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The Sad State of Communism Today
Aug. 14th, 2002 07:25 pm...and other observations about this country.
But first, about today.
Despite M-P not really being a happy camper about going for a motorbike ride, we got up early enough this morning to go to the bank and for me to buy a pair of pants so that we could meet our guides at 8:30.
Now, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever had "Buy pants" at the top of her to-do list, right? Because we gave our clothes to the owner of the hotel to be washed, the only clothes I had left were a skirt, a tank top, a t-shirt and underwear. My skirt was thoroughly soaked by our little trek around town yesterday, and since it's so damp here, it isn't even dry yet. Besides, I wasn't going to wear a skirt to go on a motorbike ride.
So we went to the bank, then to the market, where I snagged a pair of cool Polo pants for 4.50$. What? You mean they're not *really* Polo? I've been had!
It was only raining a little when we set off, M-P with Vui/Happy and me with Hoang. These are the kind of people we wish we'd met in HCMC, instead of the cyclo drivers who ripped us off. These two were nice, honest, and good company. They charged us a reasonable price, and took us to see what they had promised.
Never having been on a motorbike/cycle of any kind, this was a new experience for me, and a very fun one. I only once thought I was going to fall off, when we went up that first steep slope.
Our guides took us to many interesting sites in and around Dalat, including the Chicken Village that M-P so wanted to see. It's a Lat tribe village, and very poor, and there's a huge concrete chicken in the middle of it. Apparently nobody knows for sure why, and there are different stories about the origin and meaning of the chicken.
Vui took us around the village, showing us enormous jackfruits still on the bough, as well as papaya and avocado. We stopped for a while in a little hut where several women sell their handicrafts, lovely woven silk scarves and blankets, bags and other little things. They were very nice and friendly, explaining about the weaving and their names. M-P and I both bought several items, and now wish we'd bought more. You can get the same stuff in boutiques in HCMC, but I'd much rather buy it directly from these women, they need the money much more than the shop-keepers do.
We stopped at 2 different waterfalls, and had the second one all to ourselves since it was raining so hard. Since riding a motorbike in the rain is hardly the most efficient way to stay dry, our feet (we're very glad we finally decided to wear sandals) and legs were soaked. Fortunately, my new Polo pants are feather-light and dry incredibly quickly, so I wasn't uncomfortable for long.
Tomorrow, we move on to Nha Trang. It would be nice to stay here longer, because I don't think we'll get another chance to go elephant-riding, but the weather is lousy (cold enough for me to wear a sweater, to give you an idea, and rainy) and we don't really have enough time to linger. Let's just all cross our fingers and hope that the weather will improve on the coast, because Nha Trang is on the ocean and I want to spend at least a day on the beach.
Back to the subject of this post, you wouldn't really think that this is a communist country. Brand names are everywhere, and people seem to want to buy as much as they can. Around the main roundabout in HCMC, every major electronics or telecom company has a billboard, and there's even a giant tv screen up on a building. There are new houses being built everywhere, and designer bootlegs and cell-phones all over the place.
La Vache qui rit is also a big presence, and the logo has been adapted for many a restaurant sign, with varying degrees of success. Like that sign on Spadina, in Toronto.
Speaking of signs, we took a couple of pictures of great Engrish signs in HCMC. You have to read them to believe them, they're gems of Engrish literature.
I never thought I'd be saying this here, but I'm actually longing for a hot shower and looking forward to snuggling under the blankets.
I forgot to note that this is our first hotel room with mosquito nets! Fun stuff.
But first, about today.
Despite M-P not really being a happy camper about going for a motorbike ride, we got up early enough this morning to go to the bank and for me to buy a pair of pants so that we could meet our guides at 8:30.
Now, I'm sure I'm not the only one who's ever had "Buy pants" at the top of her to-do list, right? Because we gave our clothes to the owner of the hotel to be washed, the only clothes I had left were a skirt, a tank top, a t-shirt and underwear. My skirt was thoroughly soaked by our little trek around town yesterday, and since it's so damp here, it isn't even dry yet. Besides, I wasn't going to wear a skirt to go on a motorbike ride.
So we went to the bank, then to the market, where I snagged a pair of cool Polo pants for 4.50$. What? You mean they're not *really* Polo? I've been had!
It was only raining a little when we set off, M-P with Vui/Happy and me with Hoang. These are the kind of people we wish we'd met in HCMC, instead of the cyclo drivers who ripped us off. These two were nice, honest, and good company. They charged us a reasonable price, and took us to see what they had promised.
Never having been on a motorbike/cycle of any kind, this was a new experience for me, and a very fun one. I only once thought I was going to fall off, when we went up that first steep slope.
Our guides took us to many interesting sites in and around Dalat, including the Chicken Village that M-P so wanted to see. It's a Lat tribe village, and very poor, and there's a huge concrete chicken in the middle of it. Apparently nobody knows for sure why, and there are different stories about the origin and meaning of the chicken.
Vui took us around the village, showing us enormous jackfruits still on the bough, as well as papaya and avocado. We stopped for a while in a little hut where several women sell their handicrafts, lovely woven silk scarves and blankets, bags and other little things. They were very nice and friendly, explaining about the weaving and their names. M-P and I both bought several items, and now wish we'd bought more. You can get the same stuff in boutiques in HCMC, but I'd much rather buy it directly from these women, they need the money much more than the shop-keepers do.
We stopped at 2 different waterfalls, and had the second one all to ourselves since it was raining so hard. Since riding a motorbike in the rain is hardly the most efficient way to stay dry, our feet (we're very glad we finally decided to wear sandals) and legs were soaked. Fortunately, my new Polo pants are feather-light and dry incredibly quickly, so I wasn't uncomfortable for long.
Tomorrow, we move on to Nha Trang. It would be nice to stay here longer, because I don't think we'll get another chance to go elephant-riding, but the weather is lousy (cold enough for me to wear a sweater, to give you an idea, and rainy) and we don't really have enough time to linger. Let's just all cross our fingers and hope that the weather will improve on the coast, because Nha Trang is on the ocean and I want to spend at least a day on the beach.
Back to the subject of this post, you wouldn't really think that this is a communist country. Brand names are everywhere, and people seem to want to buy as much as they can. Around the main roundabout in HCMC, every major electronics or telecom company has a billboard, and there's even a giant tv screen up on a building. There are new houses being built everywhere, and designer bootlegs and cell-phones all over the place.
La Vache qui rit is also a big presence, and the logo has been adapted for many a restaurant sign, with varying degrees of success. Like that sign on Spadina, in Toronto.
Speaking of signs, we took a couple of pictures of great Engrish signs in HCMC. You have to read them to believe them, they're gems of Engrish literature.
I never thought I'd be saying this here, but I'm actually longing for a hot shower and looking forward to snuggling under the blankets.
I forgot to note that this is our first hotel room with mosquito nets! Fun stuff.
