SaipanCatalyst

Retreat to Viet Nam

2009-12-04T00:34:00.000-08:00

I spent five years in two Pacific islands earning a decent living and all I've got was a tour treat to mainland Asia's doorstep -- Viet Nam -- with literally 120USD on my pocket. It was the beginning of my deeper understanding of the simple lifestyles in this side of the planet. But to say easy living is an underestimation. There is a booming economy, so they say, but the images of persistent women who roam the streets from dawn to dusk selling fruits, vegetables, fresh flowers and all sorts of local crafts and commodities just to make both ends meet, prove signs of massive poverty in Vietnam. I took a 180-degree swing to this wonderful country. I have been so fascinated with through the years. thanks to the National Geographic and war books from the West. Here's an account from a first time visitor in Viet Nam. I ate Pho (the famous rice noodles) at sidewalks in Ha Noi, rode on a Xe-Om (motorcycle) with a stranger who usually charged you when he learns you are an outsider, used body sign languages to convey a message to a local, joined Western expatriates in some of the best patronized restaurants in town, spent precious moments with high-end tourists via the top level cruise junks in Halong Bay as a welcome treat from a friend who is based in this city that hosts millions of tourists each year. I also felt the warmth of the people and the unbearable cold weather in winter. Sure enough, there are a lot of fascinating tales to tell in that vast land teeming with amazing cultures.

From Saipan to Saigon

There were few customers yet at Jhem's, a favorite Filipino restaurant in the heart of town. At about 10am on Oct. 21, the newly-served lunch (daing na bangus and nilagang baka) was as hot as the scorching sun outside. (The weather here was always humid). This particular day was no ordinary day for this journeyman. This was the last day of my 406 days in this tiny speck of island in the South Pacific. I needed to re-charge batteries before the 3pm flight to Tokyo and later to Manila. In times like this, Jhem's was always the best place to go. It may not be the suited place but at least it gave some space to spend precious moments of never ending goodbyes with true friends as I was about to disembark from their comfort, and affection. It came too much, too soon. However, two weeks earlier I already booked a flight to Saigon with Cebu Pacific. There was only a week to spend time with loved ones back home. They needed to boost your energy and spirit. They were always there to push you up. Although I had been planning the Viet Nam visit as early as nine months ago, it was only during the ascent from Manila and all the way to HCM that I began to reflect on almost everything I left behind -- the vicissitudes of everyday life in the Philippines, the ever-ending desire to settle back to the paradise island of Palau where I previously stayed for three and-a-half years and the regrettable harsh environment of Saipan.

I needed time to draw a plan for the next move. So Vietnam there I went for a retreat.

I arrived in Ho Chih Min City (Sai Gon) at dawn on Oct. 29. Three days here was too short to roam the streets of this bustling city of tricycles and hardworking people. Just chatting with the friendliest hotel staff in the backpackers lane at night was enough to temporarily get rid of your worries, like the throng of Caucasian tourists across the narrow street who seemed to not care of how much alcohol they have consumed for the night. After all, this is a safer ground. The painful memories of the 60's U.S. aggression seems withered away. I began to like this place.

A 2-day, 2-night trip on a sleeper bus
from Saigon to Hanoi

To get to Ha Noi from Ho Chi Minh City ( Saigon ), a traveler has three options. One, you go by plane and pay a higher cost ($50-$100), two, take a two-day train ride at a lesser fare, or three, take a two-day, two-night bus ride. If you decide to go by bus, you have the option of boarding the ordinary bus which would cost you $28, or the sleeper bus which costs $36. If you are traveling on a tight budget, the ordinary bus would be your best option since it is the cheapest way but you have to travel it rough with just a reclining seat. I took the $36-sleeper bus because I wanted to see the countryside all the way from the southern part to the northern tip of Vietnam. If you look at the map, Viet Nam has its uniqueness. It covers entirely Laos and Cambodia from the sea. It is a doorstep from the northeast of the Pacific Rim to mainland. The trip is a feast to the eyes for an adventurer, with the blue waters and coastal scenery on the left and the high mountain peaks on the right. Our first stop was in the coastal town of Phan Thiet known as Muine, popular for its beaches, about five hours from Ho Chih Minh (HCM). Tourists walked or jogged along the narrow road which snakes its way amidst sprouting resorts, villas, hotels and vacation houses. Some Caucasian backpackers, mostly those who already came from Thailand and Cambodia, preferred to stay here for a night stay before continuing their journey to Laos then to China . I learned that this is the regular route of European vacationers. It is not surprising to know that thousands of French people of all ages visit Vietnam because of the two nation’s historical leanings. My three-day stay in Saigon showed me a peek of the historical attachments that can be seen in the well preserved ancient French colonial buildings like the capitol building where Dr. Ho Chi Minh held office, business establishments and the city’s oldest five star hotel Rex Hotel, one of the country’s pride and treasure. History is also well-preserved in all the other big cities and towns you pass by on the way to the North such as Dalat, Nha Trang, , Quang Nam, Hoi An, Danang, Hue, and other places. I don’t regret taking the sleeper bus even if the “occasional reckless” driving is frustrating. At one point in the first day of the trip near Nha Trang, a police stopped our bus and issued a ticket to the driver. We reached Nha Rhang at about 7:30pm. A travel agent climbed onboard and gave some tips to the guests who preferred to stay for the night. The agent also warned us, especially the guys who may want to go out for a drink at a karaoke bar during the night to be careful of some girls who may invite us for a walk because this could be a ploy where a motorbiker would soon follow and rob us of our belongings. It happens everywhere but it pays to be careful. From a first-time traveler, here’s my two-cents worth of advice if you take the sleeper bus. Take note of the 15-minute stopover because the drivers wouldn’t mind if you have not yet boarded the bus when time is up. Before departure, the bus drivers don’t have a head count to check if everybody is on board. Three times during our trip, the driver had to return to the bus station after a fellow passenger noticed that her seatmate is missing. At about 8am, we circled the big city of Danang. The city is a beehive of construction activities as hotels, shopping malls and other buildings continue to sprout from vast tracts of arable lands. I have read of Danang about the 60’s American engagements known as Vietnam War. We didn’t stop in Danang but seeing this place is already satisfying for me. I was told that the world’s longest and highest cable car has just opened in March just in the city’s outskirts. That one should be in my list of future visits. Five minutes after we left Danang, we passed by Hai Van Tunnel, a 6.3 km tunnel which is considered the longest in South-East Asia. It was opened in June 2009 The weather got colder as we zigzagged our way through rolling hills, rivers and valleys of rice fields At 1 p.m., we reached our last stopover which was Hue, a thriving city where most travelers take their trip to Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. After two days and one night on the road, we had to take another bus to reach our final destination. Since the bus to Ha Noi was scheduled to depart at 5:30 pm, I had five hours to explore the town’s simplicity and feel the warmth of the people. For the first time in my life, I felt like a total stranger. I had to use sign and body languages in order to get directions to go to an Internet Café or to a store. I roamed around for over three hours and grasped what I can of what the town has to offer but then I had to go back to the bus station to make sure I would not be left behind. Good thing that I made time allowances because the bus left at 4:45 p.m., 45 minutes earlier than the scheduled departure. The next morning, I had my first glimpse of Ha Noi, a bustling city which was to be my home for over four months.

Adventures in Ha Noi

Land of motorcycles and noodles

After a 12-hour bus ride from Hue City, I finally got my first glimpse of Ha Noi. Winter has just set in, painting a bleak color on the horizon. It was quite a change from Ho Chi Minh. Unlike Saigon’s tropical weather, I learned that Ha Noi has its four seasons – winter, spring, summer and autumn. The temperature was between 15 -20 degrees during my first week. I was told that it would be up to 7-8 degrees by the first week of January. I am the kind of traveler who prefers to explore my way around rather than do advanced research before traveling. I stayed in Hoan Kiem District (the French Old Quarter), where you can feel enough of the day and night activities. At one end of Hoan Kiem Lake, you can find a wide array of locally made products. At this time, high quality jackets and sweaters are saleable to ward off the cold. Hotels also abound in this area, both for high-end vacationers and for backpackers. Life never stops in Hanoi. When most of the business establishments are beginning to close down their shops for the night, noodle vendors are also starting to put up their stalls. In about 15 minutes, you can see people sitting with a bowl of noodles in every possible corner of the narrow streets, unmindful of the smoke billowing out of the thousands of motorbikes passing by. Million motorbikes crossing the streets especially the main thoroughfares of Ha Noi or Saigon or the other big cities like Hai Phong farther up north is a dangerous thing do for a first timer. You should always take extra caution. I had practiced a technique by going along with more than two people slipping their way to the other side, especially elder ones. That’s the safest way I found and it proved effective.

Fried sea-eels on fried noodles

Aside from the motorbikes, another thing that’s part of way of life in Viet Nam is the sight of rice noodles and chopstick. The mien luon xao became my favorite lately. It is a mixed fried noodles, fried sea snake, fresh mongo sprout and spices. For the daring traveler, another delicacy – the Thin Bhu Kho, is a must. I haven’t tried yet, not after a vendor told me that the delicacy is actually a farm mouse meat. Another told me it was just a beef. Language barrier proved a handicap since I could not communicate with the Hanoians. Many times I got lost and had a hard time finding the way back to my hotel, but I’m not yet done exploring this fascinating city. There is still so much to see and do.

Halong Bay tour on board Bhaya Cruises

A visit to Halong’s caves and floating villages

The Halong Bay area in Quan Ning Province is a bustling city dotted with hotels and host to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It is one of the premiere destinations for the country’s tourism industry. A trip to Viet Nam would never be complete if you don’t go for a cruise on Halong Bay onboard Bhaya II, one of the best junks there in operations.
Halong City is a three-day service bus ride from Ha Noi, passing through more cities and towns that give you a feel of another experience of the countryside. Our tour guide told us that most of the hundreds of hotels and restaurants are either empty or half empty because the concentration of the activity there is in the cruise. The package will cost about $300 to $100 per person, depending on the kind of services that a cruise company can offer. I went there just at the onset of winter and the weather was still warmer unlike by mid November. It was a two-day, one night cruise on junks around some of the most stunning places in Halong Bay. The area is teeming with thousands of limestone islets. The waters of Halong Bay is always calm, according to the cruise manager, giving guests a chance to really enjoy the cruise without getting seasick. I was with 39 other guests from 14 different countries on board the beautifully crafted French-inspired boat. This particular cruiser has 20 double-bed cabins on the first and second decks. The third deck is the dining area. The view from all around was amazing at the sun deck. Every time and then, Allan Tuppil checked to see me if I was enjoying the cruise. Allan is no less than the general manager of Bhaya cruises, who invited me as a special guest in this particular trip. He is a fishing buddy way back in Palau. Like all the other junk cruisers, we headed towards the fishing villages. The service crew prepared a sumptuous international lunch buffet. The menu was superb – seafood, vegetable salad, fresh food, cookies for the desert, chicken, beef and pork.

At about 2pm, most of the guests opted to relax on the upper deck. Most of them were Europiens. An American couple was on a honeymoon. There were also the twin sisters from the UK. I chatted with two German couples in their 70s. At 3pm we were transported from the cruiser and grouped into four on the boat ride to the fishing villages. All the boats were operated by women who expertly maneuvered the boats toward the villages. We saw the floating houses, floating schools, floating stores and all that you could imagine in a community. We were told that there are about 700 families living in this particular area.

We went back to the cruiser after over an hour touring the villages. Some of the guests swam in the calm waters and some on kayaks. At 5:30pm we were invited to a cooking lesson for a local delicacy as part of the activities offered by the cruise company. Dinner was served at 7 pm. In the distance, we could hear laughter and classical music from other cruisers. After dinner, the 1992 movie classic “Indochine” was shown for the night. It introduces you to Viet Nam’s social-cultural past. Set in colonial French Indochina of the 1930s, the movie revolves around the story of a French plantation owner starring Catherine Deneuve and of her adopted Vietnamese daughter, played by Lin Dan Phan. This movie is a special presentation because some of the scenes were shot here in Halong Bay. At 6:30 am the next day before the 7am light breakfast, most of the guests were invited to join a master of tai chi exercise at the sundeck. But the second day’s main activity was a visit to the Hang Sung Sot (literally means astonishing cave), one of the largest among the hundreds of caves in the area. After cave tour, we were served a hearty breakfast. The guests were then transported by bus back to Ha Noi. There are plenty to explore in Viet Nam. In due time, I will be back in Halong Bay to cruise again after an invitation came from the generous managers of Columbus Adventure Travel, whom I met through another friend who had just found a second home away from home in Ha Noi.

UFO collects 11 boxes for RP typhoon victims

2009-12-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

About 11 boxes of donated clothing and food items are now ready to be sent to Manila for victims of Typhoon Ondoy (international name Ketsana). United Filipino Organizations president Olive Yana said their member organizations would be meeting at her house 7pm tonight to help sort out the donated items. The boxes would be sealed and transferred to LBC Mabuhay Saipan Inc., which had earlier offered free shipping service.

Full story HERE..

NAP closure due to Melor rouses ire of beneficiaries

2009-12-03T19:27:00.000-08:00

Many beneficiaries were disappointed when the food stamp office closed down its office before noon yesterday, telling clients to return on Monday for their food stamps. Staff at the Division of Nutrition Assistance Program said they are just following an Office of the Governor directive. They said Saipan was already under Condition No. 2 due to Typhoon Melor, which meant they have to close down government offices.

Full story HERE..

Hyatt's Chuseok festival showcases authentic Korean cuisine

2009-12-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

Two chefs from Hyatt Regency Incheon are currently in town to introduce local diners to authentic traditional Korean cuisine as part of celebrations of the Chuseok Festival, the Korean Thanksgiving. Tae Hoon Kim and Kyung Yoon Jung said they are glad to share their expertise during the 10-day Chuseok Festival, which is being held at the Hyatt Regency Saipan from Oct. 1 to Oct. 10. Dinner guests can enjoy specialties such as the spicy Korean hot pot, marinated grilled meats and seafood, traditional dishes like bulgogi beef stew and Kimchi pancakes.

Full story HERE..

Advance champs again in 3rd KQOD qualifier

2009-12-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Reliever Eric Palacios singled to send Roy Celis home in the bottom seventh as Advance X-Terminators escaped with a 12-11 win over Team Saipal in the championship game of the third qualifying round of the 2009 Budweiser King and Queen of the Diamonds Softball Tournament last Saturday at the Capital Ball Field. The X-Terminators recovered from a 9-11 deficit after Payton Sakuma tripled and sent Vic Dukor and Hector Efraim to home plate that gave Saipal the lead in the top of seventh.

Full story HERE..

Sixers deal Sonics' first loss in Rotary caging

2009-12-03T19:16:00.000-08:00

The Sixers hurdled one of their strongest opponents last Monday night after snapping the Sonics' five-game winning run in the 2009 Saipan Rotary Youth Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. The Sonics failed to sustain a good start by blowing a six-point lead midway in the first half as the Sixers recovered quickly and closed out with a 33-25 lead going into the second half. “They went ahead early but after we adjusted our defense we went all the way with our fastbreak offense,” said Sixers coach Ray Duenas.

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UFO launches fund drive for RP typhoon victims

2009-12-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

The United Filipino Organization has launched a fundraising drive to help victims of Typhoon Ketsana, which killed more than 240 in the Philippines and devastated wide swaths of the capital over the weekend. UFO president Olive Yana said they have reactivated all member organizations to help in the dissemination of information about the fund drive. UFO is urging the Filipino community on Saipan and other members of the public who want to help to give whatever amount they can for the victims.

Full story HERE..

Guamanian rules Pete Reyes golf fundraiser

2009-12-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

Tony Kim, a Korean businessman from Guam, made his weekend visit to Saipan a very memorable one. This after Kim ruled the fundraising golf tournament of Senate President Pete P. Reyes last Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Marianas Country Club. The owner of Guam-based company I-Tec carded a gross score of 92, including 49 in the front and 43 in the back, in the double peoria format tournament.

Full story HERE..

PSS teaches ARFF neat lesson

2009-12-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

McGraw Hill-sponsored Public School System taught Airport Rescue and Firefighting a neat lesson, 96-53, last Friday night in the 2009 IT&E Inter-Government/Business Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Its 43-point win stood as the most lopsided so far this season. PSS established its biggest lead of 47 points in the game, an 88-47 count with 2:30 left in the fourth quarter.

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Sonics title bid on track, beat Celtics

2009-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

Still reeling from the stigma of its monumental collapse last year the Sonics are back on a rampage. The Sonics zoomed to a 49-33 win over the Celtics last Thursday night to keep its clean slate in the Saipan Rotary Youth Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. However, coach Jesse Tudela is not about to underestimate the other teams, saying it's still a long way to go. This, despite the Sonics' 5-0 win-loss start.

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Depleted CPA nails first win against Docomo

2009-12-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

Commonwealth Port Authority-Accounting finally barged into the win column Wednesday night after scoring a 59-53 upset over NTT Docomo in the 2009 IT&E Inter-Government/Business Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Despite playing with a depleted lineup, CPA-Accounting controlled the game from start to finish to improve to a win-loss record of 1-5. CPA-Accounting nearly lost the game via forfeiture with only four players-Jeff Cloud, former national player Ed Diaz, Kirk Schuler, and K.G. Yangilmau-showing up before tip-off.

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ESGR employers tour USNS Lummus

2009-12-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Representatives of private companies and government agencies on Saipan had the rare chance of touring the U.S. Navy ship 1st Lt. Jack Lummus yesterday, where they signed a statement of support for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. ESGR is a group composed of volunteers that promotes the rights of employed military reservists based on the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The statement of support is to recognize the National Guard and Reserve officers, who they said are essential to the strength of the nation and well-being of the community.

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Hyatt ends Oktoberfest with cocktails, Becks beer

2009-12-03T18:14:00.000-08:00

To wrap up its five-day Oktoberfest last week, Hyatt Regency Saipan treated its regular guests to a cocktail party Friday evening at the Kili Café & Terrace. Hyatt executive chef Gabriele Colombo said it was a chance for the hotel to celebrate with guests and their friends after a successful week (Sept. 14-19) of sumptuous German cuisine. “We have prepared German-style foods along with Beck's beer,” said Colombo. Beck's is the best selling beer in Germany and is solely distributed on Saipan by Marpac.

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Stand-up comedy show draws huge audience

2009-12-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

A large crowd of mostly Filipinos filled the Royal Taga Hall of the Saipan World Resort on Saturday night for the no-holds-barred standup routine of two of the Philippines' most sought after comedians, Ogie Diaz and Vice Ganda. The three-hour show, dubbed “Kambal Sa Tawa,” was a wild success, according to the show's organizer, Promoter Digital Motion, which said that tickets were sold out-150 for the VIP ($30), and 500 for the general admissions ($15). Fans started lining up at the gate as early as an hour before the show, which was delayed for about 30 minutes as others were still trying to squeeze their way in. Organizers decided to let them in after all those with reservations have taken their seats.

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The show was a first offering of Digital Motion and the company promises to stage more.

Sonics zoom past Rebels, seize solo lead

2009-12-03T18:08:00.000-08:00

The Sonics recovered from a slow start to ambush the Runnin' Rebels, 46-40, last Friday night in the Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Bryan Ajoste led all scorers with 20 points. He went 9-for-9 from the free throw line in the second half, where he had 13 markers.

Full story HERE..

IT&E further distances itself from pack

2009-12-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

Host IT&E further distanced itself from the pack after pulling off a hard-fought 77-70 win against second-running Micronesian Brokers Inc. last Friday night in the 2009 IT&E Inter-Government/Business Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Darwin Barbo consistently burned the hoops with 26 points to lead his team to their eighth consecutive win. Ryan Sanciangco did not score in the first quarter before breaking out with 20 points-including two crucial free throws-in the final minutes of the contest.

Full story HERE..

Ol'Aces barge into win column, stop Rollers

2009-12-02T02:46:00.000-08:00

Ol'Aces finally found its rhythm after losing its first three games of the season. Coach Sonny Flores said his players are just starting to realize that they are a force to reckon with in the league. This after Ol'Aces posted a morale-boosting 60-38 victory over the undermanned Rollers 1 last Thursday night in the 2009 Rotary Club of Saipan Youth Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

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Team spirit keeps IT&E going

2009-12-02T02:44:00.000-08:00

IT&E playing coach Edson Mendoza said team spirit, strong support from management, and diehard fans are the keys to their strong showing in the ongoing IT&E Inter-Government/Business Basketball League. The host team remained undefeated after seven games by beating Commonwealth Health Center, 85-74, last Friday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium.

Full story HERE..

Runnin' Rebels eke out 69-68 win over Sixers

2009-12-02T02:42:00.000-08:00

The undermanned Runnin' Rebels eked out a 69-68 win over the Sixers last Thursday night to create a three-way tie on top in the Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Josh Kiyoshi calmly sank his two free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining to lift the Runin' Rebels to their third win in as many games.

Full story HERE..

Rogolifoi tops Juan 'Pan' fundraiser

2009-12-02T02:40:00.000-08:00

NMASA Hall of Famer Tony Rogolifoi bagged his first ever golf championship in the Juan Pan-Joe Camacho Fundraising Golf Tournament held last Saturday and took home a roundtrip ticket to Manila. Rogolifoi carded the day's lowest net score of 66.80 to top the event held at the west course of Laolao Bay Golf Resort in Kagman. The 19.20-handicapper shot 41 in the front and 45 in the back for a gross of 86.

Full story HERE..

Jack, Mami retain Banzai titles

2009-12-02T02:37:00.000-08:00

Aided by perfect weather, Ketson “Jack” Kabiriel and Mamiko Berger successfully negotiated the new and longer course of the 4th Annual Powerade Banzai Cliff Memorial Off-Road Half-Marathon and Fun Run last Saturday in Marpi. The two veteran runners also won last year's third staging of the event.

Full story HERE..

CK Saints survive Ol'Aces in Rotary caging

2009-12-02T02:35:00.000-08:00

The CK Saints survived a late rally by the relentless Ol'Aces, 51-48, and finally barged into the win column last Wednesday night in the 2009 Saipan Rotary Club Youth Basketball League at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. The win was the Saints' first in three starts this season while it dealt the Ol'Aces their third straight setback.

Full story HERE..

Docomo beats PSS, MBI prevails over ARFF

2009-12-02T02:29:00.000-08:00

NTT Docomo recovered from a slow start to beat McGraw Hill/PSS, 58-46, in the IT&E Inter-Government/Business League Wednesday night at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium. Forward Kae Bernardo scored 10 of his 20 points in the second quarter, while point guard Wowee Abuel scattered 18 as the duo led Docomo to their third win in four outings.

Full story HERE..

NMI is first in Western Pacific to have mobile hospital

2009-12-02T02:25:00.000-08:00

The CNMI became the first in the Pacific region to own a Mobile Field Hospital with a capacity of 50 beds that would be primarily used in the event of a major natural or man-made disaster. The federally funded mobile hospital is a pneumatic isolation shelter system that has all the main features of a real hospital such as emergency room, laboratory, clean water supply, wastewater storage, isolation room, etc. This could be set up in a few minutes, is transportable, spacious and could be set up anywhere for an extended time.

Full story HERE..

PIC Palooza goes retro in fundraising party

2009-12-02T02:23:00.000-08:00

The island's partygoers had the chance to dress up in the colorful and garish styles of the decadent '80s for the second annual Palooza held Saturday at the Charley's Bar of the Pacific Island's Club. Fans of Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Tina Turner, Prince, and Michael Jackson took over the dance floor for a night of nostalgic revelry that was also intended to raise funds for Beautify CNMI and PAWS. For most of the partygoers, the '80s was spent in high school, when progressive, hard rock and pop rock acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Prince and even Boy George were the big hits.

Full story HERE..