Showing posts with label Ho Chi Minh City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ho Chi Minh City. Show all posts

Monday, March 10, 2014

Return from Home

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I don't know what else to say. You knew the destinations. You knew the length of stay, it was two weeks. You knew the challenges I faced. Well now what you didn't know is, the bottom line of everything. Everything that I had in


So based upon the experience, I discovered some other new ways I could really use while traveling. That suits me really, really well.

That I can do things spontaneously, as if I'm home
I made plans. Of how many days I should had spent, of where I should had slept, and stuff. But most of them, well, changed. My head and my heart conspired to cheat me, convinced me to stay longer in each city. I acted like I was at home, thinking less and doing whatever I desired. No worries, no wonders nor questions, just kept living like mom and dad were next door.

That the other side of the globe is actually my home too
Those cities. Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap. Swear to God I never visited them before. But yea when I was there it felt like, some place I was familiar with. Exploring here, walking there, taking shortcuts and eating by street stalls, was I born there?

That I'm now a part of the world, the home of every traveler
Maybe it sounds too much but, I don't know, people didn't seem to see me as a boring Indonesian they usually -maybe- think us about. They talked to me. They opened discussions with me. Asked me stuff, wondered about my background, got excited about visiting Indonesia, they considered me as one global traveler they usually met along the trip. It was, hmm, kinda important to me, you know, being accepted internationally, as an Indonesian traveler.


It boosted a significant level of my travel desire. I wanted more. Well that's what I always felt after one trip. More and more trips. But seriously, what I got from this trip, was more impact-ful to my confidence in traveling.


That now, nothing can stop me from traveling
Because everywhere is simply home

Friday, February 14, 2014

Stop Three: Laid Back

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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Planned: 4 days, 3 nights
Reality: 6 days, 5 nights

See the gap between the planned, and the reality? Yea I was kinda shocked by myself too. I mean, Saigon, oh Lord it's not much different compared to Jakarta but... I don't know, something kept me to lay a little more, a day or two, somehow longer than what I thought I'd be staying for.

It was like, I stayed a night. Then explored a bit on the next day. Then I decided to extend one more night. Then went on an exciting tour the next day. Then I convinced myself to stay one more night. That's what I been doing. And all my days, it was all like days of relaxation. I spent much energy in the previous two cities, and would spend some more on the next one so, it was a lay back time.

Just Saigon's street, at Ben Thanh roundabout
Notre Dame Cathedral
Cu Chi Tunnel
City Hall, looking so beautiful already by day
City Hall by night, and it was during Tet. I'm so lucky.

And the people, again, were top notch. Locals, tourists, and even Indonesian! Met a guy and a girl from home, met some cool friends who befriend a friend of mine, met tons of other backpackers with different stories and travel routes, met a bus mate going out of the country to complain together with, I was a social freak. Having this thirst to socialize.

I had one crazy big city adventure in here and I enjoyed it so, very much. But things wouldn't be the same if I didn't meet these guys so, thank you :)

Well I'm sorry I can't tell much about it.
I have plans of where to spill more things about Saigon.
And its I'm-not-sure-what-it-is magnet