In December of 2010, I boarded an airplane for Singapore and adventure.  Steph flew up from Australia to meet me at the Singapore airport.  From there we proceeded to venture to Indonesia and Malaysia before flying to Vietnam where we met up with her friends from Vancouver including Adrienne, Yang, and Nhung.  We spent the next week wandering around Vietnam before I had to hop a quick flight back to America.

 

Sunset on Halong Bay, Vietnam

Heading to Southeast Asia

• Tokyo Transfer – My flight from Tokyo to Singapore was canceled.  The airline bused me and the other passengers across Tokyo at rush hour to another airport to catch a different flight.

Singapore So Fast it Made My Head Spin

• Singapore Daydream – A day in Singapore with Steph on the way to Indonesia.

 

Heading across the Singapore Straight to Indonesia

Indonesia Overnight

• Ferry to Indonesia – We boarded a ferry for Indonesia.  The boat threaded its way through massive cargo ships and tankers on its way to a much more primitive place than the modern skyscrapers of Singapore.
• Afternoon and Evening in Tanjung Pinang Along the Coastal Road – A beautiful seaside road and a beautiful view made for a great time.
• An Indonesian View from the Hotel – The view from the hotel proves interesting.
• Hollywood in Tanjung Pinang – The sign atop the hill by the harbor is reminiscent of the sign found in Hollywood.
• Taxi Ride to the Temple – An exciting ride to a temple outside town.
• Banyan Tree Temple – A banyan tree is slowly growing around and over this old Buddhist temple.
• Buddhist Temple – A more modern Buddhist temple.
• Tanjung Uban-Chinese Temple – A massive brand new temple on the outskirts of town with some extremely large statues.
• Taxi Ride Back to the City – On the way back to the city we saw many interesting motorbikes with many interesting people and various cargo.
• An Indonesian Madrasa – Cute little kids at the local madrasa.
• Lunch in Tanjung Pinang – An interesting spaghetti and meat concoction was consumed.
• The Tanjung Pinang Central Market – We strolled through the central market and saw all manner of things for sale.
• World War II Memorial – Even Tanjung Pinang was involved in World War II.
• Waiting for the Boat to Singapore – We had a few minutes to kill by the waterfront waiting for the boat to Singapore.

 

Steph along a canal in Malacca

Malaysia Mayhem

• Around Town in Malacca – After an overnight bus ride from Singapore, we wandered the streets of Malacca taking in the sights.
• The Canals of Malacca – The city is built around an old network of canals and a river.
• Dutch Square and Around – Some interesting buildings around the old Dutch Square.
• The Wild Bikes of Malacca – In the tourist areas of Malacca, bicycles can be found roaming the streets decked out in flowers and with bumping bass.
• Old Riverfront Fort – An old fort used for hundreds of years by the colonial powers to project force into Malaysia.
• Melaka Malay Sultanate Water Wheel – A huge water wheel along the river.
• Maritime Museum in Malacca – A replica Portuguese ship is the crown jewel of this ship-themed place.
• Trains and Planes in a Park – We found an odd assortment of trains and planes in a random park.
• A Famosa – The old Portuguese fort gave way to the old Dutch fort that gave way to the old British fortifications.
• Makam Hang Jebat Mausoleum – An out of the way mausoleum on a side street of Malacca.
• A Snack and Lunch in Malacca – We found a really yummy Indian food place.
• Mr. Universe, Mr. Asia, Mr. Malaysia, Mr. Melaka – This body builder is a home-town hero.

Vibrant Northern Vietnam

Hanoi Hijinks

• Hanoi Shambling – We hit the streets in Hanoi to see what there is to see in this city.
• Thang Long Royal Citadel – Long a place of power for Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh himself commanded the effort during the American troubles from here.
• The Forlorn Swan Boats of Truc Bach Lake – Creepy swan paddle boats clustered together for warmth on a cold December day along the lake.
• The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and Around – The leader of Vietnam now rests in a big mausoleum for all to see.
• Hanoi Traffic – The traffic in Hanoi is intense no matter what time of day or night.
• Vietnam Telecom – I do not envy the linemen and telecommunications specialists in Vietnam.  How on earth do they tell what wire goes where?

 

Steph and me at a cave in Halong Bay

Halong Bay Boating

• On the Way to Halong Bay – We saw several interesting things on the way to Halong Bay including a factory sweatshop pumping out tourist goods and a train.
• Heading Out to Halong Bay – Little boats take tourists out to larger faux-junks that then motor out into Halong Bay.
• Cruising on Halong Bay – The waters are magical and the cliffs are high as we move into Halong Bay and all of the mysteries it holds.
• Sung Sot Cave – A massive limestone cave was visited, monkeys were spotted, and my oh my is Halong Bay gorgeous.
• Titov Island – We were just in time to watch the sun sink behind the islands of Halong Bay and watch the tourist junks moor in the cove for the night.
• Twilight on Halong Bay – After the sun goes down, the sky just gets more and more beautiful.
• Kayaking on Halong Bay – Morning brought a new adventure as we hit the water in a two person sea kayak to explore.
• Heading Back to Dry Land – After a great time in Halong Bay, we bid adieu to our boat and went back to terra firma.
• Back to Hanoi – There were a few interesting things to see on the way back to Hanoi.
• One More Night in Hanoi – We spent one more night in Hanoi before departing for the south.

 

Southern Vietnam Relaxation

 

 

The whole gang sitting in the sand.

Nha Trang Naughtiness

• Evening Introduction to Nha Trang – We flew south to meet more friends in Nha Trang and have a BBQ on the beach.
• Diving in Nha Trang – We got wet and looked for life in the sea near Nha Trang.
• Afternoon and Evening in Nha Trang – We looked around town after our SCUBA trip to see what we could find.
• Island Hopping – We spent the day hopping between islands and having a wonderful time.

Mui Ne and the Scooterpocalypse

• On the Way to Mui Ne – We headed by bus south to the little beach-side town of Mui Ne.
• 4WD Tour of Mui Ne – We hired a little 4×4 jeep to take us out into the hinderlands of Mui Ne and to see the sights.
• Motorbiking around Mui Ne – With a rented motorbike we toured around Mui Ne to see what it is like riding in Vietnamese traffic.

 

Steph and me on a motorbike.

Ho Chi Minh City on the Slow Bus

• The Bus Ride to Ho Chi Minh City Took FOREVER – Our bus got a flat tire not far out of Mui Ne. We drove on the flat tire for several hours before the bus driver found a roadside repair shop that could change to the spare.
• Nighttime Traffic in Ho Chi Minh City – No matter what time of day or night it is, the traffic is crazy in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Walking Around Ho Chi Minh City at Night and Saying Goodbye – We took a quick stroll around one of the main squares in Ho Chi Minh City before having one last party together and saying goodbye.

Southeast Asia Departure

• Flying Back Home Via Singapore and Tokyo – After saying goodbye to everyone, I boarded a series of planes via Signapore and Tokyo to fly back to Oregon.