Shanghai at a glance

Alright, let’s take a break from my backpacking activities and hear what I have to say with my luxurious trip to Shanghai, China. I said luxurious because I stayed in a 5-star hotel combined with the pleasure of having a chauffeur driving us around, which were all perks from work.

To make this more helpful to travelers especially for Philippine nationals, I’ll start my story with my Chinese visa which I obtained in Saigon. Here’s one important thing to note, if you are a Philippine passport holder with a tourist visa in Vietnam applying for Chinese visa, forget it you’ll just be frustrated of being denied.

Before applying for a Chinese visa I made my inquiries to the Chinese consulate office through emails and I was advised to present some document, including proof of onward travel. The inquiries were made through email since the first person who screened my questions was the security guard who can hardly finish one paragraph of explanation. The Chinese consulate office answered my inquiries, a day after I sent them email. But by the time I finished preparing all the requirements, I don’t have much time left for the target date of travel, especially that they’ll only accept visa application in the morning. The regular visa processing is $30usd but mine was rushed, so I paid $50usd which was issued to me within 2-working days.

I left Saigon with a group at 1:30am on April 7, a red eye flight of Shanghai Airline which I was not fond of. I don’t mine the wee hour schedule but I have a trauma with turbulence, so red eye flight usually makes me uncomfortable. The flight, however, was not as rough as I was expecting and I was just too happy to land in the Chinese territory at 6:10am. I was happy too that the English literacy of airport people in Shanghai was high, it made things easy. Except for the nail nipper on my make-up kit alarming the airport security scanning machine, everything went smoothly.

I stayed at Grand Mercure Hongqiao along Xian Xia road with the group, a 5-star hotel but since my stay doesn’t cost me a cent, I don’t have to worry at all. The truth is I never stay in a 5-star hotel if I’ll pay. For a 5-star hotel, I can say Grand Mercure is ok. I have a room overlooking the city, which comes with basic kitchen amenities from microwave, kettle, fridge and stove. There was also washing machine and iron that I don’t have to pay extra for my laundry or fix my crumpled clothes. There was only one thing that bothered me, the water which I have difficulty adjusting between hot and cold. I am not used to cold weather, so having a hot shower was just great but the water fluctuated aggressively that I kept adjusting. Other than that, Grand Mercure was a nice hotel although not really located within the central area. However, it is just within walking distance to the zoo and the French concession area, which are recommended for sightseeing.

Shanghai is all about big buildings, a metropolitan place for shopping, nightlife, conventions, and meetings. In fact, Shanghai’s number one attraction is the Bund where the skyscraper, the Jin Mao Tower and the Oriental TV tower are located. The Bund depicts a well-developed Shanghai. Soon to open next month is the widely- talked Expo that again showcases a very developed Shanghai. I don’t have problem looking into the map as the street names and establishments have English translation below the Chinese character. Also, I took a taxi once and I don’t feel being ripped off or overcharged compared to taking a taxi in Vietnam.

As for getting into the attractions in Shanghai, I can only say the hotels offer tours from half day to full day with prices ranging from $35usd to $50usd. I usually challenge myself in going into places on my own using public transportation but like I said it was a company sponsored trip, so the visit to different places was with a private vehicle. One thing I want you to remember though, Shanghai is getting expensive with the development that’s taking place. Take off the notion that because it is located in China, it is cheap from food to shopping but trust me it’s not, unless perhaps you know how to bargain seriously at the flea market.

Also, don’t forget to visit Yuan Garden if you want to see Chinese inspired design commercial buildings. It’s quite crowded but it’s a nice place to see real Chinese or let's put it this way, the Yuan Garden manifests the reality that there are indeed great number of Chinese population.
It's like a more enhanced China town in your place, if you have one of course or let's say a more authentic Chinese lifestyle.

And to end my story, there’s no facebook, no twitter, no youtube, and I cannot even access to my blog when I was there. I'm just too glad to be back in the land where I can see rice paddies and hear the unending horn of "motobike" while playing around with the so called social network in the cyber world. :-)

Messing around Laos

Laos is one of the destinations I have been eyeing in the past, and luckily today, I’m in Laos backpacking all the way from Hanoi.
I was planning on the route suggested to me in the Thorn Tree Forum, travel from
Hanoi to Dien Bien Phu by public bus - grab a “xeom” from there to Tay
Trang and cross the border to Luang Prabang.
Looking into Laos map, however, gives me the feeling that I need at least three weeks to get me to Vientiane on that route, unless I’ll go on a marathon trip overland.
For me, marathon trip overland is like “a journey to hell.”
Well, this is Southeast Asia and those that can stand long distance journey are mostly locals, which means, you will be with them 48 hours.

It’s not that I don’t like to be with them because I love Vietnamese and Lao people, after all I am Asian. It’s the bad habit that I can’t stand, like spitting a loogie everywhere. You can hear the sound “quack, quarst” from people every now and then that sometimes when I get off the bus I lost my appetite remembering all those yellow phlegm you can see on the floor, or worse on the wall.
It is that kind of experience that makes me decide to take the shortest distance in crossing the border of Vietnam and Lao, which was Hanoi- Vinh and cross the border of Nam Phou to Vientiane.

I’m a big fan of lonely planet, so I used its book as my guide in backpacking. The book says the Hanoi-Vinh-Nam Phou-Vientiane route is a 24-hour trip which for me is tolerable.
I bought a 20usd bus ticket in Hanoi and at 5pm on Wednesday, February 3, I found myself with a group of American backpackers. We waited for our ride to the bus station that showed up an hour after. The travel company said we will leave at 5pm but our ride came past 6pm. It was okay though since we started getting to know each other, sharing backpacking experiences and expectations of our trip, so we don’t mind waiting.
I was the only Asian in the group, so I asked them to back me up if I was thrown in the middle of the road walking to the borders as I read stories of tourists being dumped on the road. The group I was with, however, was quite warm and friendly that I don’t have trouble getting along with them.

At 7pm, the bus picked us up along the road of Tran Thu Do where we walked at least 10 minutes from the highway to get into that remote street. It was not the kind of bus that everyone was expecting but because this is Southeast Asia, we knew shits can happen, so we all decided to make the most of our journey.
We arrived at the Vietnamese Frontier in Vinh by 5am and we have to wait for the immigration people for an hour before queuing in to get departure stamp. At the frontier, we were all instructed to pay 1usd or 20,000vnd which we inserted to our passports.
We don’t know what was it for, but to be positive on everything, we just thought it was a departure tax. After getting the departure stamp we queued in outside the Vietnamese frontier building where immigration officer would check whether it is really us in the passport before they’ll let us go walk towards Laos border.
We walked around 500 meters to Nam Phou (Laos border) immigration building on a dusty road passing through a small bridge where trucks and busses passed by.
My advantage of being Asian was that, at the immigration building of Nam Phou, I don’t have to queue at the visa upon arrival window instead, I went ahead like locals or Vietnamese. The rest of my group were getting their visa and paid 36usd for it while I took mine for free, although, I have to pay an entry fee of 1usd or 10,000 Kip.

I was exempted on visa payment since I am a Filipino national and under the bilateral agreement between Laos and Philippines we are given free visa for a month.
The departure and visa processing took us three hours at the border, so it was almost 9am when we left. Here’s the thing, if you go by bus bring food with you otherwise you’ll be starved because the bus driver won’t stop for breakfast and lunch. None of our group knew about it but fortunately we have cookies and snacks we bought in Vietnam that we shared until we reached Vientiane by 4 pm, an hour early than the 24-hour trip as published by Lonely Planet.
By the way, don’t drink a lot of water while on the bus because it’s not like the buses in Vietnam where toilet can be found inside. The bus has no toilet and worse the “pee stop” was just everywhere along the road. No proper toilet, so you have to go through the bushes and hide unless you are a man where you can just stand near a tree and that’s it.
We were laughing at it, making a joke to wait for civilization for personal necessities to avoid encountering snakes. Well, it was an experience worth laughing at.


In Vietnam it is easy to find accommodations because there are hotels, guesthouses, hostels and dormitories everywhere even during peak season, so everyone was confident to immediately find a place to live with, which means none of us pre-booked a hotel.
Unfortunately, it was not the case in Vientiane, hotels and guest houses were fully booked that it took me almost an hour walking with my backpack to look for accommodations.
I visited 14 guest houses before I found one available room for 100,000 Kip (around 12usd) at Youth Inn at the corner of Fa Ngoum Road across Mekong River. There are cheaper guest houses like Chantha as recommended by Lonely Planet but if you want to get rooms in those places better book in advance because it’s always full. My room at Youth Inn, however, was spacious and clean. I don’t have problem with AC and hot water plus the fact that I can view the sunset at the Mekong River from the window outside my room was perfect for me. My only complain is that they don’t have toiletries except toilet tissue but the rest are ok for the price I paid for.

Before coming here I research a lot about Vientiane and read a lot of nice stories about places to go and things to do. But here’s the thing everyone has different taste that sometimes those stories you read online might fall short of your expectations.
For example, I read a lot about massage and spas and after a day of walking around the city, I did register myself for a massage. And for me, it turn out that Philippines still has the best spas and massage, cheap but world class facilities.

I’ve been walking around Vientiane for hours with only a map on hand, visiting different places but my camera screwed up, so I kept going to look for camera repair shop. But all the camera shops I went into have no repair services, so I decided to go online and look for camera repair shop. My search led me to Samsung services in Vientiane, unfortunately I was told that their one and only technician often comes to work twice a week, if not will never show up for work in one week. Desperate to have pictures, I went around to all digital shops listed online but the common statement I heard, “bring it to Bangkok,” so I gave up. By the way, establishments here accept Thai Bath.

Anyway, to get rid of my frustrations for not having pictures of the great sceneries I saw around, I cracked a joke, telling myself “Ha! Micmic don’t mess around with men in saffron robes or your camera will be cursed and won’t work.” Ummm actually having just experienced winter in Hanoi I find Laos so hot that I decided to wear my t-tank top and shorts in going around temples. I know it is inappropriate dress for temples but I have no intention of going inside and get a close encounter with the monks, so I thought it’s alright since I saw a lot of tourists wearing shorts and sexy top anyway.
At the temples, I just avoided the look of the monks I encountered, so I won't feel guilty about it. I took pictures of the temples despite my inappropriate dress but then few minutes after, my camera stopped working.

“Duhh! My camera went straight to hell and saved the monks from distraction with my shorts and t-tank top.” LOL… well cracking a joke out of it is the only way to appease myself. Look, I’m here sitting in a café across the Mekong River, drinking cold Pepsi, waiting for the sunset which I have been dreaming to capture on my small camera since the day I arrived. How would you feel if you’re camera fails you? But then again, that’s life shits can happen, so the best thing I can do to avoid frustration is smile and crack a joke out of it. I took few shots though before my malnourished camera gave up on me, so have fun! I’ll just try to get some nice shots next time my feet landed in this country again. Cheers!

Halong Bay's grotto and its charm

An Australian friend of mine once asked me, what’s your favorite attraction in Vietnam? I responded, “Halong Bay.” Shrugging his shoulder he muttered, a “tourist trap.”

OK. Obviously for foreigners who noticed nothing but the hundreds of boats lining up in the port, Halong Bay is just but a “cheesy” tourism attraction that cruise companies are making money at.

Honestly, watching all those junks coupled with a number of cargo ships and passenger boats passing the bay, I know how other people get the “tourist trap” impression.

Located at Quang Ninh Province, in northern Vietnam, Halong Bay which literally means Descending Dragon bay is a pride of Vietnamese people. It has been declared by UNESCO as World Heritage site, listed as one of the world’s seven wonders. With that title, it is expected that every month, a junk will be launched or businessmen are just too eager to build new boats.

But look beyond those hundreds of junks, there exist the thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes, offering a magical beauty to explore even for a regular visitor like me.

At 8AM on December 24, Bhaya Cruises shuttle service picked me up for a three-hour ride to Halong City. It was my fifth time to explore the bay within 15 months of staying in Vietnam. I was working in Ho Chi Minh City for 11 months but I flew twice to visit Halong Bay. I cruised with at least two different cruise companies but most of the five cruises were with Bhaya.

I could have had enough of it but different activities and luxurious accommodations enticed me. Bhaya Cruises organized a party at Thay Cave to welcome Christmas and I can’t just let it passed by.

Have you ever had gorgeous young Vietnamese ladies throwing petals on the aisle as you enter the cave blazed with Christmas lights and lighted candles in a glass, while a band is serenading Christmas songs as you rave on a sumptuous buffet dinner? I bet, like me you can’t stop talking about it when you get home. Spending Christmas away from home wouldn’t be a sad story for someone exploring another experience.

A gala dinner inside a grotto combined with kayaking activity and culture interaction with the local people at the fishing villages while cruising the bays of Halong and Bai Tu Long would never be a “tourist trap”.

Bhaya Cruises operates one of the most luxurious boats in Halong Bay. I was with them on September 26 - New Hanoian Meet up and I had all the luxury chilling out at the bar lounge and star gazing at the upper deck as the bay’s breeze caresses my skin.

On Christmas cruise special, I had the luxury to seek comfort from cold weather in my clean warm bed sheets of Bhaya 3’s cabin 103, no sounds of engine and rats disturbing me from a deep sleep, nor sight of cockroaches or spider sharing my room with me. The cabin, aside from its spacious room with separate shower and bathroom, has a little balcony where I can enjoy my afternoon tea while waiting for the sunset.

Now, can you blame me if I can’t go with the description of Halong Bay being a “tourist trap”?

2009 Christmas holiday cruise with Bhaya

Pham Ngu Lao before the eyes of her lover

If you are not a Vietnamese, try walking along Pham Ngu Lao Ward at night and get a taste of its real face beyond those lighted alleys, sparkling disco bars, and western restaurants.

Don’t be surprised when a motorcycle driver approaches with marijuana packs and says “motobike you 5dollars”, or a cigarette vendor with their colloquial pronunciation “mawiwana”, if not bystanders on the streets saying “ecstasy madam eight dollars”.

Locals are selling these stuffs blatantly like pancakes that in almost every corner of the bars you can smell weeds or see tourists having pot session.

On Fridays and Saturdays, grab a chair in one of those Vietnamese noodle and seafood shops in De Tham and Bui Vien streets. There you can witness the drama of those gorgeous Vietnamese ladies clinging to those white guys from all ages hoping to get passport outside Vietnam or hoping to earn money for the night, the so called “boom-boom cheap cheap” (prostitute very cheap).

Sex tourism is condemned in this country but one says “this is Vietnam just speak English and the authorities will leave you in peace”. Could it be because they cannot understand when these foreigners start speaking English? Or could it be because these visitors are spending money that benefits the country’s economy? Or could it be a deeper reason behind that? Or if it is true or not at all.

For whatever reason, one should wonder the statistics of HPV cases or other sexually transmitted diseases otherwise the neglect of responsibility to protect their health, might end up in desperate needs of antibiotic shots.


Sitting on a small chair in one of the “bia hois” (local shops offering alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages) is interesting as you meet a lot of different people from fake to real ones.

In those “bia hois” at Pham Ngu Lao, one can claim to be a doctor, lawyer, or journalist but turn out to be a mere traveler who will go home jobless to their own country.

Light is breaking up as the sun rises. Tourists coming out drunk from disco bars will shake the entire Pham Ngu Lao village, shouting, if not run half naked on the streets.

This scenario is coupled by foreign lovers fighting like cats and dogs, or a local girl complaining for not being paid for her service, or worse white drunk guys punching each other as they fought who can take home the local girl they met at the disco bar.

Morning comes, stores, souvenir shops, hostels, and travel agencies open up for their daily business operations.

Getting a bowl of “Pho” (Vietnamese noodles) at the corner of Pham Ngu Lao street is famous among party goers and late night observers alike. However, expect a Vietnamese Pho wait staff slamming the chopsticks, fork, and spoon holder in the table as they served your order. Customer relation aspect in this tourism area of Vietnam is not commonly practiced.


Walking back to my room, I saw tourist buses already lining up on the streets while waiting for their guests having coffee or breakfast in one of those western restaurants at Pham Ngu Lao village. Normal daytime activities go on- with Vietnamese nationals from vendors, tourism executives, plumbers, utility workers, "xeom" drivers, and lineman- make a living while tourists are busy with their holiday activities.

Ahhh...Pham Ngu Lao, I’m already getting familiar of your face, your nagging nature, and aggressiveness towards unregulated “tourism pleasure” activities.

Hot weekend in Nha Trang

It's hot, hot, hot! And I am not only talking about the summer weather or the typical Vietnamese spicy foods but all the things a tourist can do in Nha Trang at night.

Tired of seeing the busy streets of Saigon, I took a nine-hour bus ride out of the city to spend a weekend in Nha Trang. Full story was originally published here...

Hue’s royal tombs showcase culture and history

If you are interested to get a glimpse of Vietnam’s royal past, Hue is the right place to go.

Located at the central part of Vietnam, Hue is the country’s ancient capital and the stronghold of Vietnam’s royal families some 60 years ago.

My holiday wandering brought me to this place, which I have been targeting for an educational trip, for quite sometime.

Full story was originally published here...