Day 13- April 29, 2009

Final Day: Farewell Saigon and Vietnam

Our final day was an open day until we had to meet at 7:30 at the farewell dinner. I decided to come along with Miss Lynne who organized a trip to visit a school for disabled children, The Nguon Song School, 10

miles from Saigon Center. The school is a branch of the main orphanage, Nguon Song Orphanage.
Disable children and
poor children cometo the
school to study and learn some skills of making crafted things like bamboo lamps, bamboo wind chimes and painting.


The children also had lunch at the school. They were adorable and respectful to us. Miss Denyce walked around to give each of them candies and cookies. They were shy, smiling and waiting for their turn for little treats. Miss Helen took several pictures with her tiny camera as the children gave her the peace signs with their tiny fingers. We also enjoyed seeing the artwork displayed along the hallway. Some of them were copies of famous artworks but some were originals by disabled students and workers. Alexandra, our 16-year old member, Miss Anita and Mr. Bob enjoyed the experience very much. Miss Helen bought 2 original artworks. She posed for pictures with the two artists.
The prices were quite cheap. It might cost Miss Helen more to frame the artwork in America than the artwork itself, but the artwork is priceless.

The farewell dinner was at the private dining room on the second level of Com Nieu Saigon Restaurant. The atmosphere was quite emotional. Chef Khai came to the restaurant early to arrange the gifts for everyone on the tables.

Each couple received a group picture in a frame of bamboo design and a special designed apron with the memories of our trip. Everyone was quite chatty with each other and signed each other’s aprons. I went up to each person and thanked them for being such wonderful traveling companions during the last 2 weeks and their support and kindness towards me. Chef Khai and Chef Chu thanked everyone for the wonderful trip. Miss Lynne, Miss Helen, Miss Denyce, Miss Alexandra and Mr. Bob reported to the whole group about the morning trip to the school for disable children.

Chef Khai opened Champagne and invited everyone for the final toast. Com Nieu was a special way of cooking rice in the clay-pots. The rice was kind of crispy at the bottom of the pot. Because of the fragile texture of the clay pot and its small neck, the pot had to be broken in order to get the rice inside. The servers broke the pots and threw the rice across the dinning room as our entertainment. Mr. Goerg and Mr. Peter tried to catch the rice too. They eventually caught

some after failing miserably a few times. The food was amazing. I loved the lotus root salad with shrimp, sauteed Thien Ly flowers with garlic and clay-pot fish. As the night came to an end, I got a list of emails from everyone. I hoped to keep in touch. It would be lovely to see them again at Ana Mandara.

Day 12- April 28, 2009

Day 12: Saigon

I started my day off at the New World Hotel's buffet breakfast, there was a huge selection of Vietnamese food. I had a small bowl of beef noodle soup as usual. There was lots of food to chose from but I stuck with the steamed broccoli, green beans and dumplings. The kiwi and water melon juices were fresh and delicious too! Our bus left the hotel around

8am and took us to the Cu Chi Tunnels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_Tunnels),

which was 43 miles from Saigon. The tunnels were used by Viet

Cong guerrillas as hiding spots during combat. They were also

used as communication and supply routes,

hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters. People were amazed while walking around on top of the tunnel system. The secret tunnel entrances and exits could have been anywhere; like under a layer of leaves. Most people walked through a

60-feet narrow tunnel. It was funny to watch one by one everyone come out of the little hole with smiling faces.

Miss Ruth bought a hat and a pair of sandals which were used by the guerrillas during the Vietnam War.
Our second stop was the nearby Cao Dai Temple (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cao

_Dai) in Tay Ninh Province, which is 55 miles from Saigon.

We got there while a funeral ceremony was going on. Hundreds of Caodaiists in white dresses were moving in the main hall which was divided into 9

spaces by columns and 9 different levels. I was not allowed to enter the main hall as the ceremony was happening, but some ladies were happy to show me good spots to take pictures from the lobby and stairways. Our group stopped at a local restaurant for lunch before heading back to Saigon. We enjoyed steamed shrimp, barbecued shrimp, sauteed vegetables, and

roasted chicken legs, all topped with the entertainment of karaoke singing from a couple of our members. Mr. Georg, cha cha cha, couldn't help but dance with his wife Miss Ellen, as our group cheered along.
Our last cooking class of the trip took place at the famous Rex Hotel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rex_Hotel,_Ho_Chi_Minh_City). The lesson was fried

pumpkin flowers stuffed with pork and shrimp. The certification ceremony took place afterwards.
After the cooking class, the group came to the upscale Royal Court Restaurant for dinner. The wooden and detailed setting

was amazing and welcoming. The food was delicious with beautiful presentations. My favorites were the grapefruit salad with shrimp, crab and shrimp soup, seafood spring rolls and beef stew with peppercorns. The entertainment included the royal-styled singing and ethnic dancing.

When our final days came closer, I felt like the group had become more like a family. I felt kind of sad that our trip was coming to an end.

Day 11- April 27, 2009

Day 11: Saigon


Our airplane landed at Saigon Airport around 9 am. It took us only 20 minutes to get out of the airport and on our bus. We got stuck in a heavy traffic jam though, which amazed everyone. Hundreds of scooters and dozens of cars moved slowly in front and around our bus. A truck full of young soldiers was next to my window for at least 15 minutes.
I tried to take their pictures but they were very shy.
The first place we visited in Saigon was the Reunification Palace, formerly Independence Palace during the Vietnam War (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reunification_Palace). It’s called the American War here. The building and decor had the modern designs of the 60s. The

furniture had a similar style too but was covered with velvet fabric with Asian designs. There was a giant, round and red carpet with two flying dragons in the middle of the main hall. On our way out, a few of us posed for pictures next to the two tanks which crashed the gates of the Palace during the Fall of Saigon in April 30, 1975.
The group walked to “Quan Ngon” restaurant, which was only 2 blocks away from the Independence Palace.
Some people couldn’t 

wait to cool down and bought for $1 cold and very fresh coconut juice along the way. “Quan Ngon” offered a very extensive menu of Vietnamese food from North to South of Vietnam. Surrounding the dinning areas were multiple food stands where the foods were made to order. I enjoyed so much the fresh spring rolls with shrimp, the snail cake with ginger sauce, pancakes with shrimp, snail stew with coconut sauce and rice cake with mung bean. Most of them were served with green lecture and different kinds of herds.



After lunch, the group visited the School of Tourism and Hotel of Saigon where Chef Khai’s and Chef Chu’s associations, Asian Chef Association and Chefs without Border, sponsored 30 students with full scholarships for cooking programs here. The students all got job placements after graduating from the school.

The group listened to the stories of the students, their backgrounds and their dreams of studying in school. It’s wonderful to see how enthusiastic the students were in the kitchen with their learning. The student test submissions and different food creations looked delicious.
The group got to 5-star New World Hotel around 2 pm. While we were waiting for our luggage to be delivered to the rooms, everyone enjoyed ice cream, which was on Mr. Tu. New World Hotel is in the heart of Saigon, which is only 2 blocks away from Saigon Market on Le Loi Boulevard. From there, it’s only 10 minutes walking distance to the main circle and the famous Opera House.

The evening was for Miss Alexandra who is a vegetarian. We had dinner at a vegetarian restaurant, Hoa Dang. Miss Chu never had vegetarian food before but enjoyed her meal quite a bit. There was “Crab Cake”, Hoa Dang Salad with “Chicken”, “Beef” Stew with White Beans, Lemongrass “Chicken”.... all of them were made from vegetable products. The foods all looked and tasted like they sounded. It was amazing.

Day 10- April 26, 2009

Day 10: Dalat


I was woken up today by the morning light that shined through my balcony doors. I took a moment to enjoy the city view from my second floor room. The sun had risen behind the pine trees and was trying to break through the thin fog. The city probably woke up long before I did. It was fun to watch the tiny scooters, cars and pedestrians move around from the distance.
I quickly freshened up and headed down to the lobby level for the buffet breakfast. I treated myself with a small bowl of spicy lemongrass beef noodle soup. I had it with plenty of green vegetable and herbs. Of course I had a full plate of fruits afterwards with a pot of green tea.


The first stop of sightseeing for the day was Dalat Catheral, Dominant de Marie. It was beautiful and charming on a little hill. There was a small lovely garden in the back. We saw many different kinds of flowers each step we took. Even on top of trashcans, there were little green gardens with tiny flowers. They were just so cute in their own little world. Even though the Church was under construction, I was able to have a peak of the interior. It was not like a classic interior of a church that you would imagine; there were no glass windows and no statues. At the end of the hall, there was a stage covered by a red curtain. There were rows of plastic chairs in the middle of the hall. On my way out, I couldn’t help but collect a few knitted items like red strawberries and small dolls for my nieces. They are only $.20 each. The vendors knitted them themselves. I felt bad later for not buying anything after taking a sample of the dried wild berry jam from one of the vendors. She just smiled as I took her picture and walked away.
The second stop was the Flower Park. It was wonderful to take my time to enjoy the beautiful flowers. The sun came out but the air was cool. My favorite section was the different orchids that were on top of the hill. Those orchids were for sale but there was no way for me to take them. I took my time to call some friends in San Francisco. They were all thrilled and envied the fact that I was in Dalat.
The next stop was a visit at one of the 3 palaces in Dalat of Bao Dai, the last King of Vietnam (http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/vietnam/da-lat/30009/bao-dais-palace/attraction-detail.html). It seemed more like a French villa with three levels than a traditional Asian palace. The main section of the garden reminded me of the classic gardens during the French 16th century with a touch of Asian accent. There was a little walkway through one section but it was only big enough for the small size of the Vietnamese people. When I strolled down to the lower level of the garden, I encountered a group of young men. They were all joking around and laughing. I was offered to join them for some beer and rice liquor. They told me that they came to the garden after attending a funeral. What was a better place to drink and chat about the old time memories?
The final stop was Truc Lam Pagoda (http://doimongmo.com.vn/dalat/landscapedetail.php?id=324). It was on top of a hill that looked down on Ho Xuan Huong Lake. The view of the lake reminded me of Lake Tahoe but in a smaller scale. Everything was neat and well constructed at the pagoda. There was a hundred year-old tamarind tree next to the bell tower. The main temple had high ceiling and beautiful wooden windows. The monk offered me some incenses. I bowed with them in my hand in front of the shine with giant Buddha while sending good wishes to my loved ones. I then continued to walk and enjoy the smaller temples around. The courtyard was spotless without a falling leaf on the ground.
After leaving the group at Dalat Saigon Hotel, Miss Denyce, Miss Hailen and I walked to Dalat Market for lunch. With $6, we had steamed dumplings with pork cake, stuffed tofu with pork, stuffed bitter melon with mushroom and pork soup, steamed rice and sweet all-kind-bean cold soup as desserts afterwards. Yes, $6 was for everything! Miss Hailen went back to the hotel for a nap. Miss Denyce and I continued walking around town and eventually got caught in pouring rain. We continued to walk with a small umbrella for both of us. The rain was warm and fresh. We laughed all the way back to the hotel.
At dinner, Denyce brought her snake and scorpion liquor that she had bought the day before and offered to everyone. She was afraid that the bottle would be confiscated at customs on her way back to SFO. Only 9 of us took the shots. The liquor was very strong and had a slight fishy taste. I felt a flow of heat run through my body immediately after. The liquor was supposed to vitalize your health and sex drive! Yeah... The dinner setting was supposed to be outdoor and around a campfire, but because of the rain it took place inside. The performance of the ethnic group was such a special treat. They were playing with gongs, bamboo pipers and bamboo musical instruments with hundred of pieces. They were also singing and dancing. The ethnic group was from a village of 5000 people in the mountains that is 15 km from Dalat. What a wonderful evening that I had in Dalat.

Day 9- April 25, 2009

Day 9: Nhatrang - Dalat

I woke up and went to the hotels breakfast buffet at 6:30 am. No one was there except Miss Denyce. We sat together in the balcony area which overlooked the beach. I had more food than I needed on my plate; there were just so many tasty looking things that I didn’t want to miss out on. I had a small beef noodle soup, a plate of dumplings, sushi and steamed green beans. Then I moved on to water melon, dragon fruits and jackfruits....I relaxed afterwards with two pots of green tea.

The group was ready to leave on the bus for Dalat at 8am but we couldn’t go anywhere. The road was blocked for the annual bicycle race from Hanoi to Saigon for the celebration of the 34th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. The race passed by the main road in front of the hotel. The hotel management should have informed us about the event. The group just stood by the sidewalk and cheered on the bicyclists. Some people took advantage of the idle time and went souvenir shopping at local vendors. Finally at 10am our bus was able to leave.

We passed by the beautiful mountain scenery of pine trees and deep valley on our way to Dalat. We reached our destination at 1:30pm. Everyone was so exhausted, but we were led immediately to our hotel restaurant for lunch. Everyone was very pleased with the lunch setting and enthusiastic staff. I went to test the water of the swimming pool next to our lunch room while I waited for the food. The water was warm, blue and inviting. We were served a delicious 7-course lunch of green salad with fried tuna, seafood crispy rolls, barbecued pork ribs, sauteed chicken with sweet and sour sauce and a vegetable soup with stuffed cabbage and a side of pork.

We had an open schedule during the afternoon before dinner. I got to my room and opened the balcony doors. There was a sudden light drizzle and the cool fresh air rushed into my room. I didn’t have to turn on my air conditioning for that reason. Dalat is a city that is 1500 meters above the sea level. Because of the cool weather at Dalat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da_Lat), Vietnamese people love to come here for honeymoons and to vacation to escape the heat of the tropical weather in the main land. The rain continued for an hour, but very lightly. I led a small group of 12 people to the Dalat Market nearby. Dalat is famous for its flowers, vegetables and fruits that only grow in this type of cool weather. People were impressed with the big

avocados, durians, dragon fruits and artichokes. I got offered many different samples of local

fruit candies like wild berry and strawberry. Miss Denyce bought a small bottle of snake wine with a cobra and a scorpion inside. I bought a small basket of Golden Everlasting flowers as a present for Mrs. Chu.

We had dinner at Ming Dynasty Restaurant which took place at a beautiful French villa on a small hill looking down to Xuan Huong Lake. The house was surrounded by a large beautiful garden and a water fountain. The dining room was elegant which had a Chinese décor style of painting, furniture and precious china’s. The food was Chinese and Vietnamese fusion with beautiful presentations. I enjoyed tremendously the lotus root salad with shrimps, fried snake

head fish with tomatoe sauce and ginger chicken.

The sauteed chicken with vegetables had plenty of red pepper and it was unbearably spicy for me even though I normally love spicy food. On our way out of the restaurant, some people couldn’t help but admire the water fountain which was lit with beautifully.

Day 8- April 24, 2009

Hoang
******************
Day 8: Nha Trang

I started my day at the breakfast buffet. I had a full plate of the local fruits like papaya, dragon fruit, passion fruit and water melon. I also couldn’t resist the steamed dumplings, salted eggs and bowls of beef noodle soup. After finishing my second pot of green tea, I joined my group for a tour at the Yersin Museum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Yersin) which is next to our hotel, the Sunrise Nhatrang Resort.

The group didn’t have to meet again until 5:30pm so I decided to visit the local market, the Dam Market. I got some small gifts for my nieces and nephew. My nephew probably will enjoy the miniature black metal cyclo. I also got my nieces similar bikes but they were more girly. They can use their collection of tiny stickers to decorate the bike. I couldn’t resist collecting different sizes of purses made from colorful plastic crystals for my nieces. All of them range from $1.5 to $3. I bought a small size wooden lamp in the shape of a courtyard lantern for $7. When I got back I showed the ladies what I bought and they really liked it. Miss Helen and I went back so she could buy some things for her grandchildren too.

I still had a couple of hours before dinner time so I took a long, slow walk along the beach. I enjoyed watching a group of guys passing a ball around in a circle. Other locals were out too, either walking along the beach on the clean white sand or swimming in the warm and clear water. I stopped at the private beach of our hotel and lied on a lounge chair. I ended up falling asleep and the next thing I knew 40 minutes had passed by. The cool, breezy weather by the beach was very soothing.

The group met at the hotel lobby at 5 pm. Miss Denyce enjoyed showing her first-time polished nails to everyone that she got done the day before at the private island of Chef Khai. She forgot that she had already showed them to me though. She insisted that I had to take a picture of her new nails. I took some group pictures of everyone while they lined up at the staircase near the lobby. The group then headed to Chef Khai’s childhood home. Chef Khai’s sisters greeted everyone at the gate with pink lotus flowers. And then each of us got handed a special drink of fresh sugarcane juice with Grey Goose and orange slices while other relatives of Chef Khai’s served us seafood crispy rolls, roasted mussels with fried green shallots and barbecued pork rolled with rice noodles. The group then surrounded Mr. Goerg to sing “happy birthday” to him while he blew out the candles on his surprise birthday cake that was presented by Chef Khai.

At about 7:30pm, the group went for dinner at Bien Ngoc Restaurant by Nhatrang beach. We were all still so full from the food that was served at Chef Khai’s home but couldn’t resist some shaking beef, steamed mussels, barbecued and fried fish dishes.... all the while with candle light and breezy weather. Mrs. Chu walked around and offered everyone Baileys and Grand Manier that she had brought from Hong Kong and San Francisco. On the way back to the hotel, the “happy birthday” song was sung a few more times to Mr. Goerg through our laughter.

Day 7- April 23, 2009

Day 7: Nha Trang - Private Island

I got up at 5 am to meet with Chef Khai’s family to prepare for a big day at their private island. We had to deliver all the food, cookware, ice, drinks and flowers to the island by small boat.
Along for the ride were 3 nail technicians and 3 masseurs. We set up a long table, bar area, resting area with hammocks and massage area. The ladies continued to prepare the food.

The group arrived at the island around 10:30am. They were welcomed by Chef Khai’s family and a bunch of flower laces. Cool, fresh coconut juice was served with pineapple and Grey Goose. The massage and nail salons offered their services throughout the day. Most of people had their nails done for the first time, including a few gentlemen.




The lunch was so amazing. We had fish soup, seaweed salad with pork, barbecued calamari, steamed lobster, pancake with calamari, chicken curry and grapefruit.

Most of the group went swimming at a nearby island which was only a 4 minute boat ride away. 2 nail technicians came along and more nail jobs were done. The others stayed behind to rest and some got a massage.











Most of the people were still quite full when the dinner was served at 5 pm. I couldn’t help myself but to enjoy plenty of mussel rice soup, stuffed crab, aged pork and pork cake, fresh spring rolls and local sweets.