Chinese New Year

The last week of January was the Chinese New Year break for all of us. We decided this year to stay in and around Macau to get a taste of the biggest celebration of the year in China. Macau itself it looks beautiful as red lanterns hang everywhere and wherever you go there is a festive feeling in the air. After a few days in Macau, we headed to Hong Kong for two days of shopping and playing during the first two days of the new year. On day one Emily and Danielle used their Christmas money to buy a Wii Fit (a very awesome interactive game). We also took in a movie and a trip on the Star Ferry to see the lights of Hong Kong from across Victoria Harbor. Day two saw us travel to Ocean Park, our favorite wildlife/amusement park in Hong Kong. The girls did many rides and saw the sea lions and the giant pandas. The park was busy but enjoyable nonetheless. We headed to the ferry at 5:30 quite ready to get back home to our own beds. Two days later we headed into mainland China (Zhu Hai) to do some cross border shopping. Shoes for school and clothes for ever-growing girls topped the list of things to buy.

Emily's 9th Birthday

January 14th was Emily's ninth birthday and we had a quiet family celebration at home for her. Danielle picked out the cake (chocolate with cream) and Jackie cooked one of Emily's favorite dishes. Emily received an i-pod, a new book, and a scarf as presents. Another gift is a trip to the bowling alley for a game with one of her friends this weekend.

The People of Mui Ne

Everywhere we traveled in HCMC and Mui Ne, the one thing that struck me was how friendly the people were. Many were eager to talk or say hello or pose for a photo. Here are a few snap shots of some of the locals we encountered on the trip.

Mui Ne Village

Mui Ne Village is a very old fishing village that happens to now be located near a popular tourist development. This has not changed life for many local people as the traditional way of life (fishing) continues to this day. A few mornings we would head down to the beach before breakfast and watch the fisherman come to shore with their nets filled with all sorts of fish and crab. It is a family affair as the wives and children help with the catch as the boats come ashore. If you like the locals will cook you up some crab right on the beach!

Mui Ne Sand Dunes

A short drive from Mui Ne one can find the Red and White Sand Dunes. These two popular tourist areas are the closest thing to a desert that we have ever seen. The dunes are very picturesque especially at sunrise and sunset. Most people tend to treat the dunes like great snow covered hills and ride down them with some type of toboggan; we were no different. After taking some scenic photos, we all took turns riding down the great dunes; Emily even rode her board like a surfboard as she went down one dune.

Mui Ne Beach

The majority of our Vietnam holiday was spent at a resort on Mui Ne Beach. Mui Ne is one of the more popular tourist areas in south Vietnam and it has the nicest beach to keep the tourists visiting. The beach was great for going on long walks, to collect shells, and even dig for clams. Also popular in the area is kite-surfing and wind surfing as the winds can get brisk in the afternoons. Our resort, the Saigon Mui Ne, had lovely grounds, great food, and a nice pool allowing us to enjoy our down time.

The Cu Chi Tunnels

Just outside of HCMC, one can visit an area occupied by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. The Cu Chi Tunnels were a system of underground living spaces and of course tunnels used by the Viet Cong. This is a popular tourist spot where you can enter the actual tunnels used during the war, if you are brave enough. Also at the sight are displays of "traps" the Viet Cong used against the American "invaders" as well as demonstrations of how unexploded bombs were used to create land mines. There are many unexploded bombs (now safe) on display as well as downed helicopters and a destroyed tank.
On the military theme, there was also a shooting range on site in case you had the urge to shoot an AK-47 or an M-60 machine gun. Very cool!!

HCMC Markets

One of the great things in Asian cities including HCMC are the markets. The variety of fruits, vegetables, seafood, flowers, spices, clothes, etc that one can see are mind boggling. Brand name clothes are especially cheap but your bargaining skills are important in this regard. The local food and coffee are especially good also and you can get a great meal for about 3-4 dollars.

Ho Chi Min City

The Varga's traveled to Viet Nam for the Christmas holidays this year and our first stop was Ho Chi Min City. HCMC (formerly Saigon) is a city of approximately 7 million people and about 4 million of them own motorbikes. The city is known for its busy streets filled with cars, bicycles, and motorbikes. Add in that most intersections and traffic circles do not have any type of traffic control and you can imagine the controlled chaos that ensues. There is non-stop honking of horns as the various modes of transport weave amongst one another; most Canadian drivers would be shocked at the scene.
Pedestrians add another element to this scenario and it takes some guts to cross the street as motorbikes zip in front and behind you. Thankfully, this scene is commonplace in HCMC and everyone seems to get where they are going in one piece.