So…around Tuesday I started getting a nasty cough. I thought/was hoping it would just pass! Wednesday: still cough and a runny nose. Thursday: cough is worse, nose is not only runny but I can’t stop sneezing. Now I know I am definitely fighting something. Before I left the travel Dr. had prescribed me Cipro, it’s supposed to knock anything out of your system. I thought Thursday was the day to take this wonder drug since it didn’t seem I was getting better anytime soon.
While at work on Thursday I started feeling worse and worse – I kept trying to fight it too. Since I was traveling over the weekend, I wanted to make sure whatever was going on would leave my system ASAP! So, I decided it best to make an appointment with the SOS clinic. Of course before I left I had printed out everything I would need just in case I did have to see a Dr while here. Leave it to me for that to happen, but better safe than sorry. I left work a bit early to make my appointment at SOS. What a great place this was. Instantly I was comforted to know this was a legit, clean, modern, and great care practice. I met a Ukrainian Dr. who explained I had an upper respiratory infection mixed with an asthma attack…I do not have SWINE flu – thankfully! She prescribed me an inhaler, anti-biotic, nose spray, and gargle solution. As soon as I got home, I took everything in hopes I would feel better! I totally slept the rest of the day and hoped when I woke up Friday morning, I’d be 100% better…
Friday came and my cough seemed worse. I got ready for work, made my way downstairs to realize I was really in no condition to work. Slowly I made my way back upstairs and could not stop sweating or coughing. I thought – “how in the world am I going to be able to travel on a 7:30 flight? – Why did I plan a last minute trip SOOOO last minute?” Well, I ignored those thoughts for a bit and completely passed out until I had to leave for my flight. Everything was set, my air tickets, the hotels, the tour I had booked for Saturday – I knew I had to just suck it up and make the most of it.
Thankfully I made it to the airport, a little too early I may add. The check in process for a domestic flight is so low key, all you really need is an hour to check in, go through security and make your way to the gate. The worst part was there was no AC in this terminal – I really thought I might pass out…The flight was only and hour, I could do this, I could just suck it up for a bit more.
Right when we were supposed to board, we were told the flight was delayed another 40 minutes! Totally bummer but luckily 10 minutes later they came on the speaker to say we could board.
Because my head was already so congested I thought my head might explode all over the plane because of the cabin pressure – never had my ears been so clogged, I don’t think I could even hear a thing until Saturday morning. But before I knew it, we landed and I was in Da Nang! I hadn’t checked any baggage so all I had to do was go outside and get a cab. After fighting through a bit of a mob scene I got a cab and was on my way to the Saigon Tourane hotel, I had my voucher ready and everything. I knew in about a half hour I’d be tucking myself into bed, get a good night’s sleep and be ready for my tour at 8:30 AM.
The cab driver pulls up to what looks like a condemned building with green scaffolding all over the front of the building. He’s half talking in English and the other half Vietnamese – 05 Da Dong? “Not here, no here,” he keeps repeating… I can obviously see this condemned building is the address of my hotel, but I think, this just cannot be happening to me right now, it just cannot. I see the name of the hotel in front of the building on a construction sign, it has the number 07 with an arrow pointing to the right. I’m trying to explain to the driver to just drive another block and the hotel should be there. He doesn’t quite understand that so he calls his friend who speaks English and I tell him that I think the hotel may be under construction but has temporarily moved to 07 Da Dong instead of 05. He communicates that to the driver and I sigh a sigh of relief, the hotel is there! Whew!
Instantly this little concierge guy runs to greet me, he grabs my bag from me and I am given my room key and breakfast voucher. I take a quick shower and totally pass out. I just had to wake up 100% better, had to!
Before I knew it my alarm was going off and it was time to get ready. I could not wait for what I had planned. Just as I was told the tour guide picked me up all smiley at 8:30 AM, the car and driver were waiting with 2 bottles of waiting for me. It was great that I had a car and driver to myself so I could keep my luggage in the trunk the whole day because I was checking into a different hotel in Hoi An that evening.
Mr. Uang, my driver was so knowledgeable, fun, and made the day very interesting. Stop # 1 – Marble Mountains. Five peaks actually make up Marble Mountain that is made of marble and limestone, each one makes up an element of earth and is called that element. There is soil, metal, fire, and water (only four names for five peaks, I was confused too). We hiked up Water, which is supposedly the nicest one to see. The steps I climbed makes any of my workouts on the stair master or stepping mill to shame! Holy stairs is all I have to say. It was great I got to see many pagodas, Buddha’s, caves, and more stairs!
On Marble Mountain I got o learn more about the Buddhist culture and then symbolism of constructing pagoda’s as they do. The Buddhist’s have all different God’s and Goddesses they pray too for different reasons: money, health, beauty, etc. they have a god for everything. I also learned that on the 1st and 15th lunar day of the month the Buddhist’s go to the pagoda to pray. They also go vegetarian during these two days and eat no meat whatsoever.
Pagoda’s vary in shape in size throughout Asia. It depends what the religious affiliation is in that area. Amid the middle of the mountain I got to pray in the Tam Thai pagoda, it is actually inside a cave! At one of the entrances there are stairs leading to the pagoda, there are four different gods at this location you can pray to. Atop Marble Mountain was a beautiful 7 layer Pagoda – the 7 layers are supposed to enhance career and education.
Another interesting thing I learned about the Buddhist culture is that they save up for people funerals and do not celebrate birthdays. They have elaborate marble tombstones and coffins that I have seen around the country and often wondered why they were so grandiose. Before the burial and day of the deceased they go to a fortune teller to be told a good day and time to buried their loved one. Today, more modern Buddhists celebrate birthdays.
Ok, one more interesting Buddha fact, I just rememebered. The reason Buddha's image is so big, his ears are so big, his tummy is so big, everything is so large is because he had a fulfilling life. He heard everything, learned everything, is full of all the life he lived...I found that interesting and hope you do too.
Stop #2 was the new town of Hoi An. First I stopped at a tailor’s – a friend of Mr. Uang – go figure. I had also read that Hoi An is the town to get clothes custom made. I figured, “why now, when in Vietnam…” Ms. Tam Tam gave me catalogues to look through and I started having a lot of fun, too much fun I think! Then I got to pick out the fabrics, got measured and my order was placed. I was told to come back at 7:00 PM for a fitting.
Stop # 3 I was whisked off into the ancient town of Hoi An, what a cute town. First I stopped off to see how silk is made. Did you know it is made from silk worms? I did not know that. They feed these tiny white worms until they get very big, they then make a cocoon and turn into moths. They take the cocoons they made and spin it into silk. It really was interesting to see. At the same place I also go to see these young girls hand weaving art from pictures that were taken. From afar, it looks like these framed pieces of art are actual photography until a closer look, it’s all hand woven! I also got to see the making of lanterns and bed mats. And of course they tried to sell me at least one of everything the entire time. I simply kept say, “NO THANKS!”
Next I had amazing lunch at this adorable restaurant called Morning Glory. It was included in my tour and turned out to be 7 courses of deliciousness! I couldn’t believe they kept bringing food out. 1. Tomato and egg soup 2. Crispy pancake (omelet rolled in rice paper – mom I will be making this at home!) 3. chicken with ginger and lemongrass 4. Fish in a clay pot 5. Steamed green beans 6. Steamed rice 7. Custard
I felt like I rolled myself out of there! Thankfully I got to walk it all off! I went for a great tour of the Ancient city, I saw an old Japanese bridge, an old traditional house, the Cham museum and lots of other little nooks and crannies along the way! My camera was very busy taking pictures of everything!
Stop #4 is where I was taken to My Son. These are ancient ruins that were so fun and exciting for me to explore. These ruins are a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu Temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century A.D. by the kings of Champa. This was also a burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes. When I visited the Cham museum in Hoi An, I saw how the royalty was buried in these huge pottery jugs. The more of royalty they were the bigger the jug was, the poorer they were, the smaller the jug – it looked more like a pot. The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva (the supreme one) as he is known under various local names, the most important of which is "Bhadresvara."
Unfortunately, most of the sites had been destroyed during the war. At one time, the site encompassed over 70 temples as well as numerous stele bearing historically important inscriptions in Sankskrit and Cham. I am beginning to see how big this war was just from visiting other sites far from one another, this war basically took over the whole country – I had not realized that before. Luckily one site was pretty much left intact and I was able to enjoy exploring it.
My Son was about an hour drive out of Hoi An, after trekking through the sites for about an hour and a half we headed back to Hoi An. Along the way, we stopped at China Beach, this is where the US soldiers first landed during the war. Today this beach that stretches for miles and miles is full of tourists and people enjoying the beautiful and picturesque beach. I also got to see different areas of Da Nang and Hoi An while in the car. They sure are building up Da Nang, there is so much untouched beach and they are taking advantage of that. Right now they are building about a dozen new beach resorts that look as thought they will be spectacular. They’re even building golf courses (I took pics for you Dad). Da Nang and Hoi An reminded me of Cape Cod to us in MA. Lots of little shops, mostly tailors, tourists, families, and couples. Everyone is in beachwear, either sun burnt or tanned and in total chill mode. I felt myself instantly let any thoughts that were still trickling around in my head go far, far away. Seeing all the families having a great time together from Europe and Australia made me miss my family (yes, you read that right Mom, Dad, and Mel – I . A “Rosman Unit” vacation is long overdue, it’s time we plan one! I was then dropped off at my hotel, the Hoi An Pacific – no construction site going on, that was a good sign right off!
Mr. Uang had offered if I wanted to go see Hue the next day he would arrange the car and guide me through. I really had wanted to possibly squeeze it in. But it was a 3 hour ride there and we’d have to leave super early to get back by 6PM to check out and make it to the airport…I was half and half but by the end of the day my cough was pretty nasty and knew I had maybe overdone it. If I did this two days in a row, I’d be asking for it. I decided to stick to my original plan of being a beach bum!
I was given a yummy welcome drink upon arrival, my key, and breakfast voucher. I knew there was also a “fitness center” here and wanted to check it out. I dropped my stuff off, changed into my gym clothes and found the saddest little gym I ever did see. It was a nice effort, almost would have been better if they had put in no effort though….I jogged for a bit on what I called Fisher-Prices – my first treadmill! The pool area was really cute though that you overlooked when using this “fitness center.”
It was almost 7 so I wanted to take a quick shower and get back into town for my fitting. When I walked back into Blue Tailors, Ms. Tam Tam was so excited to see me. It was nice getting such a warm greeting though. Not everything was ready for me to try on, but some things were so I started trying on what was finished. The red trench coat I had ordered was perfect and I totally loved it! Some of the other things…not so much. Let’s just say the way it looked in the catalogue wasn’t necessarily how it looked….And the pants did not fit right! I thought custom made was supposed to fit perfect. Ms. Tam Tam explained that is what the fitting is for…I was to come back the next morning at 10:00 for another fitting. This whole experience was starting to be a pain, I had to start re-working what I was going to do and see around fittings! I knew I shouldn’t have gotten suckered into this but thought it would be fun to do while in town…
All I wanted to do was have a nice dinner on the beach. I asked Ms. Tam Tam if she knew of a good beach side resturant and I was off. I found myself at Hon fresh seafood restaurant which was right on the beach – exactly what I wanted. The people that worked there were so friendly, I never felt a lone because they wouldn’t stop sitting and talking with me. The food was delicious: fresh shrimp spring rolls, grilled fresh fish in lemongrass, and steamed spinach with garlic – all complete with a nice cold and refreshing glass of white wine. A perfect end to a perfect day!
By the time I got back to the hotel I was so exhausted, I just knew I would pass out! Mmmm, not really! The second I laid down, I was having a coughing attack – out of nowhere. I mean my cough was pretty nasty throughout the day but this was non-stop! I figured out I had to sleep kind of sitting up and by 6AM, the non-stop came to an end, I was able to get about 2 good hours of sleep in. The sun started trickling in through the blinds and figured it was time to make the most of the day.
I had a nice breakfast on the rooftop restaurant and made my way into town yet again for another fitting! It is pretty amazing they take your measurements and within a couple hours have something for you to try on. This time things started looking better and I was feeling better about my choices…After the fitting I walked through town again and found this cute little coffee shop – again the staff, so nice! Now it was time to hit the beach!
After quickly stopping off at the hotel to change, I was at My Khe beach! Total paradise, the hotel had a partnership with one of the beach clubs. It was perfect, I got a great lounger right near a little bamboo hut incase I needed some shade. I was a total beach bum and felt great! The ocean water was amazing! Playing in the waves was awesome and so enjoyable. It was a bit overcast but that was perfect because when the sun was out, it felt 20 degrees warmer. I wasn’t even coughing that much or having to blow my nose every two seconds. The day before I had gone through an entire toilet paper roll from blowing my nose, I never though that was possible.
The driver from the hotel said he’d be back for me at 3:40, and at that he was – right on time! I had to go back to Blue between 4 and 5 to pick up my finished clothes, so the timing was perfect. I had my last visit with Ms. Tam Tam and left with my finished goods, not too bad. I just hope I actually wear what I got made, it’s easy to get carried away at the time, but I do think I made some good, practical choices. I love a dress, the trench coat and a shirt. I don’t love the pants so much but that could change once I pair them with the right heels and top…
I now had just enough time to take a quick shower, have a quick bite at the hotel and make my way back to Da Nang Airport. I was so happy I extended my check out for a half day, it made it much easier! Check in was a breeze, there was AC in the waiting area lounge, and the plane was on time. I landed 5 minutes earlier, got a cab, paid correctly, unpacked, and went right to sleep like a baby! No coughing attacks or anything!
All in all it was a great weekend and I am so happy I sucked it up and went on with it, totally worth it and I recommend anyone that comes to Vietnam check it out! Now I am ready for a great week and cannot wait for Megan and Kendall to get here so we can play!
Have a great week everyone!
XXOO
Stop #2 was the new town of Hoi An. First I stopped at a tailor’s – a friend of Mr. Uang – go figure. I had also read that Hoi An is the town to get clothes custom made. I figured, “why now, when in Vietnam…” Ms. Tam Tam gave me catalogues to look through and I started having a lot of fun, too much fun I think! Then I got to pick out the fabrics, got measured and my order was placed. I was told to come back at 7:00 PM for a fitting.
Stop # 3 I was whisked off into the ancient town of Hoi An, what a cute town. First I stopped off to see how silk is made. Did you know it is made from silk worms? I did not know that. They feed these tiny white worms until they get very big, they then make a cocoon and turn into moths. They take the cocoons they made and spin it into silk. It really was interesting to see. At the same place I also go to see these young girls hand weaving art from pictures that were taken. From afar, it looks like these framed pieces of art are actual photography until a closer look, it’s all hand woven! I also got to see the making of lanterns and bed mats. And of course they tried to sell me at least one of everything the entire time. I simply kept say, “NO THANKS!”
Next I had amazing lunch at this adorable restaurant called Morning Glory. It was included in my tour and turned out to be 7 courses of deliciousness! I couldn’t believe they kept bringing food out. 1. Tomato and egg soup 2. Crispy pancake (omelet rolled in rice paper – mom I will be making this at home!) 3. chicken with ginger and lemongrass 4. Fish in a clay pot 5. Steamed green beans 6. Steamed rice 7. Custard
I felt like I rolled myself out of there! Thankfully I got to walk it all off! I went for a great tour of the Ancient city, I saw an old Japanese bridge, an old traditional house, the Cham museum and lots of other little nooks and crannies along the way! My camera was very busy taking pictures of everything!
Stop #4 is where I was taken to My Son. These are ancient ruins that were so fun and exciting for me to explore. These ruins are a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu Temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century A.D. by the kings of Champa. This was also a burial place for Cham royalty and national heroes. When I visited the Cham museum in Hoi An, I saw how the royalty was buried in these huge pottery jugs. The more of royalty they were the bigger the jug was, the poorer they were, the smaller the jug – it looked more like a pot. The temples are dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva (the supreme one) as he is known under various local names, the most important of which is "Bhadresvara."
Unfortunately, most of the sites had been destroyed during the war. At one time, the site encompassed over 70 temples as well as numerous stele bearing historically important inscriptions in Sankskrit and Cham. I am beginning to see how big this war was just from visiting other sites far from one another, this war basically took over the whole country – I had not realized that before. Luckily one site was pretty much left intact and I was able to enjoy exploring it.
My Son was about an hour drive out of Hoi An, after trekking through the sites for about an hour and a half we headed back to Hoi An. Along the way, we stopped at China Beach, this is where the US soldiers first landed during the war. Today this beach that stretches for miles and miles is full of tourists and people enjoying the beautiful and picturesque beach. I also got to see different areas of Da Nang and Hoi An while in the car. They sure are building up Da Nang, there is so much untouched beach and they are taking advantage of that. Right now they are building about a dozen new beach resorts that look as thought they will be spectacular. They’re even building golf courses (I took pics for you Dad). Da Nang and Hoi An reminded me of Cape Cod to us in MA. Lots of little shops, mostly tailors, tourists, families, and couples. Everyone is in beachwear, either sun burnt or tanned and in total chill mode. I felt myself instantly let any thoughts that were still trickling around in my head go far, far away. Seeing all the families having a great time together from Europe and Australia made me miss my family (yes, you read that right Mom, Dad, and Mel – I . A “Rosman Unit” vacation is long overdue, it’s time we plan one! I was then dropped off at my hotel, the Hoi An Pacific – no construction site going on, that was a good sign right off!
Mr. Uang had offered if I wanted to go see Hue the next day he would arrange the car and guide me through. I really had wanted to possibly squeeze it in. But it was a 3 hour ride there and we’d have to leave super early to get back by 6PM to check out and make it to the airport…I was half and half but by the end of the day my cough was pretty nasty and knew I had maybe overdone it. If I did this two days in a row, I’d be asking for it. I decided to stick to my original plan of being a beach bum!
I was given a yummy welcome drink upon arrival, my key, and breakfast voucher. I knew there was also a “fitness center” here and wanted to check it out. I dropped my stuff off, changed into my gym clothes and found the saddest little gym I ever did see. It was a nice effort, almost would have been better if they had put in no effort though….I jogged for a bit on what I called Fisher-Prices – my first treadmill! The pool area was really cute though that you overlooked when using this “fitness center.”
It was almost 7 so I wanted to take a quick shower and get back into town for my fitting. When I walked back into Blue Tailors, Ms. Tam Tam was so excited to see me. It was nice getting such a warm greeting though. Not everything was ready for me to try on, but some things were so I started trying on what was finished. The red trench coat I had ordered was perfect and I totally loved it! Some of the other things…not so much. Let’s just say the way it looked in the catalogue wasn’t necessarily how it looked….And the pants did not fit right! I thought custom made was supposed to fit perfect. Ms. Tam Tam explained that is what the fitting is for…I was to come back the next morning at 10:00 for another fitting. This whole experience was starting to be a pain, I had to start re-working what I was going to do and see around fittings! I knew I shouldn’t have gotten suckered into this but thought it would be fun to do while in town…
All I wanted to do was have a nice dinner on the beach. I asked Ms. Tam Tam if she knew of a good beach side resturant and I was off. I found myself at Hon fresh seafood restaurant which was right on the beach – exactly what I wanted. The people that worked there were so friendly, I never felt a lone because they wouldn’t stop sitting and talking with me. The food was delicious: fresh shrimp spring rolls, grilled fresh fish in lemongrass, and steamed spinach with garlic – all complete with a nice cold and refreshing glass of white wine. A perfect end to a perfect day!
By the time I got back to the hotel I was so exhausted, I just knew I would pass out! Mmmm, not really! The second I laid down, I was having a coughing attack – out of nowhere. I mean my cough was pretty nasty throughout the day but this was non-stop! I figured out I had to sleep kind of sitting up and by 6AM, the non-stop came to an end, I was able to get about 2 good hours of sleep in. The sun started trickling in through the blinds and figured it was time to make the most of the day.
I had a nice breakfast on the rooftop restaurant and made my way into town yet again for another fitting! It is pretty amazing they take your measurements and within a couple hours have something for you to try on. This time things started looking better and I was feeling better about my choices…After the fitting I walked through town again and found this cute little coffee shop – again the staff, so nice! Now it was time to hit the beach!
After quickly stopping off at the hotel to change, I was at My Khe beach! Total paradise, the hotel had a partnership with one of the beach clubs. It was perfect, I got a great lounger right near a little bamboo hut incase I needed some shade. I was a total beach bum and felt great! The ocean water was amazing! Playing in the waves was awesome and so enjoyable. It was a bit overcast but that was perfect because when the sun was out, it felt 20 degrees warmer. I wasn’t even coughing that much or having to blow my nose every two seconds. The day before I had gone through an entire toilet paper roll from blowing my nose, I never though that was possible.
The driver from the hotel said he’d be back for me at 3:40, and at that he was – right on time! I had to go back to Blue between 4 and 5 to pick up my finished clothes, so the timing was perfect. I had my last visit with Ms. Tam Tam and left with my finished goods, not too bad. I just hope I actually wear what I got made, it’s easy to get carried away at the time, but I do think I made some good, practical choices. I love a dress, the trench coat and a shirt. I don’t love the pants so much but that could change once I pair them with the right heels and top…
I now had just enough time to take a quick shower, have a quick bite at the hotel and make my way back to Da Nang Airport. I was so happy I extended my check out for a half day, it made it much easier! Check in was a breeze, there was AC in the waiting area lounge, and the plane was on time. I landed 5 minutes earlier, got a cab, paid correctly, unpacked, and went right to sleep like a baby! No coughing attacks or anything!
All in all it was a great weekend and I am so happy I sucked it up and went on with it, totally worth it and I recommend anyone that comes to Vietnam check it out! Now I am ready for a great week and cannot wait for Megan and Kendall to get here so we can play!
Have a great week everyone!
XXOO
Hope you feel better!!!!!!
ReplyDeletexoxo