Tam Coc , Vietnam 越南陆龙湾 ： Mesmerised 陶醉

陶醉

群山围绕，

细水长流，

习习凉风，

自我陶醉。

Memerised

Mountains punctuating the banks,

River meanderng in between,

Splashes whispering along,

As we gentling rowed，

mesmerised

5.2.2013

第二天  宁平与陆龙湾

早餐是在旅店的餐厅用。我吃鸡肉炒面，面有点咸。 8点在旅店外等旅巴， 等到8.35 巴士才来。是辆休闲车。这个团有11个人。导游是Vuong，曾经在澳洲留学的一个年轻小伙子，讲了一口流利的澳式英语。路程是2小时。半路停车休息，那里有餐厅和精品店。

第一站是去一个古城，名叫宁平（Ninh Binh）。古城外风景明媚，四周都是山峦环绕。古城的桥更是漂亮。导游说今天我们幸运，因为那里有个庆典，会有穿传统服装的少男少女。过了桥就是个广场，那里真的有好多穿着传统服装的越南少女，她们的服装一律是黄色的开衩长旗袍，戴着越南独特的圆锥帽。个个阿娜多姿地站着或坐着，任你拍照。害羞的则把帽拉底，遮脸。她们使我想起西贡小姐。男的也是黄色马褂，戴黄色的圆帽。古城里的庙进去不能拍照，还得脱下帽子。

看完了庙，我们离开古城，去吃午餐。午餐是在码头的一个餐馆，我们吃自由餐。有很多选择。炒饭和米粉不错，汤很好喝。吃了午餐，我们开始搭船游陆龙湾（Tam Coc）。Tam在越南语是三的意思，而coc就是洞穴。那就是说，我们坐船会经过三个洞穴。一艘船只能坐两个人。开始坐船很不稳，摇来晃去。后来就渐渐地比较稳。沿河风景好美。周围的山就像武夷山，我个人觉得比武夷山美得多。我坐在前面，船夫是什么样子我都不知道，他也没讲话，不像武夷山的船夫讲得好多。我看其他的船夫都是用脚划船，这又使我想起绍兴的东湖。

回到河内是6.30。导游给了我们他的名片，内有贴心的美食介绍。导游说今天是他一年内的最后一个团，等下他就要回家乡。他的家乡离河内要7个钟头的路程。

Day 2 Ninh Binh and Tam Coc

After taking breakfast at the hotel, I waited for the guide of my day tour. He came in a van at 8.35 am. There were 11 of us. The guide, Vuong was once a student in Australia, so he spoke good English. The journey took 2 hours. We stopped at a restaurant-cum-souvenir shop for a rest after an hour. After that we proceeded to Ninh Binh. We were lucky that there was a ceremony at the square where there were lots of teenagers wearing traditional Vietnamese costume.Donned with Vietnamese cone-shaped hats, the girls were charming. They would pose for our camera though the shy ones would hide their faces with the hats, making them all the more attractive with a mysterious touch.The temple was nice but no photography was allowed.

After Ninh Binh, we had our buffet lunch at a restaurant by the jetty. The lunch was nice . After lunch, we took a boat ride to Tam Coc. 'Tam ' in Vietnamese means 3 while 'Coc' means caves. So, there are 3 small caves that we would cross.The scenery along the river was spectacular.The boatman even rowed with their legs! It was a nice trip.

At 6.30 pm we returned to Hanoi. The guide, Vuong, gave us his name card. At the back of the card, there were his recommendations of Vietnamese delicacies. He was very thoughtful.

Hanoi, Vietnam越南河内：Spring Blossoms 春花朵朵

春花朵朵

红彤彤的花瓣，

飞越满街，

朵朵的春花开，

迷漫春暖。

Spring Blossoms

The reddish spring blossoms adorn,

atop the busy traffic,

bloom in the warmth ,

as spring steps into the bustling streets.

前言

认识越南是因为越南战争和越南难民的悲惨命运。也因为梁朝伟的‘三轮车夫’,许鞍华的‘投奔怒海’和在新加坡看的歌剧‘西贡小姐’而开始注意越南。直到越南开放了，人们也开始去越南旅行。几年前去柬埔寨时曾在胡志明机场转机。当时那里的机场人员还对我的带有晶片的新护照而感到好奇，翻来翻去地看了好几回才交还给我。

Prelude

Because of a few movies and a musical "Miss Saigon" I have decided to go to Vietnam, to find traces of the tragic Vietnam war and the refugees. 

4.2.2013 

第一天 ：河内

马航飞机在12点10分准时到达河内机场。顺利过了海关后去拿行李。那里的行李输送机好厉害，行李从下面上来时还会停下感应前面在行走的行李，上来的行李像过马路的人，确定前面没有别的行李时才跌落下来。可是我在那里等得好久都不见我的行李。最后好像没有行李再上来了，我有点焦急。后来工作人员走下去，不久又有行李上来了。一定是有行李在下面卡着。最后我的行李终于来了。拿了行李，走出关口，一位年轻小伙子拿着写有我名字的卡片。他是来接我去旅店的。一个小时后我到达我的旅店，‘皇家皇宫旅店’（Royal  Palace, 66美元）。旅店还不错，柜台负责人是代班的，很多事都不懂，连地图在哪里都不知道。房间很美，也很清洁。里面还有电视和电脑。准备好了，我下去柜台。没有地图，他给我柜台上的名片，后面有地图。他告诉我去湖边只要10分钟。走出大路，拐左，再拐右，然后直走就是湖边了。

路上好多电单车，行人绿灯亮了他们还是照走，在斑马线也不停下来。真糟糕。还好河内气候较低，28度，不会热。走了不久，看到湖边了。那是还剑湖（Hoan Kiem Lake）。那里风景还不错，使我想起福州的西湖。有一条美丽的红桥连接湖岸和一个小岛。岛上是一间庙， 名叫玉山寺（Nhoc  Son Temple）。我向右直去，那里是个公园，有好多花的装饰，也有美丽的雕塑。走到街尾，还是没看到游客中心，直觉告诉我应该走错了。找个学生妹问问，真的走错了，应该向左走。游客中心面对湖，其实不难找，是我没注意到。

进去柜台问了一些团，价钱还合理,。因为是新年期间，游客中心下星期没开。我还是把所有的团一起定了。明天去陆龙湾，价钱是37美元。白渡龙和下龙湾2天一夜游，是285美元，因为是新年，所以要附加费。这是个豪华团。最后一天是个人团，由一位导游带我去香水塔。这个团也要158美元。总共花了480美元。

办妥了当地游，我问负责人哪里可以看水上木偶。负责人告诉我就在离这里隔几间建筑就是。那是个高高的建筑，写着水上木偶。去柜台问，今天的票已经卖完了，明天晚上9.10有一场。票价是100，000越南盾（15令吉）。过后就过桥去湖上的玉山寺。岛上的树好美，应该是榕树吧，有好多须。那里还有棵很怪的果树，不像柚子，也不像葫芦。拍完了照就去公园走走。那里还有一个角落给画家画画。看来河内政府也蛮提倡艺术。

Day 1: Hanoi

       Malaysia Airlines arrived at Hanoi airport at 12.30 pm. After collecting my luggage, I was taken to my hotel, Royal  Palace(66 USD per night), by the hotel pick-up. It took an hour's journey. The hotel was clean and comfortable, and it is 10 minutes' walk to Hoan Kiem Lake.

‘皇家皇宫旅店’ Royal  Palace

The roads in Hanoi are full of motorcyles which literallily go helter-skelter,disregarding the traffic lights. Luckily the weather was then balmy with a temperature of 28 degree.After 10 minutes, I arrived at Hoan Kiem Lake. It reminded me of the West Lake of Fuzhou. There is a beautiful red bridge joining the bank to an island where Nhoc  Son Temple is located. Before strolling the vicinity I hopped into the tourist centre nearby and arranged for the succeeding day tours :

Tam Coc : 37 USD    ,   Halong Bay : 285USD - 2 days 1 night   ,   Perfume Pagoda (private tour with a guide) : 158USD （Due to Chinese New Year, there was additional charge )

After settling my day tours, I went to the nearby building  to book the Water Puppet Show for the night. But it was sold out for that day. I booked the 9.10 pm show for the next day. The ticket cost 100,000VND (about 15 ringgit ). Then I crossed the bridge to Nhoc  Son Temple. I was thrilled by the unusual fruit and the charming flowers there.

                

Water Puppet Theatre              The Tourist Centre旅客中心

水上木偶剧院

10.2.2013

第七天： 河内

从顺化，越南航空9.30到达河内机场。河内气候转凉，个个都穿毛衣。拿了行李，去搭机场迷你巴士，今天的价钱是50，000盾，不是40，000盾。11.30抵达越南航空的前面。到了旅店后，打算游旧城区。我从湖边开始，湖边的人物雕塑已经开幕了，有三个人物，很美。再从水上木偶那里走起直到东门。发现这里的房屋没有挂红彩，而是挂国旗。还有这里的男士拜年都穿大衣。再从东门走去Quan Su路，然后转右去列宁公园（Lenin Park）。从那里我走去胡志明陵墓。半路看到马来西亚大使馆，建筑很漂亮，正想拍照时，门口的保安不准我拍，我告诉他我是马来西亚人，他才让我拍。来到胡志明陵墓，不能进去看。有人在那里上香。从胡志明陵墓我去皇城（Citadel）。那里环境幽美，还有盆栽展。皇城附近有个旗塔，美得很，我好喜欢。从这里回去越南航空，转左回去旅店。半路上有间教堂名叫河内大教堂，建筑不错。从这里我结束行程。

Day 7：Hanoi

From Hue, Vietnam Airlines arrived at Hanoi airport at 9.30 am. From there I took a mini bus to the city centre (costing me 50,000VND, additional of 10,000VND due to Chinese New Year ).After checking-in the hotel, I walked to the lake. From the water puppet theatre I walked to the old streets of Hanoi. From there I  went back to Quan Su Street.,then  turned right to Lenin Park and Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. I also went to the beautiful Citadel, overlooking the Flag Tower which stands majestically in the vicinity. On the way back to the hotel, I saw The Hanoi Cathedral. 


14.2.2013

第十一天:河内

早上很早起来。7点出门去找文庙。到了那里文庙还没开。在围墙外拍照。然后去附近的公园看看，那里有人做晨运。从那里，打算去找一柱宝塔（One Pillar Pagoda）。

一柱宝塔就在胡志明博物馆的旁边，我绕了一圈，问了好多人，才找到它，原来它是建在一间庙内。我刚才经过那间庙，却不知道塔是在里面。塔很特别，蛮喜欢的。

退了房，走去机场迷你巴士站。搭9点的车去机场。

Day 11： Hanoi

At 7.00 am, I went to The Temple of Literature. From there I went to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum again in search of The One Pillar Pagoda which I missed the other day. Tucked behind a temple, this pagoda which stands on a single pillar is a sight to behold. I love it.

After checking out of the hotel, I walked to the airport mini bus station, taking the 9 am bus to the airport, ready for my homeward bound.

Prague ，Czech 捷克布拉格：The Dancing House 跳舞的房子

跳舞的房子

我们紧紧地互相拥抱，

舞着，舞着。

我们不理别人的眼光，

舞着，舞着，

不离不弃，天长地久。

The Dancing House

We affectionately embrace,

dancing,dancing.

We 're oblivious of others around,

dancing, dancing,

never depart, forever, ever.

The beautiful scenery around the Vltava River where the dancing house is located.







Destination : The Dancing House of Prague
Date: 4.12.2012
Comment: I was amazed and fell in love on first sight when I saw this unique building built at midst the busy street by the Vltava River. Don't miss this fantastic  building when you are in Prague. The scenery in the vicinity is a beauty too.

旅游景点：捷克新城区的跳舞的屋子
日期：4.12.2012
评语：第一眼看到这奇特的建筑，让我感叹，也一见钟情。建在Vltava 河畔的繁忙道路旁，这建筑像沉醉的舞者，不理身旁的异样眼光。来到布拉格的游客们，别忘了来这里看看，它周边的景色更是迷人。