Vietnam Day 1: Hanoi

People keep asking me if I am traveling by myself, and for the first time on the trip the answer is, “Yes!” I arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday and spent my first full day here on Wednesday. Today’s post will chronicle my first solo day which was in Hanoi, Vietnam.
It was clear from the beginning that there was a lot to do. I set out determined to spend the morning on cultural endeavors, before hitting what’s been billed as the “Olympics of Shopping.” My companion for the day, thanks to Lisa, was the Luxe guide to Hanoi (http://www.luxecityguides.com/).

The first thing you have to understand about Hanoi is the traffic is unbelievable. Here is a view of the motor scooters as seen from my hotel, the Zephyr (www.zephyrhotel.com.vn). Before I got here several folks told me that when you want to cross the street, you step into the crosswalk (preferably when the light is green) and walk purposefully ahead. The sea of scooters (which never seems to stop) will part. On my walk to the Temple of Literature, I tested this out many times and it’s true, though nerve racking.
The Temple of Literature is about 1000 years old and was dedicated to training scholars for the nation. It is not in use today, but is considered one of the most important historical landmarks in Vietnam. At the centerpiece is this statue of Confucius, with his four disciples on either side of him.

It’s very hot at the temple and in Hanoi in general, and by this time I’d been trucking for a couple of hours and was ready to get into a building with air conditioning. I visited the Museum of Fine Arts (http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/asia/vietnam/hanoi/attraction-detail.html?vid=1154665443681)

which is close to the temple. This is a museum which chronicles Vietnamese art from prehistoric times to the present. The art was lovely, but what struck me the most is how little of it there is. I got through the whole thing in about 45 minutes. So much of the art has been destroyed over the years and I guess it is lucky any was preserved at all.

By this time, it was lunch hour. I stepped into Pho 24 for my first official Vietnamese meal. Pho is written up in the handy Luxe Guide as a local chain which is clean and consistent. It was yummy!

Fortified, the shopping could officially begin. I had had enough walking and decided to hire a scooter taxi to take me to the next stop, Art Vietnam Gallery. This was all mine for 20,000 dong (~$1.40) which I later learned was about 5,000 dong too high, but I got over it. Art Vietnam (http://www.artvietnamgallery.com/) gets rave reviews from the Luxe guide, and you can see why. Although I did not find anything I could not live without, I met the owner, Suzanne Lecht, who is a native of my hometown, Austin, Texas. What a small world.

From here it was back on the motor scooter, and when that got too scary, into a car taxi and when that got too scary, back on foot. I spent the rest of the afternoon trolling around for art and purses and made purchases of all. I am not sure how I’m getting all this home but I will figure something out. I also got a $5 pedicure (yes Valerie, I brought my own nail kit).

The last event of the day, after a long shower, was dinner at Wild Rice Restaurant, where the food and atmosphere were fantastic. Here I am at dinner, all cleaned up.

There are some days in your life when you have them, you know you will never forget. For me, this was one of those days.

More Than Skin Deep

Last week was my "layover" week here in Singapore, so I thought I would talk about that today. I've successfully made the rounds of Dell folks living here - special thanks to Jae, Steve and Janet, and Lisa for hosting me in their lovely places! These guys all have very good lives here in Singapore.

I've really been looking ratty the last few weeks. I almost never use a hair dryer, and some days I put on makeup, but it gets so hot it melts off. Last Friday, some friends of Lisa's invited us to a dress-up party at the Ritz Carlton hosted by the Italian chamber of commerce. The theme was Ferrari and you were supposed to wear red. Naturally, this entailed my shopping for a red dress. I decided to go all out and get my hair and nails done.

Regarding the dress shopping, it was an experience. I have no idea if I will ever wear the dress again, but it was not too pricey so it's all good. At home, I wear a size 4-6 but in Singapore I am a 10-12! Ay chihuaha!

I chose a salon in Chinatown, the Corner Salon, which uses Kerastase (I admit to being a brand snob). I wanted a manicure too and they said they could do everything all at the same time! I was not sure how this was all going to work but quickly learned. My stylist (see pics below) came over with a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of water and started working on my hair while it was still dry. Before long he had it all lathered up and proceeded to give me a relaxing scalp massage which went on for a good 20 minutes. He was making some very interesting hand sounds and I have no idea how, but that's for another time. Meanwhile, the manicurist is working away at my nails. Finally, I had to get up and go to get the shampoo rinsed out at the sink, which caused a pause in the manicure thankfully. Once that was done, everyone resumed.

I realized that the salon was not too busy because everyone there seemed to be an employee, or maybe they just wanted to help. The woman in getting her hair done below helped the manicurist dry my nails, for which they used 2 hair dryers on cool setting for about 20 minutes. They really did not want me to mess them up! The total bill came to $29 Singapore dollars, or about $20US. Not bad considering the great service.

The cleanup was a definite and needed improvement. Here we are at the party with a Ferrari!

At the party, I met another blogger - Filippo Olivi, Director of the Italian Chamber here in Singapore. Filippo had fun a the dinner, but wished the speeches could have been longer. I promised I'd link to his blog, http://mangoditreviso.blogspot.com/.

Khao Lak, Thailand

So far, this is the best sunset picture I've been able to take. It is from Khao Lak, Thailand just over a week ago. It's notable because (a) it's beautiful and (b) Khao Lak looks nothing like it did about 2-1/2 years ago. This beach, about an hour north of Phuket, was the worst hit in the Asian tsunami of December 2004. You can see the imagery and read more at: http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/thailand/khaolak-imagery.htm.

I've never been to Phuket and the beaches, and I was curious to see what has happened since that terrible tragedy. I read about Khao Lak in Travel and Leisure, where it got rave reviews and assurances that all evidence of tsunamis is long gone. Best of all, the chance of a recurrence any time in like the next 10,000 years is almost nonexistent. So, I felt pretty safe.

Sharon and I stayed at the Le Meridien Resort in Khao Lak, and we loved it! Especially the value and quality of the spa treatments, which I have to say gave the International Big Kahuna of spas, the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dheva, a run for the prize. We loved the Thai and Asian food, and Sharon especially liked the Bailey's even though they have skimpy pours. (Someone please post to the blog and explain how calories do not count when you are on vacation...)

It's almost true there is no evidence of the tsunami, at least in the resort area. I took a walk down the beach and took a few photos that might provide a clue about what

Notice how you can see the roots on this tree, but it's growing new ones and still alive...
These are not small branches and they are buried many feet deep in the sand.

Here is a honking big tree that has not been removed yet, I think people were busy putting the resorts back together...

Overall, I had a great time in Thailand and consider it my favorite set of stops on the trip - mostly because of the people and natural beauty of the place. Stay tuned for more on Bali soon!

The International Big Kahuna Of Spas

I'm deviating from my normal routine of weekly posting today, because there is important breaking news to report. I've decided to issue the first official award given by my blog, the International Big Kahuna of Spas.

Simply put, the Big Kahuna Award is the bar by which all other spas in the world should be judged. It is comprised of three "E's" or elements:

Environment - the atmosphere of the spa including cleanliness, unique atmosphere, philosophy and overall aesthetic appeal of the spa

Experience - the quality of the treatment including the therapist, massage oils, music, table, lotions, etc.

End Result - how well the treatment does the job, i,e: do you feel better afterwards etc.

The Mandarin Oriental Dheva Spa in Chiang Mai, Thailand (http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/555000004.asp) scored a "10" on a scale of 1-10 in Carolyn's and my books on all 3 attributes. I've been to a lot of spas, and my 80 minute facial which was part massage/part facial has to be among the best ever experienced. Mandarin also gives each guest an individual spa treatment room for the ultimate in service and comfort. The Dhava Spa is not only about getting pampered, it has a whole being philosophy. As the website says, "Thailand’s first world-class destination spa is unique in both concept and design; created under the auspices of two health specialists and inspired by an ancient Mandalay Palace. The seven tiered roof is representative of the journey we hope you will begin with us, that is the seven steps to nirvana and the attainment of spiritual and physical perfection."

It was a real contrast from my first Asian spa experience of the trip at the TCM MedSpa in Hong Kong, where the cable TV installers seem to have taken up permanent residence in the reception area, and the fish in the fish tank look like they are going to implode.

Naturally, independent experts and auditors are going to have to validate this award. And, Sharon and I still have to produce the Spa Treatment Rating Scale (STRS) which will be used to prove out the future candidates and their worthiness.

P.S. We are in Bangkok now, and saw this great rainbow tonight:

The First 2 Days: Chinese Medicine at Work

Well, we made it to Hong Kong just fine despite the fact that a 14 hour flight is really long, and even longer in coach. We've already been busy seeing the sites, more on that later. The most interesting thing that happened to me by far was my run in with Chinese medicine with less than 24 hours on the ground.

Let me start by saying, I do believe in alternative medicines even though I have not yet let my sister, Laurel, do biofeedback on me. I also believe in getting massages after long plane rides, especially if they are good quality massages for reasonable amounts of money. So when our hotel referred us to the TCM Beauty Clinic on Tin Hau Street in Causeway Bay, I was psyched. Mom booked a 45 minute massage and I booked a 30 minute deep tissue massage and a facial. And it could all be had for about half what we'd pay at home! It was too good to be true - and in fact, it was.

My massage therapist and esthetician was Sandy Lee, the proprietor of the establishment. This was not the kind of massage you ease into - Sandy immediately went to work on my upper back and neck - kneading, pulling, prodding, you name it. In between my yelps of pain, she proceeded to outline for me all the ways in which my body is messed up and in need of major amounts of Chinese medicine. But great news - she would be more than happy to provide whatever is needed. She was definitely perceptive and noticed I can't fully straighten my arms (note to my trainer Mark Harris: if you're reading this you are vindicated). The massage ended with her placing about 10 things along my back and shoulders that felt like giant potato chip clips - but were actually suction cups the size of a can of Red Bull. She then left me sitting like that for about 20 minutes. Sandy warned me I would be bruised today and she was not kidding. I won't be wearing any backless shirts soon, my back looks like a game of Twister.


Then we moved onto the facial, which was better. It still involved a lot of kneading in painful places, which she assured me was very good for my chi or whatever. The last 30 minutes involved a lavender steam mask on my face which was quite relaxing. Having already been left under the suction cups and being in somewhat of a jetlagged state, I started to wonder if maybe this was one of those operations where they sedate you and harvest one of your kidneys. The only reason I did not start to panic at this thought was Sandy did not have much nice to say about the perceived condition of my kidneys and as such I was pretty sure she did not want them.


As odd as it sounds, I did feel about 100 times better at the end of the whole thing. Sandy sent me home with $100HKD of herbs (US $13) which I was supposed to take and come back to see her the next day. She is even willing to ship the herbs all over the world for just US $55 a month! Once I sprung free I realized the preposterousness of all this, and I am happy to say I won't be going back to the TCM Clinic even though the end result of yesterday, less the bruises, was good.


And I am drinking a tea with Chinese herbs, for inspiration, as I write this post.

Looking Healthy After our Massages & Facials

Halfway Around the World

A while back, I decided that a good way to decompress as I start my year off would be to leave the country and go halfway around the world for two months. As I've spoken to many friends and family members in the last couple of weeks, a lot of the questions overlap. Therefore, today's post will take the form of a PR Q&A.

Q. Why did you decide to go to southeast Asia, and why are you going at one of the hottest times of the year?
A. The large number of Dell expats currently inhabiting Singapore makes it a great base for Asian travel. Hopefully no one will get sick of me. Regarding the weather, it's summer in Texas so it's not like I'm missing anything.

Q. Are you going by yourself?
A. I will only really be by myself for about 2 days when I travel into Vietnam. My mom, Carolyn, is traveling over with me and will be there for two weeks. Then I'll meet Lisa Howe in Cambodia and Sharon Francia will meet us in Bangkok, Thailand. Sharon and I will spend about a week checking out some spas for quality control. Then it's back to Singapore where I have a couple of weeks of down time. The last frontier is a two week bike trip through Vietnam.

Q. Where are you taking your mom?
A. We will be visiting Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. Here is a sample of some of the places we are staying (wicked!):
http://www.lhotelcausewaybayhv.com/intro.php
http://www.puripunn.com/
http://www.lebua.com/
In Singapore, Jae Borgard was nice enough to invite us to stay with her, which will be loads of fun!

Q. That sounds cool. What's next?
A. Lisa and I are going to visit Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I'm sure there is going to be some eating and drinking too. This place was recommended by Steve and Janet Gluskoter:
http://www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com/
We'll fly back to Bangkok and meet Sharon at the Four Seasons for a couple of days of much needed R&R. We will hear the best four words in the English language, "Welcome to Four Seasons!" Thanks to Randy Huey for suggesting this spot.
http://www.fourseasons.com/bangkok/

Q. We really want to hear about the spas. Where are you going with Sharon, and are there metrics to evaluate the quality of each?
A. We have decided to focus on the Phuket, Thailand and Bali, Indonesia areas because of their status as Spa Capitals of the Universe. We have not developed our metrics yet, but you can be sure we are all over that action item and the results will be the topic of a future post.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1847
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=277&back=-1

Q. Then you go back to Singapore. What are you going to do for almost two weeks?
A. Luckily, Singapore's national pastimes are shopping and eating, which are two of my favorite things to do. I will catch up with friends and generally do what I do here in Austin - be very busy doing almost nothing.

Q. What about this bike trip? Who's running it and where does it go?
A. The trip is run by World Expeditions, an Aussie outfit. Apparently if you are Australian, you can run a bike trip for about a third as much as if you are an American company. Wicked. I've always wanted to see Vietnam and traveling the country by bike gets rave reviews. We meet in Hanoi (I'll be there for a whole day on my own first, ooooh) and end up on Ho Chi Minh City. To see the detail you can go to http://www.worldexpeditions.com/index.php?section=trips&id=68.

Q. Have you been reading anything in preparation for your visit to Vietnam?
A. I reread Up Country by Nelson DeMille. Great read and well worth all 700 pages, it has some good maps too.

Q. Are you flying business class?
A. Are you crazy? I am not getting a paycheck anymore. This trip is all about coach and budget carriers, which lucky for me are plentiful in southeast Asia.

Q. When do you leave and when will you be back?
A. Wheels up is Monday morning, May 14 and wheels down is late late on July 7.

Adios friends! Please visit the blog often!