Cyber Rollodex Back to home page Favorite links Contact us Interesting numbers Airline: China Airline Ticket fare: $720 Fly Saigon->Hanoi: $140 Budget hotel: around $20 Pho/Mi: 50 cents Girl: N/A (wife was there)
	Trip to Vietnam - November 7th to 22nd. Notes: the quality of these pictures are not quite good as we did not take them directly with the digital camera. Part1: Saigon (11/7 to 11/17/98) We spent 10 first days in Saigon. The town is not the quiet and romantic Saigon we knew in the sixties anymore. It looks much like Bangkok than an ancient french colonial style city. Anyway, good is good and cheap Traffic headache in Saigon.(Picture) Aold church and new highrise office.(Picture) New hotel at Nguyen Hue blvd.(Picture) Trendy cafe Spago.(Picture) Me (Mi) at old Tu Do street.(Picture) Sidewalk delai - Saigon market.(Picture) My old house in Saigon.(Picture) Apartment building - Cholon.(Picture) Nguyen Hue Blvd.(Picture) Saigon - a sign of french influence.(Picture) Thuy, in front of her old boutique.(Picture) "An hang" at Saigon market.(Picture) Vung Tau and its new hotels.(Picture) Vung Tau - Bai sau.(Picture) Vung Tau - incompleted & abandoned hotel.(Picture) Vung Tau - ocean view from a $20/night hotel.(Picture) Part2: Hanoi (11/18 to 11/22/98) Vietnam Airlines took us to the North. If you think Tan San Nhut is a small airport, wait until you see Noi Bai airport. Hanoi still have the look of Saigon for the nostalgics like us with its trees and lakes. It's autumn in the north so the weather is cool (in the low 20 C) and it's very pleasant to walk around. Food is cheaper than Saigon but with less choices, fruits are limited. Ambulance meat seller.(Picture) Part3: Halong (11/19 to 11/20/98) The next 2 days after our arrival is to visit Halong Bay. The site is worth the whole trip to Vietnam. Access is very difficult with road works between Hanoi and Halong.We paid $20/night for a very decent hotel. For $50, we could rent a boat (big enough to accomodate 12 persons and we were only 8) for 1/2 day with the pilot and a professional cook. Then we bought fresh seafood from the fishing boats (while sailing around)and tell the cook how you want to dish to be prepared !!! Some of the 6000 islands at the bay.(Picture) Another view of Halong bay.(Picture) View from the tip of our boat.(Picture) Combined view from a 2 camera shots.(Picture) Halong's version of Titanic (both are still alive).(Picture) We(Picture) Old ailing boats(Picture) Sandy (manmade) beach.(Picture) Last Updated Monday, December 14, 1998 - 9:51 AM PDT