Vietnam Tour Of Duty (Part 1 : Arial Photograph, Time Zon & Rex Hotel)

Hi, welcome back!

* as usual... before leaving, prepare checklist, things to bring along... *

I arrived at KLIA International Airport at 7.15pm (22.07.09).
Only managed to reached Mr. Anuar through his handphone around 9.05pm.

* so tired, arrived at 7.15pm, the other members already leaved very soon,
I was stuck there waiting for Mr. Anuar's reply.....
only at 9.00pm leaved KLIA via KLIA Express...

suffered from teribble headache... shivered... I covered all over my upper body with shawl - black woven wool shawl size dalam 70cm x 1.5meter....
(bila berselubung dalam nih...
alahai... macam pura-pura tidur...
tapi sebenarnya mata tengok orang sebelah buat apa....,
kita boleh nampak aktiviti orang kat luar sebab ada lubang-lubang kait benang,
orang luar tak nampak kita buat apa kat dalam...
mati-mati dia ingat kita tidur,
padahal kita tengah spying... thehehehee... )
Sebijik macam orang kena kidnapped kena serkup dengan guni baja.

Makcik depan aku mula cuak... dia tengok kita, hai dia jeling mata...
pandang-pandang... jeling-jeling.... threw me a suspicious look.
Apa? Dia hingat aku kena H1N1 kaaa?

Took KLIA Express, stopped at KL Sentral, Air Terminal.

My Vietnam visit no different from China Mainland visit.
Fly to Ho Chi Minh City (Formerly known as Saigon).


Saigon is another name of Ho Chi Minh City .
Southern part of Vietnam.
And capital of Vietnam is Hanoi.

From Saigon to Ho Chi Minh City.
President Ho Chi Minh once said:
“The southern region is the flesh and blood of Vietnam. Rivers may be shallow, mountains may be eroded, but the truth will never change.”


The weather was very-very hot.... almost 29 degree Celcius.
Kulit aku dah tukar jadik coklat-merah macam Latino dah...


A plain land of Mekong River's Delta.
Aku teringat masa belajar geography... huhuhu... ilmu alam pasal Indo-China.
Besor-besor sungai dia.

Agak ralat sebab aku tak bawak good camera.
Ini arial photograph sumer aku snap guna i-phone MC Law.
Sony-Ericson W395 baru aku (yang aku beli secara desperado... cuma 2 Megapixel...)
Pastu baru aku tahu, bila buat Flight Mode, tak boleh on camera.
Dulu Sony-Ericson K770i (3.2 Megapixel) boleh.
Bila aku guna W395... nak snap gambor sungai kat bawah tuh....
sumer orang pandang kat aku.... gubra...
apa taknya, punya kuat bunyi Walkman dalam playlist auto bunyik...
lagu REM - Sellling The Drama pulak tuh...

Waktu tuh, steward announce off electronic device.
Nanti dia hingat aku nih tak reti-reti bahasa pulak.

malu... malu.... malu... macam nak telah ajer handphone tuh masa tuh....
gubra tak tau nak tekan butang hapa nak kasi stop.

I think I confused of Vietnam time zone
Vietnam/saigon
any idea about time zone ...

Still aku tak faham-faham...
jap aku nak check & google.
Pasal time zon & local time at Vietnam.
GMT berapa ekkkk...



Standard Time Zone: GMT/UTC + 07:00 hour
Malaysia, Even China & Hong Kong Standard Time Zone: GMT/UTC +08:00 hour


Stayed at 5 stars hotel (yang lobby dia tak grand pun macam 5 stars hotel)...
REX HOTEL ... The hotel is located right in the city center and offers guests easy access to some of the city’s best restaurants and shops, including the famous Ben Thanh Market.


Asalnya bukan dibina untuk menjadi hotel.
Lay-out dalaman hotel yang agak mengelirukan, berserabut & confusing... ada ajer lorong tersembunyi, secret chamber & hidden lift.
aku nak guna-pakai terms: " difficult-to-navigate layout "
(kalau terbakar, agak susah nak escape... need fire evacuation plan on each floor)
adalah kesan daripada fungsi asal bangunan ini.

The Rex Hotel used to be a Renault service station.
When the Cold War took hold, the US Information Agency took over,
then left at the close of the Vietnam War.
Now, after years of neglect,
the Vietnamese Government decided to refurbish the building,
bringing the Rex Hotel as it is today.


Breakfast time: from 6.00am - 10.00am Vietnam Time.
Aku tak ubah lagik jam biologi... jam kat tangan pun masih pakai waktu Malaysia.
Jadiknya pukul 7.00am - 11.00am.

Aku agak tak selesa time zone dia orang...
Yelah, kita terbang ke TIMUR,
matahari terbit dulu...
patut lagik cepat time dia.
so... apa-apapun aku expect masa dia harus mendahului kita.
pukul 7.00am tuh dah panas, matahari dah tinggi macam Malaysia pukul 8.00 pagi.

Interior cafe apa ntah tempat makan breakfast.
Ramai jugak Malaysian yang aku jumpa kat sini.
Cakap slang Kay-Elle... cakap kuat-kuat pulak tuh ala-ala Datin wanna-be...
you all-you all, i all-i all... so aku nak expect apa lagik?
Betullah tuh... aku buat tataw jerk...

Masa breakfast aku makan grilled tuna besor lengan in balck pepper sauce.
Aku tak der lah makan sumer, dalam 1/3 jer...
Pastu makan salad, sayur-sayuran... makan cheese... makan buah-buahan...
Si Lai Mun & MC Law... adeih... tak habis-habis makan bacon, smoked sausage...
... dah makanan dia orang...

Boring gilerrr asik-asik makan cenggini ajer...
ada takat 7 jenis cheese aku makan, paling tak bleh tahan dia punya GOAT CHEESE...
adeih.... aku tak larat nak makan, dia punya smell... punyalah seksi...

Sedap jugak oatmeal dia...
Vietnamese suka minum & makan yogurt...
Aku nengok mas survey tuh, berkotak-kotak derang purchased.
Kat supermarket pun, banyak facing & assortment yogurt & milk.
Kat hotel lagi lah, every morning during breakfast time,
I consume about 4-5 cups of yogurt... soooo goood...
(aku tak jumpa walau seorang pun Vietnamese yang gemuk... )

View from level 5, Rex Hotel... ada park depan hotel... overlooking scenic Fountain Square,
then ada Cathederal...


Statue kat belakang aku tuh ialah Ho Chi Minh.

Independence Proclaimation announced by Presiden Ho Chi Minh on September 2, 1945:
"ALL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WERE BORN EQUAL;
EVERY PEOPLE HAS THE RIGHT O LIVE,
BE HAPPY AND ENJOY LIBERTY..."


Yang macam Cathederal tuh... Ho Chi Minh City Hall.