My B.I.N.D trip to Vietnam

An introduction to Vietnam;

Vietnam, officially called the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is a communist country located at the easternmost part of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. With an estimated population of over 90 million, it ranks as the world's 13th most populated country and 8th most populated country in Asia. The country is surrounded by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and Malaysia across the South China Sea to the southeast. The capital city of Vietnam has been Hanoi ever since the reunification of North and South Vietnam in 1976.

Mekong River, Vietnam

The Mekong river was the first place we went to upon our arrival in Vietnam. The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia. It is the 12th-longest river in the world and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,350 km, and it drains an area of 795,000 kilometer square, discharging 457 kilometer cube of water annually. From the Tibetan Plateau the river runs through 6 countries which includes China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In 1995, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam established the Mekong River Commission to assist in the management and coordinated use of the Mekong's resources. In 1996 China and Myanmar (Burma) became "dialogue partners" of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the six countries now work together within a cooperative framework. The Mekong river empties itself into the sea at he Mekong Delta.

The Mekong River.

The Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam is a vast maze of rivers, swamps and islands, home to floating markets, pagodas and villages surrounded by rice paddies. Boats are the main means of transportation to get around on the river. The Mekong Delta, also known as the Western Region or the South-western region is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of different distributions. The Mekong delta region occupies a large portion of southwestern Vietnam of 39,000 square kilometres. The size of the area covered by water depends on the season. The Mekong Delta has been dubbed as a "biological treasure trove". Over 1,000 animal species were found between 1997 and 2007 and new species of plants, fish, reptile lizards, and mammals has been discovered in previously unexplored areas.

Phong Dien floating market.

Floating markets, house boats,villages and factories are a common sight in the Mekong river delta. Locals sell their agriculture products for a living on open roof sampans.

Cai Rang floating market.

These types of decals on wooden boats are a very common sight in the Mekong Delta.

Upon arrival at the Mekong Delta, we went to a hotel/ home stay called:Hotel Sao Mai Cai Be. Its wasn't the biggest hotel we've been to but while it lacked in size, it made up for in its hospitality to its guests and residence of the hotel. The rooms were quite spacious, the shower has a hot and clod function and best of all, there was working internet connection there. 

The marble steps of the hotel that leads to the rooms.

The view of the Mekong river delta from the second floor of the hotel.

Ho Chi Minh City

After about 1 and a half nights, we booked out of  the hotel and headed to the most well known city in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City, formerly named and still also referred to as Saigon , is the largest city in Vietnam.It is a city in southern Vietnam famous for the pivotal role it played in the Vietnam War. It's also known for its French colonial architecture, including Notre-Dame Basilica, made entirely of materials imported from France, and the neoclassical Saigon Central Post Office. Food stalls line the city’s streets, especially around bustling Ben Thanh Market.

Ho Chi Minh City at night.

Upon arrival at Ho Chi Minh City, we went shopping at a market called Ben Thanh Market. Ben Thanh is firstly well-known as the place for real Vietnamese food. There a number of vendors and food stalls in the market food section that offers guests dishes freshly made to the order. Here, one can taste various kinds of local dishes. In the evening, while all stalls inside the market are closed, sidewalk restaurants around the market open and make it extraordinary lively area. One of the most recommended foods by tourists is deep fried whole fish, so remember to try it at least once when you dine here. Besides goods for daily use, tourists can find here variety of eye-catching local handicrafts, souvenirs. Just pick up some cute fridge magnets or delicate small pieces of lacquer, one has got small gifts for friends and family at home or something to remind him/her about the trip to Ho Chi Minh city. 

The entrance to Ben Thanh Market.

After and hour or so spending time shopping at the market, we travelled on foot to our hotel where we would be spending the rest of our time in Vietnam. The hotel itself looks clean and tidy and the lobby has the looks of a V.I.P lounge in my opinion. The rooms were spacious, clean and well looked after by the hotel management team.

The front of the hotel at night.

A picture of how the rooms looks like in the hotel.

Cu Chi Tunnels

The next day, we went to visit the Cu Chi tunnels. The tunnels of Cu Chi are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The Cu Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the Vietnam War, and were the Viet Cong's base of operations for the war in 1968. The tunnels were used by Viet Cong soldiers as hiding spots during combat, as well as serving as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous North Vietnamese fighters. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong in their resistance to American forces, and helped to counter the growing American military effort.

A cartoon side view of the Cu Chi tunnels.

A guide show a secret way to enter the tunnels.

The inside of the Cu Chi tunnels.

War Remnants Museum

On the last day of our trip to Vietnam, we visited a war museum to learn more about the Vietnamese war and what took place during it. Formerly the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, the War Remnants Museum is consistently popular with Western tourists. Few museums anywhere convey the brutality of war and its civilian victims. Many of the atrocities documented here were well-publicised but rarely do Westerners hear the victims of US military action tell their own stories. US armoured vehicles, artillery pieces, bombs and infantry weapons are on display outside. One corner of the grounds is devoted to the notorious French and South Vietnamese prisons on several Islands. Artefacts include that most iconic of French appliances, the guillotine, and the notoriously inhumane ‘tiger cages’ used to house Viet Cong prisoners.

Summary of my trip

We got ready to go back to Singapore after we've visited the museum to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. This trip was a very meaningful one as it taught us that war is never the answer to anything as it affects a lot of people, their lives and their families. 

 Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

A Trip to My Home Country

An introduction to Myanmar:

Myanmar also known as Burma, is one of those countries that seem to have been favoured by nature. It has been described as the Golden Land, an eastern paradise of untouched natural scenery. But of course, everyone knows no country on earth is a real paradise and for all its wealth in nature, Myanmar is not among the richest of countries of the world today. Myanmar is an extremely exquisite country home to people of many different races and culture. It ranges from the Burmese People,who form the biggest racial group,that the name of the country is derived from and to major ethnic groups including; Karen, Kachin, Chin, Mon, Shan, Arakanese, Naga and Wa. There are more than 135 different ethnic groups in Burma, each with its own history, culture and language. The majority Burmese (Burma) ethnic group makes up about two-thirds of the population and controls the military and the government. The minority ethnic nationalities, making up the remaining one-third, live mainly in the resource-rich border areas and hills of  Myanmar, although many have been forcibly removed from their homes by the military-backed government as it confiscates land for development projects and resource exploitation. As a result, millions of people from these minority groups have become internally displaced people (IDPs) within Burma, or refugees in neighbouring countries.

A chart on the different ethnic groups in Myanmar. 

The old Myanmar Flag.

The new Myanmar Flag.

Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon also known as Rangoon, is another city in Myanmar which used to be the capital city until the military government relocated the capital to Naypyidaw in March of 2006. Yangon is the largest city in Myanmar with a population of over five million as it is the most important commercial centre in the whole of Myanmar. Although Yangon is not the most developed of cities in Southeast Asia, it is home to the largest number of colonial buildings in the Myanmar region today. Although both Myanmar and Yangon are adapting to the ever changing world, there will always be a piece of the past somewhere in the Yangon Region. One of  the most iconic landmarks in Yangon has to be the Shwedagon Pagoda.

Shwedagon Pagoda

The Shwedagon, also known as the Great Dagon Pagoda and the Golden Pagoda, is a gilded stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. It is a gargantuan 99 meters tall and it dominates the Yangon skyline. Out of the top 3 most noble and powerful pagodas in Myanmar, which includes the Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, Mahamuni Pagoda and the Shwedagon Pogoda, the Shwedagon Pagoda comes out top in the whole of Myanmar. The Shwedagon Pagoda is believed to contain 4 relics of the previous Buddhas of the present kalpa. Generally speaking, a kalpa is the period of time between the creation and recreation of a world or universe. 

The noble Shwedagon Pagoda at night.

An anatomy of the Shwedagon Pagoda.

Fun Fact:While the Shwedagon Pagoda is gilded in a thin layer of gold, it also has jewels from its umbrella crown up all the way to the diamond bud. (You'll see why it is call that in a picture later on.)  The jewels are and can be donated by the Burmese public at anytime. 

The umbrella crown is what holds the vane and the diamond bud. This is the 3rd most highest point of the pagoda.

The vane of the pagoda is riddled with precious gems and stones.
This is the 2nd most highest point of the pagoda.

This is the diamond bud of the pagoda. This the highest point of the pagoda.

Upon a close up of the diamond bud, a 76 carat diamond can be seen on the very top of the pagoda. Hence, that is how the diamond bud got its name.

Mandalay, Myanmar.

Another place that I went to during my trip to my home country was a city called Mandalay. Mandalay is the 2nd largest city behind Yangon and is the last royal capital city of Myanmar and it is located about 700 kilometers north of Yangon and has a population of just over 1.2 million. Mandalay is the economic hub of Upper Burma and considered the centre of Burmese culture. A contains a mix of Chinese immigrants, mostly from Yunnan, China and Burmese citizens. It has made an impact in Myanmar's ethnic diversity in Mandalay because of an increased commerce with Chinese immigrants. Despite Naypyidaw's rise to fame as the current capital of Myanmar, Mandalay remains upper Burma's main commercial, education and health centre.

A street view of Mandalay, near its city's train station.

Mandalay is well known for it role in the colonial days as the place where the last king of Myanmar stayed.  King Mindon was Burma's last known King and he chose Mandalay as his home and built his palace there. It is know today as Mandalay Palace where King Mindon passed on and was buried. His tomb still remains at the palace till his this day.

King Mindon Min

Mindon Min was the penultimate king of Burma (Myanmar) from 1853 to 1878. He was one of the most popular and revered kings of Burma. Under his half brother King Pagan, the Second Anglo-Burmese War in 1852 ended with the annexation of Lower Burma by the British Empire. Mindon and his younger brother Kanaung overthrew their half brother King Pagan. He spent most of his reign trying to defend the upper portion of his country from British encroachments, and to modernize his kingdom.

A statue of King Mindon in Mandalay.

The Mandalay Palace

The Mandalay Palace, located in Mandalay, Myanmar, is the last royal palace of the last Burmese monarchy. The palace was constructed, between 1857 and 1859 as part of King Mindon's founding of the new royal capital city of Mandalay. The plan of Mandalay Palace largely follows the traditional Burmese palace design, inside a walled fort surrounded by a moat. The palace itself is at the centre of the citadel and faces east. All buildings of the palace are of one storey in height. The number of spires above a building indicated the importance of the area below.

The Mandalay Palace Grounds.

A bastion at the Palace Wall.

Mahamuni Buddha Temple

Another well know and liked place in Mandalay is the Mahamuni Buddha Temple. The Mahamuni Buddha Temple also called the (Mahamuni Pagoda) is a scared Buddhist temple and major pilgrimage site, located southwest of Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar). The Mahamuni Buddha image (literal meaning: The Great Sage) is deified in this temple, and originally came from Arakan. It is highly venerated in Burma and central to many people's lives, as it is seen as an expression of representing the Buddha's life.

A frontal view of the Mahamuni Buddha.

Summary of my trip 

A visit to one's home country and town can never be dull and boring. I mean its your home where you grew born and grew up how could it be boring? Anyways, it was the first time I went to Mandalay for me and I was en absolute eye opener. I got to know and learn more about my country's king and even had the chance to go to where my king used to lived. I would say that I am a bit smarter with my new found knowledge that I was able to witness and learn hands on and not finding out the answer on 's some website, where's the fun in that? Not being biased here but if I were to be given a chance to stay in my home country for the rest of my time, I wouldn't hesitate to say no.

*I'm sorry for the part on Mandalay for not being too detailed and short. I was really on time constraint as I was taking too long for on my first post since this is the very first time I've ever done a blog. 

My Trip to the Chiang Mai Province, Thailand

Chiang Mai is located in the most Northern part of Thailand and is an escape from the whirlwind pace of life of its southern counterpart. Despite the buzzing of planes and trains full of sightseers and tourists, this area in the Kingdom of Thailand is blissfully calm and laid-back. This is a place of  relaxation to recharge your batteries with culturally ethnic food or if you so choose, exploring leisurely without any worry. If you don't want to participate in the vast array of activities at your fingertips, just stroll around the streets, gleaming with nightlife, and discover a city that is still firmly Thai in its aspect, atmosphere, and attitude.

Nightlife in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai's nightlife can be whatever you want it to be, the city offers a variety of nightlife activities like live music. Having dinner by the riverside whilst being serenaded by a live band  is a common activity in Chiang Mai. The genres includes music like: blues, jazz and rock tunes – a hallmark of any Chiang Mai visit.

Nightlife in Chiang Mai

Nightlife in Chiang Mai

Pictures of interests in Chiang Mai

     

Temples of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is well known for its significance in Buddhist temples. It's a common occurrence  to see a buddhist temple along every street or so,  If there isn't, its probably quite far apart from each other but only by a few kilometers maybe less than 5 kilometers at most. Some temples are iconic to Chiang Mai that if you think about that temple, you'll definitely think about Chiang Mai. An example is the Wat Rong Khun.

Wat Rong Khun

Thailand's and Chiang Mai's most iconic and most unique (in my opinion) temple, Wat Rong Khun. The gleaming and shimmering temple is ridden with tiny mirror that makes the temples looks as if really sparkling but we know its just the sun reflecting off the mirrors which is jaw dropping and awe inspiring. To add to the already stunning temple is the snow white paint that is all over the temple's exterior making the whole temple look like something out of the heavens. This temple is truly a marvel of  Thailand and Chiang Mai.

The gleaming white temple of  Wat Rong Khun

Cross the gleaming bridge into the temple.

A demon guardian over looks you as you make your way to the realm of the temple.

The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle is another well known area in the Chiang Mai province. The Golden Triangle is one of Asia's two main opium-producing areas. It is an area of around 950,000 square kilometers (367,000 sq mi) that overlaps the mountains of three countries of Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. Most of the world's heroin came from the Golden Triangle until the early 21st century when Afghanistan became the world's largest producer. The Golden Triangle designates the confluence of the Ruak River and the Mekong River, since the term has been appropriated by the Thai tourist industry to describe the nearby border tripoint of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

Pictures of interest in the Golden Triangle

An indication of the countries in the Golden Triangle

The confluence of the Mekong and the Ruak in the dry season: the foreground is Thailand, the sandbar is Myanmar and the opposite bank is Laos.

Buddha statue next to the Mekong river

The treasure ship the Buddha is seated on

The valley of the Hall of Opium

Summery of my trip.

My experience in Chiang Mai had been wonderful and superb. Chiang Mai is such a exquisite and gorgeous city filled with ancient temples. Its a dazzling city that is vivacious, especially at night. All in all, if  I was given the chance to visit Chiang Mai again, I would jump at the chance without and hesitations.