Happy 2011!
My NYEve was spent dodging a million motorcycles, and watching grown women clutch frantically at each other while balancing on one foot on A4 paper. yups.. more on that later.
On 28th Dec 2010, 6 brave souls (+ guide & driver from vietnambiketours) left Ho Chi Minh City for Cai Lay, a little town on the Mekong delta. Armed with sunscreen and very nice mountain bikes, they pedaled wobbly-ly through narrow roads and even narrow-er bridges. Past coconut, bananas, longans, and magnificent rice paddies, they were greeted by frenetically helloo-ing children, and challenged by fiercely territorial (but not so intelligent) roosters.
It was fantastic =). When we were not fearing for our lives due to threats from bumpy roads, beeping motorcycles and crazily steep and narrow bridges, it was very peaceful. The whole village vibe, hammocks everywhere, verdant fruit trees etc. Not really unique to Vietnam, but a great way to experience SE Asian countryside. Our guide had some money to spend on us per diem, so we stopped frequently for sugar cane juice, durian, fried banana, rice crackers etc from random street vendors. Meals tasted great, partly due to all that cycling. I particularly enjoyed the tamarind-based hotpot, and a chendol-like dessert (beans, shaved ice, coconut milk). Another highlight was visiting the floating market at Can-tho, where heavily laden boats advertised their wares by hanging a sample atop a pole.
The Mekong river is HUGE! Originating from the Tibetan plateau, it flows through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and finally Vietnam, splitting into 9 distributaries in the delta (in Vietnam, it's also called the Nine Dragons River). Read more in Wikipedia. It's easy to feel a sense of awe at this mighty waterway, despite all the murkiness and water hyacinths..
After 4 days of cycling, we developed butts and nerves of steel! Sadly, we had to return to HCMC, where new year celebrations were in full swing. Although nowhere as significant as Tet (lunar new year), the occasion was still marked by lively stage performances, a food festival, and an awesome funfair-- there were the usual knocking-down of bottles, but also stuff like walking across bamboo poles while balancing bowls/baskets on your head and hands, having to strike a gong while blindfolded, and trying to catch a piglet while blindfolded. Low-budget, but tremendous fun (except for uncomfortable ethical feelings about the terrified piglet). EVERYONE was out in their motorbikes, and traffic was horrendous. Crossing the road, which is already a challenge normally, became an Olympic Event. Good thing we'd cultivated those nerves of steel. =)
All the tourist pubs and hotels had events, and our hotel's had sketchy games. One was like musical chairs, except instead of chairs it was A4 paper on the ground. 2 people were allowed per piece, and they had to stand on one foot. The other was played with couples-- one person had plastic flowers stuck randomly on his/her body, and the other person had to pick them, blindfolded. Kinda bizarre to see this is Vietnam. (?Or maybe this is very normal Vietnamese party?) Also saw a performance by a couple dancing the Rhumba. The girl was ok, but the guy looked really creepy, especially when he tried to smile... =(.
On our last day, we went for a body massage! I didn't notice the bars on the ceiling of the room, and thus was extremely surprised when my masseuse started stepping on accupoints on my back. Breathing became a challenging and delicately timed operation. She also cracked a few joints, most memorably the ones in my neck, with swift twists of my head... It was the first time I thought I might die during a massage, and not from happiness... But after the hour, my muscles felt wonderfully relaxed and languorous. So maybe it wasn't so bad afterall?
All in all, a fantastic trip. Much thanks to Shuquan for organizing, and Shirlene, Eugene, Xiao Wei and Chris for a great time.