Vietnam trip part 1
My trip in Vietnam~
13th July (Day 1) - Ho Chi Minh --> Can Tho
Mood: Sleepy and un-excited. Imagine, woke up as early at 4.00am in the morning, need to meet everyone at the airport at 5am in the morning. Scanned the luggage, check-in, stamps the passport and left Penang to go to Kuala Lumpur at 6.40am. And then left KLIA to Ho Chi Minh at 9.00am. Reached HCM after 2 hours in flight at 10am local time (HCM is 1 hour late from Malaysia time).
We waited for the representative from Can Tho University to fetch us at the airport and seriously, when the bus came, all of us showed an expression like this: (O_o)
The bus is too small for 21 of us (13 students + 8 lecturers) to fit in. Hmmm...maybe the word 'too small' is a bit exaggerated because it supposed to be enough for us to fit in but having everyone carrying their luggage acting like they're going to move houses, so the back seat is full of our luggage. I pity my friends who sat at the seat in front of the mountain of luggage because everytime the bus brake or came across the bumper or hole or something, the luggage will fall down on their head and they need to stop it with their hands. Sacrificing their life for sitting there for 4+ hours. XDD
Can Tho is 180km south of HCM city, but we took 4 hours to get there. It feels like a very long journey because we were uncomfortable with the condition we were in. Usually i can reach KL from my hometown (about 280km?) in 3 hours but it is different in Vietnam. The traffic is hectic with so many motorcycles and they didn't even speeding on highway (which a typical Malaysian always did). So, we need to bear it.
4 1/2 hours for 180km journey.
We reached Can Tho late in the evening and we went out for walk a bit to get something to eat. We did nothing much on our first day.
14th July (Day 2) - Can Tho
We went to private fisheries and take a look at the fish pond (or lake?).
Some of the ikan belida from their ponds. (I don't know the english name for 'belida' fish)
Then we went to CASEAMAX - Can Tho Import Export Seafood Joint Stock Company
I'm telling you, this company is amazing - in terms of their size and efficiency. They produce products like fish fillet, fish steak, rolls, sushi and black tiger prawn. And they export their products to US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore and even to Malaysia.
Inside the production building. Amazing number of workers only to cut the raw fish. Not to mention that there are lots of workers at another department as well. *o*
Checking the fish above the UV light to check the presence of parasites. Systematic, aren't they?
Putting the fish inside the frozen machine. It'll froze with -18 degree Celcius in less than 10 minutes.
So, where are all those huge amount of fish comes from? We went to Mekong river to see the site where they culture and rear the fish.
Went inside the boat. Notice that almost every boat in Mekong river has the same design. The eyes. XDD
The fish house in the middle of Mekong river. They put nets surrounding below the house and feed the fish below 2-3 times a day. According to the explanation given to us, there are about 80,000 fishes under each house.
And the bigger fish in the pond.
See that masses of water splashes when the worker feed the fish? I'm not sure how many thousands of fish were there in the pond. I missed the detail, sorry.
We finished visiting the factory and farm early around 3pm and we had our lunch.
Vegetarian dishes, because we can't eat chicken or meat if its not properly chop off the head according to islamic teachings. But the soup is delicious. And twister drink is cheap, around 10,000 vietnam dong, that's RM1.60 = USD0.50. Usually they sell it RM2.20+ here.
Overall cost of my lunch: RM0. Because our lecturer treat us for the lunch. yay!!
Later in the evening, we walk around the town and some of us brought along the laptop to have wifi access at the restaurant. We didn't really eat anything there, just ordered some drinks and dessert.
So, i order chocolate ice cream.
It came with fancy umbrella.
BUT!! It cost 30,000 dong = RM4.50 = USD1.50 just for one scoop of ice cream!!
I mean, damn!! Its only one scoop!! I finished it before i knew how the chocolate ice cream taste like.
I should have order hot choco instead of this thing. TT___TT
It can't be helped because this is one such exclusive restaurant, only tourist and foreigners come here. You won't find normal local people eating here. Anyway, we came here for wifi access, so try to think that i paid USD1.50 for wifi access in 2 hours. *trying to hide her sorrow over the one-ridiculously-expensive-scoop of ice cream*
See? They serve snake set menu for USD7. Some of other restaurants also serve frog leg menu. Ewww...
When we came of from the restaurant, a woman approach us and offer us for the boat ride to cruise along the Mekong river. Again.
We paid RM6 = USD2 per head for 2 hours long journey!! How the hell we gonna find that price again anywhere? Maybe it is cheap because its a small boat for us. Well, it fit enough for 6 person, and no more. XDD
My friend told me that the the bigger boat cost more, around USD5 per ride per head, with life jacket, but we don't have one. It worth the cheap price for risking our life. LOLL.
Along the river, we saw the boat that contains charcoal.
And then the boatman stop by the petrol station in the middle of river to fill the fuel. That's new, at least to me.
Guess what kind of ship is this?
Answer (hover the word for answer please): Its a restaurant!!
Its already dawn when we finished our Mekong boat ride.
That's only for 2 days in Vietnam.
I wonder how long can my entry can be if i write more?
Will continue for the next day of my trip when i feel like writing again.
13th July (Day 1) - Ho Chi Minh --> Can Tho
Mood: Sleepy and un-excited. Imagine, woke up as early at 4.00am in the morning, need to meet everyone at the airport at 5am in the morning. Scanned the luggage, check-in, stamps the passport and left Penang to go to Kuala Lumpur at 6.40am. And then left KLIA to Ho Chi Minh at 9.00am. Reached HCM after 2 hours in flight at 10am local time (HCM is 1 hour late from Malaysia time).
We waited for the representative from Can Tho University to fetch us at the airport and seriously, when the bus came, all of us showed an expression like this: (O_o)
The bus is too small for 21 of us (13 students + 8 lecturers) to fit in. Hmmm...maybe the word 'too small' is a bit exaggerated because it supposed to be enough for us to fit in but having everyone carrying their luggage acting like they're going to move houses, so the back seat is full of our luggage. I pity my friends who sat at the seat in front of the mountain of luggage because everytime the bus brake or came across the bumper or hole or something, the luggage will fall down on their head and they need to stop it with their hands. Sacrificing their life for sitting there for 4+ hours. XDD
Can Tho is 180km south of HCM city, but we took 4 hours to get there. It feels like a very long journey because we were uncomfortable with the condition we were in. Usually i can reach KL from my hometown (about 280km?) in 3 hours but it is different in Vietnam. The traffic is hectic with so many motorcycles and they didn't even speeding on highway (which a typical Malaysian always did). So, we need to bear it.
4 1/2 hours for 180km journey.
We reached Can Tho late in the evening and we went out for walk a bit to get something to eat. We did nothing much on our first day.
14th July (Day 2) - Can Tho
We went to private fisheries and take a look at the fish pond (or lake?).
Some of the ikan belida from their ponds. (I don't know the english name for 'belida' fish)
Then we went to CASEAMAX - Can Tho Import Export Seafood Joint Stock Company
I'm telling you, this company is amazing - in terms of their size and efficiency. They produce products like fish fillet, fish steak, rolls, sushi and black tiger prawn. And they export their products to US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, China, Thailand, Singapore and even to Malaysia.
Inside the production building. Amazing number of workers only to cut the raw fish. Not to mention that there are lots of workers at another department as well. *o*
Checking the fish above the UV light to check the presence of parasites. Systematic, aren't they?
Putting the fish inside the frozen machine. It'll froze with -18 degree Celcius in less than 10 minutes.
So, where are all those huge amount of fish comes from? We went to Mekong river to see the site where they culture and rear the fish.
Went inside the boat. Notice that almost every boat in Mekong river has the same design. The eyes. XDD
The fish house in the middle of Mekong river. They put nets surrounding below the house and feed the fish below 2-3 times a day. According to the explanation given to us, there are about 80,000 fishes under each house.
And the bigger fish in the pond.
See that masses of water splashes when the worker feed the fish? I'm not sure how many thousands of fish were there in the pond. I missed the detail, sorry.
We finished visiting the factory and farm early around 3pm and we had our lunch.
Vegetarian dishes, because we can't eat chicken or meat if its not properly chop off the head according to islamic teachings. But the soup is delicious. And twister drink is cheap, around 10,000 vietnam dong, that's RM1.60 = USD0.50. Usually they sell it RM2.20+ here.
Overall cost of my lunch: RM0. Because our lecturer treat us for the lunch. yay!!
Later in the evening, we walk around the town and some of us brought along the laptop to have wifi access at the restaurant. We didn't really eat anything there, just ordered some drinks and dessert.
So, i order chocolate ice cream.
It came with fancy umbrella.
BUT!! It cost 30,000 dong = RM4.50 = USD1.50 just for one scoop of ice cream!!
I mean, damn!! Its only one scoop!! I finished it before i knew how the chocolate ice cream taste like.
I should have order hot choco instead of this thing. TT___TT
It can't be helped because this is one such exclusive restaurant, only tourist and foreigners come here. You won't find normal local people eating here. Anyway, we came here for wifi access, so try to think that i paid USD1.50 for wifi access in 2 hours. *trying to hide her sorrow over the one-ridiculously-expensive-scoop of ice cream*
See? They serve snake set menu for USD7. Some of other restaurants also serve frog leg menu. Ewww...
When we came of from the restaurant, a woman approach us and offer us for the boat ride to cruise along the Mekong river. Again.
We paid RM6 = USD2 per head for 2 hours long journey!! How the hell we gonna find that price again anywhere? Maybe it is cheap because its a small boat for us. Well, it fit enough for 6 person, and no more. XDD
My friend told me that the the bigger boat cost more, around USD5 per ride per head, with life jacket, but we don't have one. It worth the cheap price for risking our life. LOLL.
Along the river, we saw the boat that contains charcoal.
And then the boatman stop by the petrol station in the middle of river to fill the fuel. That's new, at least to me.
Guess what kind of ship is this?
Answer (hover the word for answer please): Its a restaurant!!
Its already dawn when we finished our Mekong boat ride.
That's only for 2 days in Vietnam.
I wonder how long can my entry can be if i write more?
Will continue for the next day of my trip when i feel like writing again.