Ana Mandara

As I mentioned in my previous entry, my time in Nha Trang was purely for R&R. It was a welcome break from the often fast pace of sightseeing. Yes I know, the traveling life is hard! (eye-roll, eye-roll) This was also the splurge part of my vacation as I decided to stay at the gorgeous and renowed Ana Mandara resort. I discovered the place earlier this year as it was featured in InStyle magazine. One look at the place and it took my breath away. I'm all about Carpe Diem so ba da bing, ba da boom that's where I just spent the past 4 days lounging on the beach and frequenting the spa. As can be expected I have no pseudo-intellectual insights to share for this portion of my post so I will simply share some photos.

Resort pics:


Outdoor yoga platform:



My guest services officer: Thuy



Room shots:


Private terrace:


My limited venture away from the comforts of my paradise bubble entailed a visit to the gallery of Mr. Long Thanh, Vietnam's prominent photographer. His gallery was highlighted in my travel book where I learned that he is famous for his exclusively black and white photos capturing everyday Vietnamese life. The book also touted the numerous international awards that he has received. Since I adore black and white photography I felt compelled to pay the gallery a visit. Lucky for me Mr. Thanh was there himself and I was the only visitor at the time. It was a great opportunity to talk to him and get a personal tour of his works. He told me that he was first introduced to photography by his uncle but for the most part he taught himself. He was very friendly and proud to show me his work. I found his photos to be powerful, heart-warming and pure. He is an old-school photographer who refuses to use digital or color and was very adamant about that. He is one of those people whom you immediately respect for the pure passion and integrity that he obviously has for his work.

I couldn't leave his gallery without purchasing a print - no way would I pass up the opportunity or the memory! Each print is individually developed by Thanh in his darkroom at the back of his gallery. I selected one of his most famous photos 'Under the Rain' which captures 2 young Vietnamese girls caught in a downpour with a beam of sunlight shining down on them. He told me that the lighting in this picture was rare and perfect which is why he has received so much recognition for it. I was so pleased to have visited his gallery - it was an unexpected treat to have met him!



This morning I decided to get up early in time to see the sunrise on the beach. I am *so* not a morning person but I was determined to get up and take some photos. The morning was breathtaking and so glorious that if I lived here I would most definitely convert myself to join the ranks of those annoyingly cheerful morning people. As expected, the shots never do the reality justice...




Oddly enough, guess who I ran into on the beach at 5:15 in the morning? Mr. Long Thanh! He came to do a shoot at my hotel for some friends. We were happy to see each other and he volunteered to take this photo of me even on my "despised" digital camera. I have come to believe that there is no such thing as random encounters with people and feel that this was more than a serendipitous moment. However sometimes it takes me awhile to figure out what they mean but I'll chew on that for a bit... Thoughts anyone??

Me on the beach, taken by Long Thanh.


Au revoir/tam bee-at Nha Trang and Ana Mandara! Thank you for giving me the perfect calming mental image of which I will undoubtedly revisit in my thoughts!

Sarah and Tyler!

One of the main drivers for my decision to visit Vietnam during this month was that it would coincide nicely with the around-the-world itinerary of my dear friends Sarah and Tyler. They are in the enviable position of taking 7 months off to travel around the world. Their adventures thus far have been meticulously chronicled in their excellent travel blog Strange and Benevolent. We decided to meet up in Nha Trang which is also the completely hedonistic segment of my 2-month Asia tour. Nha Trang is Vietnam's beach town and it reminds me alot of Hawaii. It is truly beautiful with its clear blue waters, offshore islands and surrounding lush hills. The only downside it is has been very rainy but I've still managed to get in decent beach time.

It was so great to catch up with Sarah and Tyler although I feel as though I've almost been on their trip with them by following their fun blog posts. They are nearing the mid-point of their trip so they had many fun stories and insights to share. They are a rare and darling couple and I am so happy and inspired to see them living out their dreams together.



Sunday was Sarah's birthday and we decided to spend the day at Thap Ba Hot Springs.



Similar to many of the activities I've experienced thus far in Vietnam, the springs had a bit of a process to them. It felt like a human car wash where we first intentionally get as filthy as possible. First step in the process, we started by soaking in a big vat of mud - an experience none of us had tried before but happily jumped in. The mud felt great and it was warm and milky. It is said that mineral mud stimulates the nerves under the skin. We delighted in smearing it all over ourselves while Tyler was the most carefree by dipping his head in as well which created a lovely mud mohawk in his hair.


Second step: we quickly rinsed ourselves off and were instructed to stand in the middle of 2 rock walls for a high-pressure wash.



We like the high-pressure wash!!

Third step: go soak in a hot tub which was similar in shape to the mud tub but filled with steaming hot (40 deg C) mineral water.

Fourth step: stand underneath a mini-waterfall.

Fifth step: jump in for a swim in a large pool of hot mineral water.



Next, Tyler wanted to get a massage to relieve the pent up tension in his back so Sarah and I gladly decided to join him. The Vietnamese massage is very different than the massages I get at home. The masseuse is generally very very petite as most Vietnamese women are - so petite that at a mere 5'4" I actually feel tall here. Sarah and I were in the same room together and her masseuse busted out into song singing along with the traditional music piping into our room. It took everything in me to hold myself together and I only let out 2 shudders of laughter without going into my infamous uncontrollable giggle fits. Our masseuses sat on us, walked on us, cracked our necks and pounded on our heads which may not sound pleasant but actually felt great. Not bad for only 70,000 dong ($4).

After getting pampered at the Springs, we headed back to quickly shower before more pampering at my hotel spa where I treated Sarah to a birthday pedicure.

We all thoroughly enjoyed Sarah's birthday!

Cooking meat and veggies at our table for Sarah's birthday dinner:


Stopping for dessert at the boulangerie:

Charming Hoi An

Diana and I left Saigon on Monday morning and took a quick flight up to Danang which is the closest airport to Hoi An. The drive to Hoi An was a short 40 min. As we drove into the town I quickly noticed the difference between the frenetic pace of Saigon vs Hoi An's sleepy and quiet feel. The town was more rural than I envisioned it to be but that does not mean to say it disappointed. I found Hoi An to be an extremely charming town with friendly people and endless rows of interesting shops and sights to peruse. The town has a population of about 76,000 and it is said to be one of the most charming and cultural spots to visit along the coast. It is easy to see why and I found it very easy to spend 5 full days here.

We were pretty lucky in our random selection of hotels as ours was right in the city center complete with pool, spa, travel center and outstanding breakfast where we indulged in eating dairy again (pretty non-existent in Korean food). For all that we got, the rates were surprisingly cheap @ $40/night.

Hoi An Hotel:

Some images around Hoi An:

Hoi An is famous for their tailors and many tourists come here to get custom clothing made at very affordable prices. Not surprisingly, I was very excited about partaking in this experience. However, a lesson learned is that in order to maximize your experience with the tailors, it is best to be very specific about what it is that you want made. Many of the tailors have stacks and stacks of fashion books that you can peruse but many of their styles are outdated. Therefore it is best to bring photos of the clothing you would like made and to be very clear about color and fabric. Unfortunately I did not take the time prior to the trip to do this (kicking myself now) but Diana did. So I ended up capitilizing on her effort (thanks Diana!!) and chose a few styles that she had picked out.

The end-to-end process is unique and fun - I highly recommend it to anyone who visits Hoi An. You are immediately greeted by a personal sales assistant who consults with you on your desired design and fabric and then provides a price quote. Once agreed upon, she takes very detailed measurements of your figure. The shop that we chose (Yaly, 47 Nguyen Thai Hoc) had a "high-tech" human grid where they take your photo standing face-forward, sideways and back-forward. They instucted us to return in 1 day for our first fitting. In general, the process involves 2-3 fittings total over several days depending on the complexity and volume of your order. I decided on 1 dress and 2 tops. Overall I am pleased with the outcome based on the amount of effort I put into it. I'll show and tell when I get home!

Our sales consultants 'Alice' and 'Jane':

Standing in the Yaly shop:

Another fun activity that we participated in was a cooking class at the Red Bridge Cooking School. The course was a half-day program where we started bright and early by meeting up at a nearby cafe for a breakfast drink. Our group comprised of about 27 people with the majority from Australia, a woman from Israel and several Americans. It was fun to meet other travelers and our smaller group included a gal from San Francisco and another from Seattle!

Touring the local market in Hoi An:

New friends Kyoko and Anabelle:

The 'Red Bridge' at the cooking school:

Our sardonic yet entertaining cooking instructor. His vocal intonation was exactly how Howard Cosell would sound with a Vietnamese accent:

At our cooking stations:

Enjoying lunch!

Menu comprised of:

Warm squid salad in half pineapple

Vietnamese eggplant in clay pot

Fresh rice paper rolls of shrimp

Hoi An pancakes

Steamed ocean fish on a bed of fresh vegetables

We spent another half-day touring the ancient ruins of My Son (pronounced Mee Son) which is 45 km west of Hoi An. My Son is one of Vietnam's most ancient monuments (late 4th century) and was declared a World Heritage sight by UNESCO in 1999. It is small in comparison to the temples of Angkor Wat and much of it was destroyed in the recent Vietnam War. The ruins are definitely worth seeing however they would have been much more appreciated in non-scorching temperatures. We were withering in the heat on this day!

Our guide having fun explaining the fertility stone:

Our last day in Hoi An and we have shamefully not seen the beach yet so we hired 2 cyclos to take us there and back (~3 miles). The ride was fun but I couldn't help feeling a little weird and guilty to be shuttled around at the expense of alot of energy exerted by our petite drivers. I often have moments of guilt as a tourist especially in countries where there is so much poverty. While I realize that the tourism is helping to boost their economy I still feel bad at the inequality that life has seemed to deal to people. However, it is simply a matter of personal perspective isn't it? When I was in Saigon, I commented to Gloria how despite the poverty people in general seem to be happy and positive. It is a surface observation on my part but it is a sense you get when you visit a place. For example when I visited the Soviet Union in the late 80's I definitely felt a distinct feeling of grimness without a hint of vitality for life. It was apparent in people's expressions and the overall lack of energy felt. This is not how Vietnam feels at all. While the people work very hard mainly in tireless labor intensive jobs, they seem happy and optimistic. There is an energy of vitality here. I wouldn't be surprised if their life situation allows them to focus on the present moment. We in America seem to be continuously brooding over the past or worrying about how to prepare for what's next. It's ironic how many (self included) are turning to practices like yoga and meditation to help us focus on the now! I recently read a study where America reportedly had the most unhappy population. I take these studies with a grain of salt but it certainly didn't surprise me. Hopefully the price to be paid for progress will not also equate to a loss of cultural vitality for Vietnam.

A shot of my cyclo driver:

At the beach:

Last note:

I had an interesting conversation with my taxi driver on my way back to Danang. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk one on one with a local. As many Americans must feel, it is a bit awkward to bring up the subject of the war even though many of us want to talk about it. His parents were both Communist soldiers during the war. He offered a great perspective and said that they like many others do not hold much resentment about the war. While yes it was horrible it does not do anyone any good to harbor bitterness about the past. What happened happened and we cannot change it. I had heard this same sentiment from several friends who have recently visited Vietnam but it is still good to hear it from a local.