|
|
Post by voodoochild on Nov 19, 2011 9:18:33 GMT -5
legoline - I know what you mean. I was always really intimidated by the idea of actually going there (my dad's a Vietnam vet, so are all my uncles, and I grew up with all their stories of the country), but when I was on that side of the world, with paid vacation time to use - I just couldn't pass it up. And it's so worth it. Vietnam is one of the friendliest, cheapest, and most beautiful countries I've ever seen. You can spend $15 American a night on a 3-star hotel, eat in little street markets or gourmet restaurants, and travel really easily to very remote places. Halong Bay is an hour from Hanoi, you can do DMZ history tours to Khe Sahn and Hue, and I still want to go back to do a Mekong Delta river boat tour.
|
|
|
|
Post by thedothatgirl on Nov 19, 2011 9:45:10 GMT -5
Born in Winnipeg Canada but returned to England when I was three.
Lived in Brentwood Essex *embarrassedsigh* for 30 years but now live in a village near Lincoln.
|
|
|
|
Post by obsessive24 on Nov 19, 2011 9:53:41 GMT -5
voodoochild - how did you find the language barrier as a tourist in Vietnam? I had no idea it was easy to get around; somehow I pictured it as being really difficult to access, both in the sense of physically travelling and also in interacting with the locals.
thedothatgirl - what's the Essex stereotype, anyway? Since I got here I'm hearing Essex people take a lot of flak, but since I didn't grow up here, I have no idea what it means. ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by voodoochild on Nov 19, 2011 10:56:01 GMT -5
obsessive24 - I found it really easy, tbh. Hotels and hostels will give you maps and directions and occasionally just take you there themselves. In Hanoi, there were a surprising number of people on the street who spoke English (the xe om/motorcycle drivers are a great resource), which was in such contrast to Korea. Unless you're in certain parts of a major metropolis like Seoul or Busan or Daegu or Incheon, the average Korean will stare at you blankly no matter what language you speak. I don't know if it's a lack of exposure to foreigners or a fear of language barriers, but overall, I found it difficult to ask directions in Korea. I had more luck calling a friend or my director if I needed to get somewhere.
Physically, yes, Vietnam can be a bit tricky. I tend to stick to cities, and those are really accessible on xe om or cyclo or just plain walking. But if you want to go explore the villages and countryside, you have to hire a driver, take a crowded bus, etc. There are a lot of tours and day trips offered by most Hanoi and Saigon hotels/hostels, though, and those are excellent.
Korea's easy to get around in if you know where you're going. Taxis are everywhere in the cities and are very, very cheap. Most major cities (Seoul-Incheon, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju) have subway systems and buses that are affordable - though Seoul remains the ONLY city I've ever gotten lost on the subway in (there's SEVEN lines, some of the stops have extremely similar names, Emily and I mistook Sincheon for Sinchon). And the KTX bullet train will get you from Seoul to Busan, cross country, in about 4 hours for the equivalent of $35.
|
|
|
|
Post by legoline on Nov 19, 2011 18:05:12 GMT -5
obsessive24 - I found it really easy, tbh. Hotels and hostels will give you maps and directions and occasionally just take you there themselves. In Hanoi, there were a surprising number of people on the street who spoke English (the xe om/motorcycle drivers are a great resource), which was in such contrast to Korea. I have this irrational fear of being stuck in a country where I don't speak the language and no one speaks English. I love travelling but I'm a chicken and tend to go to places where everybody speaks English. Going to Paris, even though I speak a little French and it s an international city, was a big tedious adventure to me. And if that one stresses me and it's just one country over I don't even dare to think what going to Vietnam would do to me ;D I wish I could be like my cousin who just returned from a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. It all looks so pretty! |
|
|
|
Post by voodoochild on Nov 19, 2011 21:38:30 GMT -5
legoline - It's terrifying, at first, no doubt about it. But it's really amazing to just get lost in a completely different culture, and you never know if you can do it until you try! Maybe take a friend with you, so you're not completely alone? And hey, you can get lost together! Those are the best adventures.
|
|
nos
Pub Regular
Posts: 95
|
Post by nos on Nov 20, 2011 2:04:10 GMT -5
I live in America, grew up in the deserts of New Mexico, and for some reason moved north and now live in Washington state. It's a bit different up here.  |
|
|
|
Post by obsessive24 on Nov 20, 2011 6:25:43 GMT -5
legoline - It's terrifying, at first, no doubt about it. But it's really amazing to just get lost in a completely different culture, and you never know if you can do it until you try! You know what my specific problem is? I'm Asian, so when I get lost in an Asian country that doesn't speak Chinese, people don't assume I'm lost, and try to talk to me, and then I'm all like   nos - New Mexico *dreamy sigh* I have such a glorified idea in my head of what it looks like, due to Breaking Bad's cinematography. |
|
|
|
Post by thedothatgirl on Nov 20, 2011 10:01:40 GMT -5
Obsessive24 - I never really understand why the girls from Essex got so much flak - you know the whole black tights/white stilletto / stupid bimbo thing. Wasn't all like that when I was there.
And then some bright spark made the trash TV thing 'The Only Way is Essex' and destroyed any hope. I can't even bring myself to look at stills from the show it makes me want to heave.
|
|
nos
Pub Regular
Posts: 95
|
Post by nos on Nov 20, 2011 12:28:26 GMT -5
Depends on where in the state you are, obsessive24. Where I am from the colour scheme is brown, browner, and brownest, hee. But pretty much state wide there is turquoise and salmon pink everywhere. We apparently are addicted to that colour.
And I totally emphasise with you. I am native american, but look rather Spanish, and constantly have folk thinking I am fluent in Spanish.
|
|
|
|
Post by obsessive24 on Nov 20, 2011 18:46:16 GMT -5
thedothatgirl - it's all TV's fault!  nos - turquoise and pink sounds so lovely. I really want to visit now. Maybe it'll be possible to take a quick visit when we're Vegas-way next year. *crosses fingers*
|
|
zippit
New to the Pub
Posts: 17 
|
Post by zippit on Nov 20, 2011 20:02:40 GMT -5
nos - I'm in Washington State. What brought on the move and how are you liking it up here?
|
|
nos
Pub Regular
Posts: 95
|
Post by nos on Nov 20, 2011 21:50:46 GMT -5
obsessive24: There is a ton of history there. Santa Fe is beautiful, and has tons of super old buildings to gawk at. There is also a large market in the square there, where Native America's set up booths to sell stuff. But I am from farther south, near Ft. Sumner, where Billy the Kid was buried. I highly recommend White Sands though, nothing is cooler.
zippit: Wind Turbines! My husband has been with wind turbines for a long time, and they moved him up here, heh. In the Columbia River Gorge. It's interesting, way colder than I am used to, but pretty much everywhere else is that, hee. I am forever enchanted by the amount of water there is everywhere. Wild water! Who'd of thunk it?
|
|
zippit
New to the Pub
Posts: 17
|
Post by zippit on Nov 21, 2011 9:11:40 GMT -5
I've driven along the Gorge and it's absolutely beautiful. I love all this water around us and the cooler weather cause I don't do hot weather well.
|
|
Zohar
New to the Pub
Posts: 9
|
Post by Zohar on Nov 23, 2011 11:35:19 GMT -5
I'm from Israel and I live 10 minutes away from Tel Aviv. I'm originally from the north, which means nothing to you . I speak fluent Hebrew and English. |
|
