Sunday, November 05, 2006
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City
Damn! Even Vietnam has modern, gleaming, and clean airports!! That was my first thought as I walked out of my Singapore Airlines flight into Tan Son Nhat International airport, Ho Chi Minh City.
I landed in the morning hours under clear visibility conditions, and from up there in the clouds, it almost looked like Pune below - sparse vegetation, tracts of reddish soil, clumps of housing, and winding roads.
However, the airport was modern (even better than Mumbai airport after the recent renovation), and not a speck of dirt or stain on the floors and walls (no public place in India can claim this; I guess we only have ourselves to blame!).
As I was driven down to my hotel in downtown HCM (which is how the locals refer to the city), the streets looked even more like Pune! The roadside shops, shops, and also the girls on two-wheelers with most of their faces covered in scarfs :)
The Saigon Sheraton is a pretty large hotel and good if you compared with some of their other properties in the USA. The Signature restaurant on the 23rd flooor is very elegant, and offers stunning panoramic views of the city. This is where I had lunch today; a medley of food from different regions of Asia; food was generally good, different in flavor and preperation, and less spicier than those I have had in China and Singapore.
I was feeling so rich when I exchanged money here! US$100, and you are a millionare (in Dong, the currency here which is approx 16,100 dongs per US dollar). Never seen so may zeros on a currency note before!
Lots of options of shopping or eating within this large hotel; planning to check out the rooftop Club and the Spa in the coming days.
Tam biêt or goodbye for now!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Other tid-bits from China...
I was part of a team dinner at Lei Garden, within walking distance of my hotel, the Grand Hyatt, Beijing. The dinner had been set up in a private dining room; there were two large circular tables that seated the team of twenty-five.
The restaurant featured Guangdong delicacies (more commonly known as Cantonese). Guangdong is located in Southern China, and its cuisine is unique among Chinese cuisines.
I noticed all waitresses wore Bluetooth headsets, allowing them to speak with each other in low voices. Dinner consisted for multiple soups, meats, and vegetables; exotic preparations that were put in front of us, one after the other.
This was also the first time I tasted the famous Peking Duck. Dessert consisted of a sweet dumpling filled with a dark brown gooey concoction that seemed to be made of sesame. All in all, a dining experience that was quite different from the regular Chinese fare in India.
In addition to Peking Duck, the other 'must-have' dish in China is Beggar's Chicken (see attached story for why it is named so).
The waitressess positioned themselves at the doors of the dining room, the elevator, and the entrance of the building waving us good-bye at the end (sort of like the flight attendants do when passengers disembark from the plane).
Many have asked me if the Chinese food in China tastes as good as it does here in India :-) Actually, I loved the food, and I think anyone who is non-vegetarian and enjoys sea-food will do so as well. One difference I noticed was the use of bowls instead of plates to have your food. I was initally a little confused; didn't want to find out I was eating out of a soup bowl or, worse, a finger-bowl!
And, I discovered Jasmine tea! One of my colleagues had asked me to get some for him. When I entered a tea shop, I immediately discovered the many varieties. The good quality one is shaped like 'pearls'. Long tea leaves are wound until they form 'pearls' and then covered with Jasmine petals. When the tea leaves have absorbed the jamine juices/flavor, the petals are removed.
Great after-dinner tea; I am now a convert!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
More Beijing
Beijing literally means 'northern capital' (jing stands for capital). While all signs around you point to a city on the move... huge buildings of glass, steel, and concrete coming up on the roads from the airport, to the Great Wall and as you move to the industrial parks in the suburbs, you also see signs all around you that this city has a past. Beijing existed as a city almost all the way back to the first millenium B.C! The city has been burnt down and re-built several times during this period, mostly by the invading Mongols from the north.
I tried to cram in as many sights and sounds of this exciting city during the four days I was here. Before I flew back, I was able to see the Llama Temple, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Tiananmen Square. I thought the Temple of Heaven was really the best of the lot; intricately decorated structures, very peaceful place, and a huge garden all around with lots of greenery. Another thing one notices in the old Chinese relegious artifacts (the original relegion, Daoism or Taoism pre-dates the other modern religions of China such as Buddhism by many years) is the similarities with some Indus Valley and Egyptian ones as far as their gods are concerned. They are mostly combinations of different animals in one, such as a dragon-faced horse; they also have artifacts of the Mother Goddess, common to all these religions.
I wasn't too impressed by the Forbidden City, from which almost ten emperors ruled China. It's like one of our palaces in India (of course, architecturally quite different); currently it houses museums from the dynasties that ruled here). This can easily consume 2-4 hours of your time depending on your interest level. BTW, Much of the Forbidden City is under renovation right now (probably in preparation for the 2008 Olympics).
Tiananmen Square is about 440,000 square meters, making it the largest public square in the world! It was windy and there was a chill in the air, so I didn't stay too long here. Temperatues in Beijing can go down to -16 C during winters; however, there hasn't been snow in recent times. The elaborate flag-hoisting ceremony at Tiananmen Square is sort of similar to our own version at the Indo-Pak border, but all of this is like a time-warp and doesn't fit into today's world... 
Our most fun experience was the shopping and haggling to get to the right price... well, actually you never quite can figure out the right price. That leather Gucci handbag for US $8... too expensive? How about an Geogia Armani leather belt for US $5... hmm... And btw, these aren't cheap looking imitations. The quality and workmanship are good, and they look like the real things.
All the vendors seem to be school and college girls specializing in the art of marketing; they have mastered the basics of the English language: 'moment' (hold on, don't go, I will come up with a better price), 'how much?' (don't like my price, well, what price do you think this is worth?), and it goes on... Interestingly they all have handheld calculators on which they tap out the price, and then push it to you so you can do the same... the trick is to start at least 70% lower than their initial price: learnt that the hard way :(
Ate at a awesome place in the Grand Hyatt. The restaurant is called Made in China, and has been rated the best place to eat in all of North East China. Splendid ambience, food, and service.
The restaurant serves contemporary Chinese cooking... please note that their specialities, Peking Duck and Beggars' Chicken have to be ordered in advance when making reservations (at least a few hours in advance; they get sold out quick!). Multiple show kitchens, innovative presentation and a great wine selection complete the experience.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
In China for the first time!
Everything so far has been impressive! Everywhere I have been in Beijing so far is clean, has great roads, and seems no different from any modern capital city in the Western world. Certainly much better building, roads, cellphone coverage, etc., than most cities in India.
The Grand Hyatt in Beijing is impressive too. In size, fit & finish, and service! Great restaurants -- traditional Chinese, contemporary Chinese, Italian, sushi bar and cafe; live entertainment in the evening at the lobby area. Also the hotel is within walking distance of Tiannenman Square and the Forbidden City. Strongly recommended for those who can afford to stay here!
Went to visit the Great Wall today at Badaling, which is about 90 mins drive from the Tiannenman Square area where my hotel is located. The Wall was every bit as impressive as I expected it to...but you really need to climb up some steep slope/steps to get to the highest rampart.
After about an hour or so or climbing up and back, tried my hand at shopping for souvenirs! You have to excel at bargaining; after I bought a Chinese doll for RMB 200, I realized that the same could have been bought at RMB 75 after some tough bargaining, but I learnt quickly and the rest of the shopping was quite a lot of fun. The vendors were very persistent but went about doing this in a lighthearted and disarming manner :)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Enroute to China
Got back at 4AM from Goa and had to start packing the same day for my Beijing trip. Decided to fly to Mumbai and spend the night there so I could get a good night's sleep before catching the 11AM Singapore Airlines flight.
The Grand Hyatt had put me on their Executive Club floor, and walked me to my room... One look and we realized something was wrong; the room was being cleaned and not yet ready... They were most aplogetic and promptly upgraded me to a suite on the Exec Club floor.
Slept like a baby...after the previous night on a second class sleeper and after a quick breakfast was off to the airport. Oh miracle! I have never seen the International Airport so free of crowds... have to always take this flight! The entire airport was free of the usual crowds; seems like this is one of the few flights that take off during this time.
Now that Singapore Air upgraded me to PPS Club (they do that if you accumulate enough miles through Business or First class travel on this airline), I was able to check out their First Class lounge. They had a lot of good food from one of the good Singapore restaurants this week (some special promotion). Great full-service bar, but more crowded than I had expected.
Time to kill, which is why I am writing this from the lounge at Changi Airport! More later...
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