Author Topic: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)  (Read 51168 times)

Offline Suave

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #80 on: July 07, 2015, 02:25:10 PM »
Great report!! Looks like you had way more fun than me in Cambodia and Qatar
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Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #81 on: July 07, 2015, 03:59:19 PM »
I appreciate the manner you used in your response .
let cooler heads prevail

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #82 on: July 07, 2015, 03:59:52 PM »
You need a professional program for that like Adobe Premier Pro

aint got no time for that...

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #83 on: July 07, 2015, 04:02:28 PM »
Curious Question why did you turn down the elephant rides?
because i had done it already in thailand and it wasnt a particularly fun experience for me. i was by myself so felt no need.

as it turns out, i would go a year later in bali, but only because my kids wanted to. still wasnt fun

i must admit though, it does make for a great photo

Offline Tzadik Nistar

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #84 on: July 07, 2015, 08:02:07 PM »
Dan discussed last weak about featuring ddf tr on MS
I vote for this one

Offline TimT

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #85 on: July 07, 2015, 08:06:21 PM »
Dan discussed last weak about featuring ddf tr on MS
I vote for this one
Add it to the wiki
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=53320.0

Online tzifanya54

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #86 on: July 07, 2015, 11:28:24 PM »
Amazing trip report.

Offline damaxer91

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #87 on: July 07, 2015, 11:33:41 PM »
Fantastic TR!!

Curious Question why did you turn down the elephant rides?

Elephant rides look like fun but in reality are really not enjoyable

Offline yhaller14

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #88 on: July 08, 2015, 12:29:21 AM »
Amazing tr
"In the end we only regret the chances we didn't take"

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #89 on: July 08, 2015, 06:26:21 AM »
Dan discussed last weak about featuring ddf tr on MS
I vote for this one
i'm flattered, but no thanks

Online tzifanya54

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #90 on: July 08, 2015, 07:48:59 PM »
i'm flattered, but no thanks
Just curious, why not?

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #91 on: July 09, 2015, 10:11:24 AM »
After a one hour flight on Thursday evening, I arrived in…


Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

A Vietnam visa can be obtained at the airport, but to minimize any sort of delay, I got mine beforehand in Tel Aviv when I was already there for a different reason. There is usually an additional fee to get it done on the spot but I convinced them to waive the fee since I was a student.

I took a taxi to my hotel, the Park Hyatt Saigon which took forever. HCMC has some real traffic issues.

Prior to my arrival I had received the typical welcome email but I recognized the name of the Front Office Manager. Turns out he used to work at the PH Sydney when I was there 2 years prior and was very accommodating to us. We recognized each other and I was upgraded to a suite (might also have something to do with the fact that the night was booked out of a diamond account). He also offered me a complimentary city tour, but I turned it down.





There is something about this property that rubbed me the right away that I can’t put my finger on. It just felt warm and inviting and I really enjoyed my stay. I’ve stayed in many Park Hyatts to date (http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=17773.msg792938#msg792938) and it’s towards the top of the list of my most favorite ones. Certainly an awesome value for an anniversary night.




« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:17:14 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #92 on: July 09, 2015, 10:11:34 AM »






Welcome drink

« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:18:03 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #93 on: July 09, 2015, 10:11:44 AM »
I then headed out to the local Chabad for some dinner. As I walked in I realized that I knew the rabbi quite well from my time in Israel as a bachur. It then came back to me that he had told me 10 years earlier that he was going to become the rabbi in Vietnam but I hadn’t put two and two together. Anyways, he’s a really nice guy and deserves a nice donation.

After dinner I decided to take a nice evening stroll and to get a look at the city. During my excursion, I took a ride on someone’s motorbike. Long story short, there was some sort of miscommunication and we got into a heated argument about I believe 300,000 Dong. After some intense back and forth, he pulled a screwdriver on me. It was at that point I realized I’d rather part with $15 than get killed or seriously injured.

I said, “OK here take the money” and he quickly put it in his pocket. He then said “now give me the rest.” I didn’t know what he was talking about and he proceeded to pull my money out of his pocket, only this time, instead of there being a 200,000 Dong bill, it was a 20,000 bill. Now, I had done my research to know about this popular scam. I was bigger than him and I assume stronger than him, the only advantage he had was that he seemed crazier than I. But enough was enough, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I made myself big (like what you are supposed to do when encountering a mountain lion) and starting yelling - I was ready to go. He realized the jig was up and took off.

The next morning I had enough from the previous night and decided to walk around. My first stop was the Ben Thanh market passing City Hall along the way. There wasn’t much to see/do there and I didn’t stay long. They did however have Kopi Luwak at a pretty cheap price (~$16/lb) and some interesting Pringles flavors.

City Hall







« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:20:22 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #94 on: July 09, 2015, 10:11:52 AM »
Next, I walked to the Reunification Palace, which was South Vietnam’s presidential palace.



Tangled mess of electrical wires





« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:21:12 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #95 on: July 09, 2015, 10:11:59 AM »
It is left untouched from the time before Saigon fell. The basement is full of maps and communication equipment that was left exactly how it was found when the North took over.







President’s war room

« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:21:59 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #96 on: July 09, 2015, 10:12:09 AM »




I then walked to the War Remnants Museum.




« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:22:54 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #97 on: July 09, 2015, 10:12:17 AM »
I hope they're not on the way to the local restaurant





« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:24:12 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #98 on: July 09, 2015, 10:12:25 AM »
Previously called the "Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes" and then the “Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression” before the normalization of relations with the U.S., this museum documents the various ‘war crimes’ committed during the Vietnam War, known locally as the American War.  It houses captured American armor including planes, tanks, gunboats, howitzers etc. and ammunition.








« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:25:19 AM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Hopping Around Asia (Mostly)
« Reply #99 on: July 09, 2015, 10:12:33 AM »







« Last Edit: July 09, 2015, 10:25:53 AM by moish »