Wedding in Vietnam

I had been thinking about traveling to Vietnam ever since my friend (classmate at the university) said that she would invite me to her wedding. Finally the big day was ahead. 
My boyfriend and I and also a Finnish host family of my friend flew from Helsinki to Ho Chi Minh City (later HCMC) in March 2017. We had a connecting flight heading to Vinh City located in Middle Vietnam.

After resting at our hotel in Vinh we visited a nice restaurant with outside tables. Our group included besides the Finns, our Vietnamese friends and sisters of both the bride and the groom. We had a traditional Vietnamese dinner with many different shared portions. Here are some pictures below of the food.

Later that night we were invited to a very pretty café which had many light decorations and even fountains. I have never seen that kind of a café place before. It looked very nice with all the decorative lights hanging from trees. It was a new cultural thing to learn that in Vietnam it is okay to throw the peals of sunflower seeds on the floor – after all the café workers will swipe the floors.

On Friday my friend invited us to go see a pagoda of the city. One of her relatives was our taxi driver the whole day. First we went to see a beautiful pagoda on a hill, then we burnt some traditional incense there to show respect, and we also saw some cute puppies in the pagoda area. 

After that we decided to visit the birth town of Ho Chi Minh. It took a while to travel there by taxi but it was interesting to see the countryside, paddy fields and water buffaloes. The weather was a bit cloudy but warm. Our friend explained uss the history of the birth town. Here are a few pictures about it.

After that we had a lunch and a cup of coffee together with the Finnish host family in a local shopping center. We also did some souvenir shopping for example I was buying shoes for my niece and in the end I ended up having maybe five sellers (young women) helping me. They were wondering my skin color which is very light. Here in Vinh City, which doesn’t have many foreign tourists, we felt like celebrities because many locals wanted to take pictures with us “foto foto”. Many times we were the only foreigners around. In the big tourist HCM City we were not anything special anymore.

Not many Vietnamese could speak English in the city which we first visited, and most of the time our friends were taking care of us and translating everything but a few times we (meaning us and the other Finnish couple) went shopping on our own and we didn’t have any common language but instead we used gestures or calculator. I felt that people in Vinh city were quite friendly in a way that even though we didn’t have any common language they were not arrogant like “why don’t you speak Vietnamese”. Instead I felt positive vibes that they tried to understand us, when we said something in English, even though even young people didn’t seem to know the language.

So if you go to Vietnam in some smaller cities or rural areas I highly recommend you to learn some basic words or phrases. The word for water was quite difficult for me so in one restaurant I showed a picture of a water bottle from my phone which I had searched on the internet using the hotel’s free Wi-Fi and then saved the picture. I also did this in our hotel with hair dryer and toilet paper because hotel staff didn’t speak English. I learnt during the trip some words in Vietnamese which are “xin chao” good day, “xinh” means beautiful and tra xanh [chazang] means green tea. It seems that I didn’t learn so many useful words like “yes please”, “thank you” or “no”.

Pre-Wedding Party

We had agreed to join the party for close family and relatives on Friday night. Also our friend (classmate at the uni) from the Philippines traveled to the wedding with her baby and mom. We hadn’t seen each other for a few years when she moved back home from Finland. So together we all went to the party. First we went to the house of the groom, where we had some toast and snacks and took group photos. I am not sure how long this lasted, maybe thirty minutes only because the relatives had arrived in the house earlier than us. Then we headed to the house of the bride (this is traditional) and also ate some snacks, had a little chat and took group photos. The experience was really nice even though we didn’t have common language with the relatives; we just shook hands and said hello or “xin chao” to everybody.

The Wedding Day

It’s time to celebrate! Our taxi driver who we knew already took us to the amazing venue which was crowded with cars. There was even a man in the parking area to keep the place in order. We felt like we were going to a big concert. There were approximately 800 guests. This is traditional Vietnamese wedding that there are many guests, friends of the parents, former teachers etc. First we took pictures of and with the bride and the groom and then the ceremony started. They walked down the stage and there was a host telling about their life in Vietnamese. 

The wedding couple also cut a piece of the wedding cake, exchanged rings and also pour steamy champagne onto a pyramid of glasses. The ceremony was over very fast, I think it was completed in 30 or 45 minutes. The guests also ate during the ceremony which is custom there because the venue place was very popular so there was the next ceremony starting soon. The foreign guests including us shared a round table and we were thrilled about the ceremony so we didn’t eat quickly and leave like the rest of the guests did. Of course I understand that with that many guests you have to be efficient. After all the previous night was a celebration for the closer family and relatives. The actual wedding party did not last long but they had celebrated during the whole week before the wedding day, for example engagement party and the pre-party. The wedding day was amazing, and our friends looked so beautiful and happy together!

The After Party

We had an after-party with the foreign friends of the newlyweds in a karaoke room and had some snacks there. The songs were mostly in Vietnamese but the karaoke system did have some late 90's hits for example from Backstreet boys. The big celebration day had come to an end so we went back to our hotel to get some sleep.

Speaking Russian in Vietnam

The next day, on Sunday was a beach day for us the foreign visitors (my boyfriend and I, Finnish couple, our friend and her Mom). Our local friends could not come with us but we had the familiar taxi guy driving, who knew Russian language (but not English) so I could communicate with him and ask if there was something we wanted to know. We went to the beach however the weather was quite windy, cloudy and chilly so obviously we didn’t go swimming but instead we just took photos, spotted some nice sea shells etc.

After the beach visit we had a lunch and the taxi driver translated us what we wanted to eat in a seaside restaurant where we were the only customers. The food was delicious even though it was surprisingly expensive. We would have thought that seafood is cheap in Vietnam.

We had our last lunch in Vinh City at my friend’s husband’s home. We were served good traditional Vietnamese food. It was a really nice new experience for us to eat on the floor. See the picture below.

Ho Chi Minh City here we come

After lunch our Vietnamese friends and we four Finns flew to Ho Chi Minh City for a few days holiday. Our hotel was very nice with a great view from the rooftop where we had our breakfasts. Also our hotel room was very nice and cozy even though it was so tiny. 

The weather was very hot here in HCMC, if Vinh City had almost 20 degrees but cloudy and windy HCMC had 30C almost every day. Despite the hot weather we walked quite a lot in the city. In the first evening we ate street food, and after eating we did some circling around the close-by market area.

The next day was booked for tourist attractions, for example the Independence Palace. Thanks to our Vietnamese friends we had nice lunch and dinner because they had googled the good places beforehand and that's why they always knew the right places for us. We even walked quite a lot just to find some certain cafe or restaurant but that made the experience even better, it was worth searching.

HCMC was also a good place for shopping for example souvenirs and touristic stuff; however it was hard to find an “average” shopping mall. A few shopping centers were quite expensive; you wouldn’t want to spend a lot of money on European brands, would you? The Saigon Square instead had very cheap prices but I didn’t want to buy anything because I felt the quality was so bad. Well, I did buy two soaps for souvenirs. Later we found a nice souvenir shop where we bought many nice decorative items.

We also visited the War Remnants Museum which was a sad experience to see all the pictures of casualties of the war, and some pictures on the wall were too disturbing for me to see so I skipped some of them.

Before leaving HCMC to another destination called Vung Tau we had a really great Vietnamese lunch buffet. Everything was so delicious even though I didn’t even know what I was eating (well, some noodles, rice, summer rolls etc.)

Ho Chi Minh City was a great experience because it had many nice restaurants and cafes which have very reasonable prices, also taking a taxi costs very little compared to Finland. Of course the prices were a little higher in HCMC than in Vinh City. There are nice hotels and places to see. Atmosphere is very authentic, but what I didn’t like was the hectic environment. You have to be very careful when crossing the streets, even if there are traffic lights green for pedestrians. Also the air was quite polluted but it didn’t bother too much in touristic places.

Going to Vung Tau

So, we took a private van for our trip (our friends and Finnish couple) to Vung Tau where we had a nice hotel resort circled with beautiful flowers. On the first night we had a dinner and later that night my boyfriend and I wanted to swim in the infinity pool. It was around 30 C in Vung Tau, so swimming after sunset was nice when it wasn’t so hot outside.

On the next day we went to eat together some traditional mini-pancakes called Banh Khot in Vung Tau, they were so delicious, see the picture below:) After eating lunch that we had a quick tour in the local shopping center and we also bought food in the supermarket for the evening as we didn’t want to do anything else than relax at the hotel, eat there and swim at the pool. The next day we would be leaving our resort.

We had a nice breakfast in the last morning in Vung Tau and we also said goodbye to our friends who left back to Vinh City and the four of us took a mini-van ride back to HCMC (which was quite scary because the driver was like a formula driver). We drove right back to the airport of HCMC to say goodbye to the Finnish couple whom we were really glad to get to know and spend time with. My boyfriend and I would stay the last night Saturday-Sunday the two of us in HCMC before our flight back to Finland.

The last night in HCMC

The last night here in HCMC was rainy and my boyfriend and I could only visit a pagoda and then it started pouring rain again. We were already so hungry so we just decided to enter the first restaurant we see and it was KFC. We ate there and waited for the rain to stop. We also asked the waitress to call us a taxi but the taxi never showed up so we just stood outside the building but underneath the roof to avoid getting all wet. My boyfriend doesn’t mind the rain so he was standing in the rain waiving for taxis and also the waitress that served us came to the rainy street to help us find a taxi (even though her clothes got wet), then a taxi came and the waitress opened the door for me quickly and almost pushed me inside the car so that I wouldn’t get all wet. What great customer service! J

The final day in HCMC

We had a nice breakfast at the hotel and then we tried to get rid of our last money (VN Dongs). We went to walk around the hotel area, found some nice cafe place and bought ice cream and coffee and went to eat in a close-by park. That was very pleasant. We also did some last call shopping of souvenirs which were very cheap and I would have wanted to buy even more but our luggage was already full. 

Before taking a taxi to the airport we just spent time at the roof top bar. Our flight had transfer at Changi airport in Singapore. The airport was already familiar to us. It was as expensive as airports always are but it felt very expensive especially after shopping in Vietnam. After one night traveling we arrived back in Finland.

We had a very memorable and unique trip all thanks to our friends who invited us to their wedding and guided us, and also other guests who they invited that we could meet made this journey an amazing experience. Back in Vietnam we didn’t know that we would meet with our friends after two months - this time in Berlin.

NEW YORK, BABY

First, my boyfriend and I were planning a trip to Ireland, Dublin but for some reason we just decided to change our plans - we would be going to NYC!

At JFK airport we had to wait quite a long time for the passport check but the actual moment when we stood at the counter went by really fast. I was waiting for questions like “business or pleasure” but the officer didn’t ask a thing.

After getting our luggage we decided to take the Air Train instead of taxi. Note: it’s good to save the 1-time subway cards for later use when you return from the city to the airport. The next day we bought a-one-week subway card.

The weather was almost too hot at times - around 30C every day! The city was also full of tourists, as you can imagine. I guess August is a common holiday season for European tourists. Subway stations are like saunas but the subway and shopping centers are almost too cold because of the air conditioning so you might need to carry a cardigan and/or a scarf with you. I found useful epecially my tube scarf which I used for covering my shoulders in a direct sunlight.

Our hotel was nice and after check-in we were resting the evening and got to sleep early. After all the flight was around 8 hours and jet lag is making you so tired. Our hotel was located in Queens in the area that at first sight looked a bit scary but later on we got used to it so it was okay, even though we didn't dare to walk outside during night. :)

Day 01: Sunday

On the first day we decided to visit the WTC memorial place and Oculus. It was such a sad moment to see all the names written on the memorial place, especially a lady’s name written and besides her name “and her unborn child”.

After spending some time at the memorial place we also walked to see Wall Street and other close by monuments. We also visited the huge shopping center Century 21, which we first discovered to be chaotic – but later on we knew where our favorite things are located so it was easier to navigate in this huge shopping center. It sells brand clothes on such a good discount.

Shopping and walking in the sunshine made us tired and we needed to have a little rest so we went to a café and I was asking the waiter’s opinion on one drink and told him that I don’t drink coffee; he said “me neither” and then he asked if I wanted to have for free an ice tea which was made by accident (a mistaken order). So I took it and it was nice. :)
In the evening we wanted to eat dinner in Chinatown. It was raining a lot as we entered the restaurant. We were exhausted from the jet lag thinking of what time it would be in Finland at that moment. We just ate the dinner, half asleep. After our dinner we wanted to have some take-away bubble tea in a close-by cafe.

Later in the evening when we were heading back to our hotel for some reason we took another subway train which took us to another subway station and we had to walk a longer route to our hotel with our shopping bags.. in the rain..

Day 02: Monday 

The second travel day, which was Monday we decided to go walking in the center for example to see the Empire State building, then by accident we saw Macy’s department store and decided to enter for a little shopping. We wanted to see High Line and walked it through in the heat. We took some nice photos and noticed the Whitney museum was right there so we entered even though we were not aware of what is on there. We watched beautiful pictures on all floors but we were quite tired because of jet lag, the heat and all the walking so we went upstairs and took some nice photos outside. There is a nice view from the pent floor.

Day 03: Tuesday

Central park was very peaceful on that day. We did the right thing by going there early in the morning. It was actually a little chilly outside. We could see quite many joggers, dog walkers, moms with babies. We enjoyed this relaxing atmosphere in the park.

I feel we had the chance to visit all the must see places that we wanted to see but when going to Central Park we didn't plan it much, we thought we just randomly walk there and enjoy the peaceful park life. However, afterwards I realized there were two statues that I would have wanted to see: Alice in Wonderland and Balto the dog because when I was a child I really liked the animated film of Balto the sled dog who helped deliver vaccines to Nome, Alaska 1925.

After relaxing time in the park we went to see the Times Square, which was crowded as always, but it was nice anyway to see all the lights and ad screens that I have seen on TV. We even saw a street performer ”the naked Cowboy”, who my boyfriend had seen on Times Square 10 years ago when he visited New York.

Even though we walked a lot during the day and we were so tired we decided to visit Roosevelt Island and Queensborobridge in the evening. We both liked the place. It was so peaceful because there were only a few other people, and not so many tourists. We took a lot of photos and walked around the area.

It was interesting to see there an abandoned hospital which was on one side all covered with plants.

We were hungry after walking so we went to a Japanese restaurant to eat delicious sushi and as a dessert we took Mochi red bean ice cream. omnom.

It was so refreshing to eat sushi. Knowing there are so many amazing restaurants in NYC, but somehow when you are the most hAngry and you need to find a place to eat fast, there aren’t many good restaurants on sight. So we ate quite a few hamburgers and pizzas. But I have to say that the pizza in Little Italy was really delicious. I also liked ShakeShack burgers and fries. For some lunch we did have salad though. :) 

Day 04: Wednesday

We traveled on the Staten Island ferry and took some photos of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. The weather was super-hot. When we arrived on the island we randomly walked and decided to go back. Obviously some other tourists just take the ferry and go in the lobby and wait for the return ferry. That’s what we should have done too. x) We were so early among the first people waiting in line to go inside the ferry. Everybody is waiting to get the best photo spots on the upper deck of the ferry. It was unbelievable. After the gates were open some people ran like crazy. xD Of course we also walked fast but we didn’t at least run at full speed. After the island visit we stayed a while at the harbor eating some ice cream. While sitting back on the park bench eating ice cream we noticed there was a Korean War memorial place. 

I don’t have any pictures of the later night so I guess we didn't do any sightseeing but we went shopping!

Day 05: Thursday

On Thursday morning we went to see the Grand Central Train Station to take some photos and then we went to Bryant Park for a cup of take-away coffee. 

After lunch we needed to get ready for the Broadway musical Phantom of the Opera, which I’m a huge fan of. It was great, what can I say. *sigh* I started being a fan of Phantom in high school about ten years ago!

After seeing Phantom we ate good burgers and fries in ShakeShack which was located nearby. It was funny that in that restaurant the waiter asked my name just like in Starbucks. I wouldn't even bother to spell my real name because it's not "international" so I just said "Alex" and in Starbucks when the waitress asked my name I was thinking of a name "Cindy" and she wrote "Sindey", which is quite close. :)

"The Phantom of the Opera is there - inside your mind"

Day 06: Friday

We visited Brooklyn on such a hot day again. :) We visited the Brooklyn Botanic garden which was so nice and peaceful. There were only a few tourists among us, yay! We liked the Japanese garden a lot because the hot weather in August dried almost all other flowers so the Japanese style garden was still green.

After visiting the Botanic garden in that heat we were exhausted. We decided to rest in some nearby park for a minute:  we ate some snacks there and gathered energy for crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, which was actually surprisingly pleasant to walk in shade not in direct sunlight. The Brooklyn Bridge was one of my favorite places. :) After crossing the bridge we wanted to go to eat a delicious pizza in Little Italy, the first pizza place in New York City! After eating we decided to do some final shopping in Century 21 and get ready for the incoming journey back home.

Day 07: Saturday

It’s time to go home today. But before that we decided to visit CBS studios and Rockefeller center and it was good that by accident St. Patrick’s Cathedral was there close-by which I had wanted to see earlier but forgot about it. It was very beautiful.  

When we returned to our hotel we noticed our closest subway doesn’t go so we had to walk again the longer route. After getting our luggage at the hotel we decided not to take a taxi but to walk to the other subway station with our luggage. Even though the heat was so tiring we would after all have a long flight ahead so it was good to have some exercise before that. We were very early at the airport so everything went smoothly.

In the end New York was great! I loved exploring the city, however the hectic environment & constant traffic sounds made me feel tired. The weather in mid August (2016) was very hot so maybe it would be better time to visit NYC in late spring or early autumn!
Thanks for reading this (long) travel story! Next story: Vietnam in 2017.