This is awesome

A guy named Rory who runs a bar on Phu Quoc Island was telling my Australian counterparts and I about this fine lady. This would be an article about his mom actually. Rory was a super, super nice chap. He also had some great food at his bar too.

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A few missed photos from Phu Quoc

Here are a few shots I may not have loaded from my Phu Quoc adventure as well.

 I will also give an overall report of my experiences later this weekend as well.

                                      I am already missing this coffee

                                       The food at this place was always good (the resort that is)

                                        Sunset on the last day in Phu Quoc

                                                Beer, book, beach, three Bs

                     Each resort/hotel seemed to have had their own family of pups.
                  Usually there were three of them. This was kind of like the Momma dog I think.

                                      I got this one at the last moment of the young pup

                                           Aussie Burger was awesome (ate it twice )

                                          This is where I stayed in Phu Quoc

                                           Hammock at the Phu Quoc Airport (not even used right)

Random shots from various places (Ho Chi Min)

Here are a few pictures that I failed to add on here due to their location or perhaps due to my laziness. 

                                                 Malaysian Food (I didn't like it too much)

                                                A cool art piece

                                             Exhibition at the Ho Chi Min Art Museum

                                               Happy, the Shoeshine guy

                                                  the wonderful Ruby River Hotel

These guys were bustin their's to find me a taxi to the airport

                                               Post Office (next three shots)

Recovery

Due to that lovely red eye flight that I took in the wee hours of morning, my body is a little clueless right now. I slept really well on the plane, as well as the bus ride. I even came home and got a good nap in, after I arrived in Daegu. Only bad part of the nap was that I was still on Vietnam time, and I slept through a lunch date with a good friend of mine. She was very kind and forgiving about the matter though, which I am grateful for.

More photos will come tomorrow. I'll throw up some highlights that may have been left out of other previous posts.

Phone got jacked

So yesterday my phone got jacked by a lady boy. Said lady boy must have been watching me walk to the hotel from the park area. Lady boy came up to me and started grabbing my junk, and I did a spin move to get her (it) off of me. Then Lady boy came back and did it again, and at that moment seemed to have taken my phone out of my pocket at the same time. I didn't realize this until I got to my hotel later about ten minutes later or so. I received an audience from quite a few people at the park today when I narrated this fun story. I was a little embarrassed, but wildly enough the phone wasn't turned off until the Korean phone company did it themselves.

I could have been pretty angry about the situation but I didn't want it to ruin my last day with some great people.

Last night in Ho Chi Min City

It's been a bittersweet day, for a few reasons. I got my phone ripped out of my pocked last night. I'll explain that story later though.

Anyway, I spent most of my day packing, walking, walking some more, eating, walking, and hanging out with my new friends. I will dearly miss these fine folks, and their eagerness to be better speakers of the English language.

These people were full of life, and just surrounded me at times, ready to listen to my stories, or pick up new words.

Many of us even enjoyed street food the last three nights. Street food is really cheap, and some foreigners tend to avoid it altogether, but I found it satisfying. It wasn't exactly too filling, but I'd take it over Korean street food any day of the week. Here are a few pictures at least. I got a few on my IPOD as well, but I gotta board a red eye soon. I'll update things more tomorrow.

                                          Notre Dame Cathedral - great place

                    Some of these people have entertained me, and become great friends this week

           Gotta get a red towel shot in there.

Pho 2000

So back in the day, (year 2000, that is), this guy named Bill Clinton came to Vietnam. Well it seems our boy Bill had some Pho 2000 noodles with the family while in HCMC. The food was average compared to some of the stuff I ate back on the island. However, it President Bill was there once, then I needed to make an appearance also. Just no red carpet. Only a few Korean girls chatting away right underneath his picture in a corner of the restaurant. I probably got some funny looks for taking these pictures.

Some highlight from a Mekong Delta boat ride

As the world turned yesterday, the Tower had a few learning experiences in this game called Life. First of all, always ask the motorbike driver how much you are going to pay for lunch, and a "private" boat ride. Goodness freakin' gracious. I should have taken a hotel tour instead. I thought I would be nice and give this guy a little income and I paid five or six times than a person should have paid for the whole tour itself. I was highly upset with myself and the motorbike driver for not really explaining anything before hand. 

I did enjoy my little bit of a ride though. I was a little rushed, since the Mr. Don, the driver wanted to start a little later than I did. Anyway, you live, you learn. The lunch was very delicious, the ride on the river was peaceful, and the 160k worth of motorbike riding was tiring.

Steamed Elephant-ear fish

                                         Some boats on the river

                                         For 50 USD you can eat this guy or his friends

                                                 Crocs

                                         

                                        Kids playing in the rain, in the river

                                                   Enjoying the boat ride

                 Visiting Coconut Island, where there is a big Buddhist shrine to some dude who claimed to be Buddha. Along with having nine wives, the guy had seven dragon-looking things built too.

Teaching in HCMC

I have a few things to blog about this evening. I'm gonna start with the last thing first, since it was the most pleasant, and positive part of the day. I joined some of the younger people (young adults/college folk) for a little lesson in English. Actually it was just conversation practice for them first, and then they requested I teach them some idioms, words, etc. I explained to them the concept of "Investing in People". At various times, I was asked to write in little note pads what the words or phrases we were discussing. We were even visited by a cute little six year old girl, who walked up to me and said "I would like practice my English with you." That took me by surprise but I was very proud to see the confidence in her. Thanks to a few of these folks, I attempted real street food in Vietnam. I was able to conquer it, though it was a little on the light side. For dessert we walked into Circle K and had some ice cream out of the little machine that maybe cost a whole 30 cents. I'll post about the two earlier events sometime tomorrow. Enjoy these fun pictures. 

                                       Some of the young and eager students

                                      This little angel was soakin' up the attention

                                              This fella' reminds me of a Korean friend

                           The taller one is the confident kid that started conversing with me this evening

Cu Chi Tunnels

Early this morning I took a tour to a place known as the Cu Chi Tunnels.

Here is a great Wikipedia Link to help you understand a little more.

Cu Chi

Here are a few pictures as well from the fun activity.

                                        We watched a movie in here

                                     These new two pics are traps set for killing Americans

                                     Tunnel with demonstrations below (a little small)

                                               on a good 'ole American tank

                                               With my Singapore friend

                                             Walking through the tunnel

                                                 This was giving me vertigo

                                            We had to walk like this at times (sorry Eileen for the pic)