2-21-07

Hey I'm in Saigon! After what seemed like an eternity waiting for Chinese New Year to end so I could get my Visa for Vietnam, I finally caved in and paid off the guard at the embassy to get my Visa for me. It cost me $60 and is only a 15 day Visa but whatever, I'm just going to be making my way through Vietnam anyway and into China and eventually Japan.

First impressions are that's it's noisy, with lots of crazy traffic. It reminds me a little of Ko Sahn road in Thailand but not nearly as many white people walking around getting their hair braided. If there's one sight I can't stand it's fat white people getting their hair braided, yech. Maybe it's from seeing so many getting it done in Vila or how utterly ridiculous they look afterwards for something they paid for.

Tomorrow I hope to visit the Viet Cong tunnels, find some rambutin and make bus reservations to get me out of this city. Unfortunately I haven't seen any rambutin at the food stalls. Could it be that Vietnam doesn't have any?

2-28-07

Hey I'm in Hanoi! Been here a few days after a 33 hour train ride from Saigon. I'm happy to report that they do indeed have rambutin here, not to mention a number of other interesting street foods. Probably the strangest one so far has been snails, and while I understand that France has had an influence on the cuisine here these are not escargot by any means of the word. I don't have pictures to post yet but these things are interesting to say the least. They're sold in the market by the kilo, and vendors steam bowls of them and serve them with a pepper vinegar sauce along with free rice wine. Unfortunately the rice wine doesn't really compliment the snails so much as give a way to distract from what can be an somewhat sandy meat. The snails are pried out of their shells with triangular pieces of metal and then dunked in the sauce. The result is a somewhat spicy morsel of meat similar to octopus. It's something to try but I think I would have to be drinking to try it again. Other than the snails there's the usual rice noodle soup, fried rice and baguettes that can be bought on many corners. No dog yet.

The reason I'm still in Hanoi is because I'm waiting on my Chinese Visa. For some reason Americans get charged $30 more for their Visas than people from other places, anyone know why this is? I know Americans are rich cocky bastards but don't we have a bazillion trade agreements with the Chinese? Hell, even the Governator was treated like a dignitary when he visited there a couple years ago. Why I gotta pay more?

After I get into China I'm going to jump on a ferry to South Korea to hang with Christina who's been teaching English over there for a little while. I'm looking forward to lots of soju, korean barbeque and kimchee, preferably in that order. However if I get really sick and tired of traveling I'll just hop a jet out of Beijing. I seem to have come down with a case of travelers fatigue but I don't think it's anything a night out drinking can't handle. Luckily I've been hanging out with some Lebanese-Australians who're pretty keen on going out, Film at 11.