GARGANTUAN steps

Sunday, March 17, 2013

changi GS

And so my first posting of my first job ended. It felt like I was doing National Service altogether again, but with a totally different mission. My peers definitely made it much more bearable, and worthwhile, and we made it in the end, together! 


CGH GS HOs
Front row (from left to right) - Amanda, Caroline, Diana, Brian, Yan Yuan, Shuwen, Yukit, Charissa
Back row - me, Kevin, Daniel

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posted by Gabriel Yan at 12:03 AM 0 comments

Saturday, March 16, 2013

a tale of two dragons

This has taken quite a long time to get started (amidst frantic work life) but I've finally found some time to sit down and write about my not-so-recent trip to Hong Kong and Hanoi (which occurred way back in November 2012). A revisit to see Hong Kong as it truly is, and also back to Vietnam, which brought back fond memories of perilous road crossings and aromatic coffee. This trip back to the two countries was definitely one of spectacular sights, and even more spectacular food. Without further introduction, I jump right into my trip and its new set of fond memories. 

Day 1-3 - Hong Kong: Food (glorious food), Avenue of Stars and Victoria's Peak by day

Hong Kong never fails to astound me with its multitude of high-rise buildings and perpetual energy. A city that never sleeps (more so than Singapore), one can feel very jarred and rudely awakened by the incessant buzz of car horns, shoutings, banging of tables and the endless throngs of crowds, even if you come from as busy a city as Singapore like me. Anyway, this city doesn't give you the luxury of time to settle into it - like the tropical storms that are thrust upon it, this city sweeps you off your feet and takes you on a ride, whether you like it or not. For respite, you can sit in a restaurant and have dim sum and 'yum-cha' and have a slightly slower morning, but that depends on whether you even get a seat at all.

My first evening in Hong Kong began with a spectacular feast of seafood at a restaurant in Lei Yue Mun - you make your pick from tanks of live seafood and then you await for its arrival at your table. And it was definitely over-indulgence on my part - but the same can be said of the entire trip as well! This was a signal of things to come in the days ahead. An interesting thing I realised in Hong Kong restaurants is that the utensils don't come cleaned and washed (thoroughly at least), but there is a culture of providing a pot of hot water for you to pour over and wash them in. An element of distrust of the cleaning staff, or just a habit which has become a culture? Probably an element of both, but definitely a minor bug bear of mine.


 Fresh seafood to make your pick
Steamed fish


Clam


Lei Yue Mun 

The next day started with a nice hearty breakfast in a typical 'cha chaan teng' - I highly recommend the French toast (preferably with a lengthy cardio work-out prior to that). It was off to church at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church after that, which was where I met up with my old friend Raymond (who's now working in Hong Kong). It was here where I saw many disturbing sights - the maids of the locals here sat in the pews behind their employers, and they had to answer to every whim and fancy of their employers in the middle of service, like bringing water or a box of biscuits for their little emperors and empresses. It was a tragic sight to behold, especially in church.


Bo luo bun and tea for breakfast

Street protest


Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church


The Great Motherland of China

This is a 16-story silk mural painting which is the largest Chinese landscape painting in the world, housed within the Island Shangri-La hotel in Hong Kong. If you can't view the entire spectacle from the bottom, you can take a lift up and down all 16 stories a few times to view it in its entirety, which was exactly what I did. I must say it isn't the best way to appreciate a painting. 



Char Siew
The best roast pork in town (inside Times Square at Causeway Bay)


Me and my Lego counterpart



Old-style Hong Kong apartments

Meanwhile, it was off for a long walk along the Avenue of Stars which is located by the Victoria Harbour water front. This walk of fame implants the memories (and hand-prints) of famous stars in the Hong Kong film industry, culminating in a bronze statue of its first and most famous of all, Bruce Lee. A walk there provides a nice view of Victoria Harbour as well, providing a nice photo opportunity of this beautiful city.

Interesting poster on the walls


Victoria Harbour and the Chinese junk

The next day, it was up to Victoria Peak via the Peak Tram. This time round, all part of the itinerary, and not only a single trip. The Peak (as it is more fondly known by locals and visitors alike) is possibly the main attraction of Hong Kong itself. Away from the smog and grime of the city, it offers slightly fresher air but more importantly, a spectacular view of Hong Kong Island itself (if you can find a viewing spot amidst the hordes of tourists). On a clear day, the view, I can imagine, is pretty impressive. I must admit, there probably are few clear days in Hong Kong. Climbing up the Peak would make for an impressive work-out for anyone, but on a holiday, I wasn't in the mood. Plus, sitting the Peak Tram up to the top is an experience in itself as well.


A walk through Hong Kong Park

The view from the Peak

I stayed in a friend's apartment which was on the 55th story at Wanchai. The view from there isn't particularly grubby either. And away from the crowds, it makes for pretty pleasant viewing, 365 days of the year. One thing I can't fathom is staying so high up when a typhoon comes - it must be pretty frightening. Thankfully I didn't experience one whilst I was there. Hong Kong can experience up to 10 such cyclones a year, but mostly between June and October.


The view from the apartment

I met up with my dear friend Raymond as well, who decided to experience what working overseas is like, and of all places to choose, he chose Hong Kong, a city not suitable for someone with chronic lung problems. Besides that, here's a city whose housing prices are even more ridiculous compared to those in Singapore. I saw, first hand, a typical Hong Kong flat - with its tiny quarters and barely liveable living space. And that was just a rented flat for two, but apparently, a family of four is expected to squeeze into it. With the kitchen the size of a small bathroom (and a bathroom of even smaller capacity), the Hong Kong apartment is a microcosm of Hong Kong in its entirety - cramped. Out of respect, I decided not to take a photo of the place. It is shocking. Apparently, people spend more than half their monthly salary renting a single room in an apartment. They have now taken to just renting bed space instead. But still, it was good to have caught up with my old army buddy.
Me and Raymond

Day 4 - Hanoi: Ba Dinh Square, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace Complex, Temple of Literature and the Thang Long Water Puppet Show

It was off to the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, the next day. A stark contrast to the metropolitan city that was Hong Kong, here was one on the rise, full of potential and promises, weighed down by its not-too-distant past of war and conflict. Hanoi isn't far too different from that of Ho Chi Minh City - the endless streams of motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic provides a timely reminder of my past trip. This time round, without the comfort and protection of a tour bus, it was left to my own wits to carry me through. And I survived. 

Hanoi, in many ways, is more charming than Ho Chi Minh City. Perhaps it is the fact that I got to know it better by travelling around the city on foot, but perhaps also due to the fact that it is slightly less developed than its neighbour in the south, retaining a more atmospheric environment. I can't say, but both cities are worth exploring, and Hanoi has the additional benefit of being a base to travel to Ha Long Bay. But more on that later.



Lunch - Vietnamese coffee and beef pho

The first stop was to Ba Dinh Square and the Presidential Palace Complex, with a slight detour to see the Flag Tower of Hanoi along the way. Built in 1812, it was used a military post, and is now housed within the Vietnam Military History Museum.



Flag Tower of Hanoi
Ba Dinh Square, named after the anti-French rebellion - the Ba Dinh Uprising of 1886-1887, is the centre and heart of Hanoi. Here, it serves its purpose like the squares of many other countries - Tiananmen Square of Beijing and the Red Square of Moscow, and alongside it is the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, the founding father of modern Vietnam. His body is permanently preserved and embalmed within the mausoleum, and visitors are free to queue up and see it, though it is only opened in the morning. If you decide to give it a miss, there are still plenty of opportunities to see this former president of Vietnam - he is present on postcards and posters along the streets, and if you even fail to see that, he is immortalised within the Vietnamese currency notes.



Me outside Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum


 One Pillar Pagoda
An iconic and historic Buddhist temple apparently built in 1049, but destroyed by the French in 1954. Here now stands a replica.

Nearby to Ba Dinh Square is the Presidential Palace Complex, which houses the Presidential Palace of Vietnam built to house the French Governor-General of Indochina. When Ho Chi Minh was made president, he chose not to live in such an opulent manner but instead had a stilt-house erected in the vicinity and lived within it. Throughout touring the complex, one reads about how humble and full of  humility the former president was - he was even known as Uncle Ho. The propaganda was almost bordering on idolatry. Still, it is well worth a visit, to see the entire complex that Uncle Ho once resided within.



Presidential Palace


Uncle Ho's house on stilts
He apparently held meetings on the ground floor of his stilt house


Ba Dinh Square



Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum 

Next, it was en route to the Temple of Literature, which is a massive temple complex built right in the middle of Hanoi, and it also functioned as the first national university of Vietnam. A temple dedicated to Confucius built way back in 1070, graduates now swarm to this temple to have their graduation photos taken. One traverses through five courtyards to finally reach the temple and be greeted by great sage himself, before finding yourself trudging all the way back out again. Interesting to see though nonetheless.


Roadside barbers
At the gates of the Temple of Literature



Traffic was a killer

Evening time, it was a walk around Hoan Kiem Lake (Sword Lake) before dinner. Around the lake, there was a lake-side gym staffed with equipments ranging for dumbbells to exercise bicycles. Guess they do have a better view then in my idea of a traditional gym, though they had to contend with the air pollution from the road and its endless traffic just beside it. Next, it was off to view the Thang Long Water Puppet show, which my parents claimed was the highlight of our previous trip to Ho Chi Minh (but I had missed due to a debilitating migraine). Thang Long is the former Vietnamese name of Hanoi. Here, puppeteers handle their colourful creations whilst standing waist-deep in water, depicting various tales and myths in Vietnam lore, accompanied by an operatic voice singing the tunes played by a Chinese orchestra. Interesting, but definitely not the highlight of my trip to Vietnam.

St Joseph's Cathedral



Lakeside gym


Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of the Jade Mountain in the middle

The finale of the water puppet show


Day 5 and 6 - Ha Long Bay: Hang Sung Sot, Titop Island and Luon Cave

If there was anything that was to be the highlight of the trip, it definitely is Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay, which means Descending Dragon Bay, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Legend has it that long ago, during an invasion by the Chinese, dragons came to defend the land, spitting out thousands of jades and pearls as they descended, and these in turn formed a jade island upon striking the water, forming a protective barrier against the invaders. Why the dragons would turn on the Chinese has thus far remained a mystery. But I'm glad they did what they did. Here, millions of years ago, a limestone mountain range was submerged by the sea, leaving behind the multitude of islands that form the karst seascape of today.


Me on the cruise


Hanging legs



Sales-rep 


 A view from Hang Sung Sot


What's there to do at Ha Long Bay besides seeing all these islands and rock formations you may ask? I wondered about it too, but there are plenty of activities for one and all. Our first stop was to Hang Sung Sot (Cave of the Surprises), which is one of the largest grottoes in the entire bay. One transfers from the cruise ship to a smaller motorised boat before being ferried to one of the many islands. You then ascend and descend countless steps before entering the spectacular interior of the cave, filled with countless stalactites and stalagmites, providing an intricate work of natural art.


The interior of Hang Sung Sot



The Cave of Surprises


Rock formations in Ha Long Bay

Our next stop was Titop island, so named after the Soviet cosmonaut and hero, Ghermann Titop, who was brought here by Uncle Ho way back in 1962. Here, you can choose to go swimming, or if your heart can afford it, a 427-step climb up to the top of the island, where a pagoda awaits you together with a postcard-perfect view of the surrounding bay area. I highly recommend the latter, which didn't disappoint. The view was stunning, and well worth the work-out. A fellow climber realised that her camera battery was flat when she reached the top, which must have been an absolute downer. But the idea is to enjoy the view, real time.

Ha Long Bay


Anchoring for the night

The next morning, it was a boat-ride to Luon Cave, where one gets rowed through an arc at the base of the Con Rua islet. One ends up in the middle of the lake in an island, with its shuddering heights  enclosing the lake, surrounded only by peace and calm. I even managed to see some monkeys, attracted by the noise and also by food, sitting atop a rocky outpost. I believe they were as particularly bemused by us as we were bemused by them.


Boat ride out to Luon Cave

The monkeys of Luon Cave
All too soon, it was time to head back to the mainland and head back to Hanoi on a bumpy 3-hour bus ride. I do not suggest to do Ha Long Bay as a day trip from Hanoi, it would be such a pity to have such a rushed trip, and also, one wouldn't be able to survive six hours of such a ride. I will definitely miss the peace and tranquility of Ha Long Bay, amidst the wondrous spectacle of nature that it provided. It was now time to head back to the bustle of Hong Kong to conclude the final few days of my holiday. 

Days 7-10 - Hong Kong: Victoria Peak (at night), more good food and a fond farewell

My final few days in Hong Kong were spent indulging in more good food, and another trip up to the Peak, but this time at night, and a clear, smogless night as well, which offered even more spectacular views of this urban jungle. They say that the Peak offers the best night skyline in the world - I must admit that I have to agree with it.


Dim Sum - Siew Mai

The Peak - at night


View from the apartment

And in the blink of an eye, my holiday came to an end, and it was back to the doldrums of work. Just would like to thank my wonderful hosts for taking care of me whilst I was there and making sure that I had my belly filled and my mind occupied, and more importantly, for providing a roof over my head. It was a really wonderful holiday exploring old but new sights again!

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posted by Gabriel Yan at 5:41 PM 0 comments