c Street 29, Tel. (023)220 895

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

I loved, loved, loved Saigon. Cosmopolitan with an asian touch. Moccacino, suishi, hot water, that's how I like it! We visited the War Crime Museum (very disturbing) and the famous Cu Chi Tunnels.

We drove to Cao Dai Temple at Tay Ninh to join the noon day prayer. This was just bizarre. Cao Dai is a religion created in 1926. It combines all big religions into one, has Victor Hugo as a Saint, and a governing body similar to the US. Très bizarre. If anyone is interested: Information.

Cao Dai Temple
(Looks like a cross between Walt Disney World and Las Vegas)

Recommendations:
Dining: The Sushi Bar , 2 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Tel: (84-8) 823 8042
Activity: For great views, drinks at the Sheraton, 88 Dong Khoi Street, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam - Tel: (84)(8) 827 2828

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is a 5 hours scenic drive across the spectacular Col des Nuages (the Pass of Ocean Clouds) from Hué. We stopped by the South China sea. Too bad the weather was aweful! I am willing to bet that Vietnam will be the next big beach destination in Asia. They have beautiful beaches and are starting to build resorts.

Marble Mountain

We participated in a Vietnamese cooking class. We first went to the market to buy our ingredients (squid below).

Making spring rolls.

Lanterns

We celebrated the new year in Hoi An, Vietnam. It was a quiet evening as we had to get up at 5am the next day to catch our flight to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Recommendations:
Accommodation: Vinh Hung Riverside Resort
Activity: Cooking class! Many different options, easy to find.

Hué, Vietnam

We took the overnight train ("Reunification Express") from Hanoi to Hué. This train connects the North of Vietnam to the South of Vietnam.

Perfumed River in Hué

The monks are back!

Recommendations:
Dining: The Tropical Garden Restaurant, 27 Chu Van An St, Tel. (84.54) 847143, tropical gardent@vnn.vn

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Ha Long Bay ("where the dragon descends to the sea’ in the Gulf of Tonkin") is located in the Gulf of Tonkin, 4 hrs drive from Hanoi. We did a 5 hours cruise around the islands.

Hanoi, Vietnam

Here we are, on Christmas Day, in Vietnam. Hanoi is another world. I had never seen so many motorbikes all at once. No rules, no traffic lights. It's controlled chaos. The only way to cross the street is to take a deep breath and go. Walk slowly, straight, and most importantly never stop. Motorbikes will go around you.

Merry Christmas! It was my best Christmas ever... surrounded by people who hate Christmas as much as I do. This is R infront of Ho Chi Minh’s austere mausoleum.

Streets of Hanoi

Recommendations:
Dining: Green Tangerine (European delights, Vietnamese spcices), 48 Hang Be, Tel. 8251286
Cyclo Bar, Restaurant and Garden (Spices of Vietnam, delicacies of France), 38 Duong Thanh, Tel.8286844