I am probably the worse blogger ever. I have really not been in the habit and I will try to kick my own rear into gear. Right now I’m writing from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on my return to Hong Kong after my first holiday. I spent over a week in Australia, equally between Sydney and Port Douglas. Sydney was great because I got to see Marcy and Chris, as well as meet some colleagues in the office. Sydney is a truly lovely city, and in some ways, it reminded me a little of Boston. I did find Sydney incredibly expensive but with the best espresso ever. We also had the opportunity to spend a day in Hunter Valley, and did some wine tasting (Napa Valley, better watch your back…) and spent the evening with becky’s friend Sharon in Woi Woi. In Woi Woi, I had the opportunity to get a taste of the local culture by getting into a poker game at a club. I won’t embarass my self publically too much, but I should note that I had been drinking quite a bit of wine all day, and since I didn’t have club-appropriate clubs, I was wearing Sharon’s clothing, including her 3-sizes too big shoes.
After Sydney, we flew to Cairns and then got the shuttle to Port Douglas. Port Dougie in the northeast (in Queensland) is amazing. We did a few day trips, one to the great barrier reef and one to the rainforest. I also had the opportunity to pet a koala and feed kangaroos and wallabies. the Great Barrier Reef is amazing in how incredibly long it is, and while I did see a lot of fish, I can’t say the snorkeling was any better than some other snorkeling i’ve done. However, that isn’t taking anything away from the reef. The coral is amazing and when you put it in perspective and realize just how big the reef is, it’s inspiring. I definitely wish I had a few more days to spend in Port Douglas and would return there in a heart beat. We couldn’t go swimming at the beaches as it’s stinger season, so the timing wasn’t great.
Tonight I arrived in Ho Chi Minh city, and unfortunately all the museums were already closed so I wasn’t able to learn more about the “American War” (what we American’s call the “Vietnam War”), but I hope to definitely return here. I did get to go to the Ben Thanh market, and do a little shopping. I also had Pho Bo at one of the outdoor restaurants next to the markets, and vietnamese iced coffee. What a difference in cost from Australia. For less than $2USD, I had a bottle of water, bowl of delicious noodles, and an iced coffee. In Australia, often my bottled water was more expensive… Ho Chi Minh seems so alive, and vibrant, but I can’t report much as I don’t have too much time here. I certainly look forward to returning.
The bad news of the trip is that I did lose my camera in Port Douglas at the Daintree Ice Cream Company (where one can enjoy many exotic flavors of ice cream). The good news is that the good people of the Daintree got the camera back to Becky, as I had already left to fly to vietnam. So for now there are no pics to share, and there will not be any pics of Scooter-abundant Ho chi minh, but I will post as soon as I can.
Although my vacation is nearly over, I am happy to return home to Hong Kong. It’s good to go home…
