Jul
04
2018Left Hue for the Village of Huong Phuong in the morning.
The trip from Hue to Huong Phuong took about 5 hours in a “bus”. We managed to arrange for a 10 seater vehicle to pick us up from the street corner where our hotel was. It cost us about $6 each to travel over 200km. It would have taken much less time if our bus didn’t function like a bus cum courier service, stopping to pick up people along the way and delivery items to people waiting along the way. The route was mainly along the coast, and there were patches of two narrow lanes. Our driver passed (rather slowly!) on double lines and blind corners….. Whew!
We got dropped off at Ba Don, for a taxi into the village. It was about 40C when we arrived at Ba Don some 10km away from the village. The taxi cost more than the bus had it not been for the fact that there were two of us (ie just over $6 for two, and the bus, over $6 x 2)
I haven’t had much time to do photography but managed to click a few interesting shots. The nuns in the village run a Day care centre and also an orphanage. They sell duck eggs, altar bread, run a pharmacy and many more ventures. I think it is because the Orphanage costs them over 1 Billion Vietnamese Dong a year.
Siesta during the hot hour of the day in the day care centre
Life in the village is simple. The pace is slower, and the people friendlier. The night sky is clear and not being in a city, there is not too much ‘light pollution’ of the night sky. I wanted to do some star trails but at when the temperature is still over 30C at 10pm, I gave it a miss and stayed in my air conditioning room of 25C with a fan switched on!
Update: day 2
Still super hot. Visited the Orphanage. Had a look at the various farming activities in the village. Then had a feast with the sisters, meeting up with parents of Vietnamese priests in Christchurch…..
Jul
03
2018This notice Board explains it….
Notice Board at the Shrine
Some 60kms out of the city of Hue
Jul
02
2018Huế is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802 to 1945. A major attraction is its vast, 19th-century Đại Nội Citadel, surrounded by a moat and thick stone walls. It encompasses the Imperial City, with palaces and shrines; the Forbidden Purple City (Tử cấm thành), once the emperor’s home; and a replica of the Royal Theater.
Đại Nội Citadel
Another attraction is the Tomb of Khải Định, officially Ứng Mausoleum, is located in Chau Chu mountain near Huế in Vietnam. It was built for Khải Định, the twelfth Emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. It was built from 1920 to 1931 taking 11 years to complete. The tomb is a blend of Western and Eastern architecture. It is located on a steep hill outside of the capital city of Huế.
Tomb of Khai Dihn,
Update
At night there is an open air market along the Perfume river: food and knick knacks. When I was there on the 3rd of July the temperature was still over 30C after 8.00pm
Jul
01
2018
Ho Chi Minh – Saigon
It was good to visit the War museum of Ho Chi Minh City and get a sense of the horrors of war – especially the atrocities. Getting there gave me a sense of the busy-ness of the city too. The city is kind of chaotic, but it works! The traffic is crazy, but it also works. Grab (Uber equivalent) taxis and Grab Scooters are easily available. If anything it is the traffic jam that will eventually drive any NZer crazy but after half a day, I accepted it as the ‘norm’ around here. After all it is a city of 10 Million or so people!!!
One of the most influential photos of the 20th century
After the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), I have left for Da Nang in the north.
Da Nang
Arriving in the early hours 9.00am on a Saturday I was pleasantly surprised to find a city quieter than Saigon, and blue skies. It was still very hot though – 30+C ! We hired a scooter – but after the initial concerns, we soon got into the groove of ‘who dares win’ traffic! It is a very nice city with the 4 bridges all lit up in the evenings, and a Ferris Wheel to match!
(Update: 8th July: the Dragon Bridge breathes out fire and water after 9pm!!!)
Nearby there is the Marble Mountain. On top of the mountain, there are pagodas and Buddhist temples and Monks chanting. I’ve been surprised at the expression of religious faiths in Vietnam. For a Communist country I thought I wouldn’t see much, but there are many Catholic Churches and Buddhist temples. The street leading up the mountain has many shops selling carving of statues – mainly of Buddha, but also Goddess of Mercy (Toaists) and Catholic Statues!
The first night we went to Hoi An, a UNESCO heritage city/town.
Hoi An
Incredible is the word. If you ever come here, wait for the sunset – its worthwhile. Too many tourist though! Wish I had a tripod for the camera but luckily the image stabilizer in the camera gave me some leverage!
Jostling for a shot
Jun
29
2018
I woke up this morning for 5.00am Mass! It was already hot and humid but not as bad as when I arrived yesterday evening. It was a horror start, with a the time needed to process my Visa application at the airport taking nearly three hours. It is easy to accept that patience is a virtue, but when others can pay to have preferential and speedy service, it is rather frustrating.
Today, after a hearty breakfast, I was out there in Ho Chi Min City, Saigon. The traffic here is kind of chaotic, but it works. Its about who dares wins!
We went to the visit the Notre Dame Cathedral but it was closed for renovation. So after a good look at the Post Office, we explored the Palace of Independence and later the War Museum. The latter is a must, and a reminder of the atrocities and futility of war. I think the photographers assisted in a big way to show people and record for us, some of the horrors of war, and in doing so, changed the public’s opinion of it. Some of the basic statistics of the Vietnam war are mind blowing.
One of the most influential photos of the 20th century
Jun
27
2018
I spent 24 hours is Melaka (or Malacca). Its a great place for photography, but the time I was there, the skies were grey and it rained from time to time.
Its full of history. The Portuguese conquered it in 1511. St Francis Xavier spent several months in Malacca in 1545, 1546, and 1549. The Dutch launched several attacks on Melaka during the first four decades of the seventeenth century. Not surprisingly the oldest Church (1521) in South East Asia was St Paul’s (originally Catholic, and later Dutch Reformed) which eventually was turned into a fortress.
Jonker Street seems to be the main tourist attraction – and I was surprised at the number of tourists in Melaka. Its also a place for foodies! There are colourful rickshaws offering rides along the streets, with music blaring…
Colourful Rickshaws
Jun
26
2018
I’ve been in KL for a few days but I haven’t done much. The sky has been generally grey and hazy, and there have been several storms. I’ve only taken a few photos, including that of KLCC. It is (was?) the tallest Twin Tower in the world, measuring 452 metres. Other buildings around the world have since dwarfed it. It has been described as the heart of Kuala Lumpur. As the photo shows, it is one of the most popular landmarks, with non stop selfies happening in front of it.
The lower floors inside house an incredible shopping mall.
KLCC – a place to do selfies!
Jun
19
2018
Here I am on Langkawi – after a change of plans. Unfortunately the 3 nights I’ll here, the forecast is rain, rain and rain…. but let’s hope the sun will shine through the clouds occasionally. I haven’t explore the island fully yet, just a stroll from the hotel to the beach, so only a few pics at the moment.
The wild life is interesting – I’ve seen monkeys and squirrels darting along the trees and power lines! Will explore more tomorrow….
Monkey Business – Langkawi
Day 2
Although the forecast was bad, it turned out quite good. I managed to explore half the island even though I did not do the ‘tourist thing’. Its incredible how there are still small villages, and untouched rain forest. The wild animals come out on the streets!
I also managed to locate many nice beaches and bays (“Teluk” in the local language)
Monkey Face!
Day 3
Laze around…… went to the Wet Market at Kuah.
Chicks for sale – Langkawi wet market
On the beach, many tiny crabs busy themselves digging holes and depositing sand (look for the crab near the hole – tiny little thing less than 1cm). Couldn’t hep observing this tiny crab depositing marbles of sand…. Later for lunch it was sweet and sour Mud Crab!
Look at the tiny crab (less than 1cm) busy digging a hole and depositing sand
Jun
17
2018
Visiting Penang must include exploring some of its streets. Some streets are food haven – mainly in the form of Hawker street food. Others like the Old Georgetown Street of Penang gives a sense of Penang’s history and culture. The Old Georgetown Street is also a UNESCO Heritage site containing architecture from the British colonial times. Parts of the present streets are still in the original gird as laid out by Francis Light for the early settlement of George Town in the late 18th century.
Penang’s Unesco Heritage Site
In 2012, the Penang municipal hired a London-trained Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic, and charged him with breathing new life into some of the Chinese shop-houses around the inner city. Zacharevic turned certain areas into thriving tourist destinations that also became the much-talked about object of attention among locals. His artwork is spread out along several roads
Jun
15
2018
This morning in Penang, Malaysia, more or less marked the start of my travels on my Sabbatical. I went to check out two Buddhist temples. They seem to be in competition with each other,being located right opposite each other on the same street: The Chaiyamangalaram Thai Buddhist Temple and the Burmese Buddhist Temple. The names themselves present their cultural difference. In a way it highlights how Buddhism is very much intertwined with the culture in which it takes root, and how the local culture adds to its colour.
I was very much surprised at how large dragons guarded the entrance to the statue of the reclining Buddha. Dragons have been part of Chinese culture for at least 7,000 years. In China, dragons have long symbolized power, creativity, heaven, and good fortune. In time, Chinese Buddhist artists adopted the dragon as a symbol of enlightenment. Obviously it is also part of the Thai culture and it represents for the Thais, magical and supernatural powers.
Buddhist dragons often are depicted holding a mani jewel, which represents the Buddha’s teaching.
There are also usual live animals kept in the surrounding of the temples: tortoise, teraphim, fowls and fish….. I am still to work out the reason why.
For more pictures, click ‘overseas’, then ‘Malaysia’
16th June
Went to the Snake Temple. The Temple Viper is only one specie. The snake display next to the temple was very interesting….
Penang Snake Temple
