Monday, October 6, 2008
greetings from our last day in hoian, we are out of ammunition and are unable to hold our line so are being forced to retreat south we have engaged the enemy in close quarter fighting but they have proved to be our equal, troops continue to grow in confidence, nam is a little different from 2003 but there is still an amazing contrast between real poverty and tradition and the bustle of people on the move, people are still amazingly friendly and the trip is everything we hoped with the troops being magnificent and the parents have been blown away with their approach and character I , of course, suspected they might be, luckily it is not as hot as last time but still pretty sticky the general
Xin Chow From Vietnam
Hello Everyone Back Home In Invercargill
This is our last day here in Hoi An after an amazing eight course meal together we are all feeling pretty good , For the resturant staff at the dragons lcoal hangout the (Tien Dien) the whole tour preformed a haka in the middle of the street in Hoi An many locals come out wondering what the noise was about but were all entertained the we sang Ka Waiata which was really enjoyed by the staff and head chef since the dragons marketed the resturant to may many other people on tour and other tourists we have been asked back at 2pm this afternoon for free ice cream which I think is pretty cool
Then it was back to the hotel to strut our stuff and show off our latest garments purchased here and there was some stunning dreses and not to mention suits , The categories that were entered were
* Formal Suits
*Casual Wear
*Team Event
*Best And Worse Purchases
*Shoes
This afternoon we are flying south to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) so driving up to Da Nang then flying into Ho Chi Minh City for the final leg of the tour which will be awesome really good buys there including Bihn Tranh Markets which are really great for electronics and clothes
So Its Xin Chow From The Pho Hoi Riverside Resort ( Hoi An )
See you
William :)
This is our last day here in Hoi An after an amazing eight course meal together we are all feeling pretty good , For the resturant staff at the dragons lcoal hangout the (Tien Dien) the whole tour preformed a haka in the middle of the street in Hoi An many locals come out wondering what the noise was about but were all entertained the we sang Ka Waiata which was really enjoyed by the staff and head chef since the dragons marketed the resturant to may many other people on tour and other tourists we have been asked back at 2pm this afternoon for free ice cream which I think is pretty cool
Then it was back to the hotel to strut our stuff and show off our latest garments purchased here and there was some stunning dreses and not to mention suits , The categories that were entered were
* Formal Suits
*Casual Wear
*Team Event
*Best And Worse Purchases
*Shoes
This afternoon we are flying south to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) so driving up to Da Nang then flying into Ho Chi Minh City for the final leg of the tour which will be awesome really good buys there including Bihn Tranh Markets which are really great for electronics and clothes
So Its Xin Chow From The Pho Hoi Riverside Resort ( Hoi An )
See you
William :)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Unicorns Upstanding
Xin Cao everyone,
Vietnam is simply amazing, and not least of all Hoi An. The Unicorns (Thomas, Gavin, Roman, Liam, Tim, Cody and Atrayl), are having a ball, and not just because we saw Unicorns playing with a ball at the Water Puppets in Hanoi. Apparently, here in Vietnam, the word Unicorm is synonymous with Lion, which sounds a lot more dignified, but Vietnamese Unicorns are nothing like the Western ones let me assure you.
Hoi An is a shopping, cultural and historical Mecca for us tourists, and four nights here in the Pho Hoi Riverside Resort are well worth the money. Suits and dresses galore are being tailored for everyone, while Wes is still looking for another pair of underwear. As we are approaching the final leg of our tour of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), money for some is now being rationed, and rightly so, because the markets in HCMC are huge, we are informed, and much money will change hands.
Tonight a fashion parade and mass court-martial will happen back at the Pho Hoi. I myself am up for numerous charges, mainly worst buy on the tour, but some girls have really spent up here in Hoi An, so maybe that's the only salvation I will have when it comes to my defence.
So this is a big goodbye from the Unicorns here in the sunny (very sunny) streets of Hoi An.
Tim Lindsay
Vietnam is simply amazing, and not least of all Hoi An. The Unicorns (Thomas, Gavin, Roman, Liam, Tim, Cody and Atrayl), are having a ball, and not just because we saw Unicorns playing with a ball at the Water Puppets in Hanoi. Apparently, here in Vietnam, the word Unicorm is synonymous with Lion, which sounds a lot more dignified, but Vietnamese Unicorns are nothing like the Western ones let me assure you.
Hoi An is a shopping, cultural and historical Mecca for us tourists, and four nights here in the Pho Hoi Riverside Resort are well worth the money. Suits and dresses galore are being tailored for everyone, while Wes is still looking for another pair of underwear. As we are approaching the final leg of our tour of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), money for some is now being rationed, and rightly so, because the markets in HCMC are huge, we are informed, and much money will change hands.
Tonight a fashion parade and mass court-martial will happen back at the Pho Hoi. I myself am up for numerous charges, mainly worst buy on the tour, but some girls have really spent up here in Hoi An, so maybe that's the only salvation I will have when it comes to my defence.
So this is a big goodbye from the Unicorns here in the sunny (very sunny) streets of Hoi An.
Tim Lindsay
PHOENIX!!!!!
Hey guys,
Since we've been here, we have experienced so much of the culture, food, heat and shopping. Being an all-female group, we particularly enjoyed the shopping part, but that hasn't been the highlight or most important part of this trip. So far, we have jumped off a boat into the South China Sea, eaten lots of seafood and attempted to cross roads without being hit. We are in a country with no road rules. Well, they exist, but are not followed. Our accomodation has been amazing and we have been treated like royalty!!!! We went to a secondary school the other day, and that was an experience we will never forget. Did you know they have 3 shifts at school? 7am-10am, 11am-3pm and 3pm-6pm. The men did a haka and the Vietnamese students all jumped when Renata broke out into a war-cry! They nearly wet themselves with laughter! They replied to our Ka Waiata with a karaoke version of their school anthem. We had to get permission from the Provincial Govt to actually go to the school, so we feel very priviledged to get to experience that. Now, to the shopping... It is absolutely amazing here. Dresses are so cheap and tailor made, tuxedos are less expensive than back home, and shoes that are custom made for your feet. And there are many more knick-naks such as fridge magnets etc :)
We are all missing our families, but are not home sick thank God. We are the Phoenix group lead by Lynley Irvine and Leanda Davis. The Phoenix represents beauty and loyalty and our group has shown this on the trip because we have all bonded and our friendships have blossomed!!!
The students in our group are Kayla, Tara, Natalie K, Natalie B, Nina, Megan and Allanah.
We have many items of clothing to pick up today so we best be off
Bye bye from Hoi An where we are right now!!
xoxoxoxox
Since we've been here, we have experienced so much of the culture, food, heat and shopping. Being an all-female group, we particularly enjoyed the shopping part, but that hasn't been the highlight or most important part of this trip. So far, we have jumped off a boat into the South China Sea, eaten lots of seafood and attempted to cross roads without being hit. We are in a country with no road rules. Well, they exist, but are not followed. Our accomodation has been amazing and we have been treated like royalty!!!! We went to a secondary school the other day, and that was an experience we will never forget. Did you know they have 3 shifts at school? 7am-10am, 11am-3pm and 3pm-6pm. The men did a haka and the Vietnamese students all jumped when Renata broke out into a war-cry! They nearly wet themselves with laughter! They replied to our Ka Waiata with a karaoke version of their school anthem. We had to get permission from the Provincial Govt to actually go to the school, so we feel very priviledged to get to experience that. Now, to the shopping... It is absolutely amazing here. Dresses are so cheap and tailor made, tuxedos are less expensive than back home, and shoes that are custom made for your feet. And there are many more knick-naks such as fridge magnets etc :)
We are all missing our families, but are not home sick thank God. We are the Phoenix group lead by Lynley Irvine and Leanda Davis. The Phoenix represents beauty and loyalty and our group has shown this on the trip because we have all bonded and our friendships have blossomed!!!
The students in our group are Kayla, Tara, Natalie K, Natalie B, Nina, Megan and Allanah.
We have many items of clothing to pick up today so we best be off
Bye bye from Hoi An where we are right now!!
xoxoxoxox
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Kia Ora From Hoi An
Hoi An is simply stunning , The weathers excellent the foods soo good I highly would reccomend the Tien Dien resturant which is pretty much the dragons hang out by now eating there most days and sampling some very tasty Vietnamese foods
We have bumped into many other New Zealand students doing the same type of trip as us which is really cool Auckland Grammar, Komo From Nelson to name just a few
Our resort we are staying in the Pho Hoi Riverside Resort is awesome the pool is huge and goes down a treat on these very warm 30Deg + Days we are right near the old town which is really good because there are some 500 Tailors around and great shoppin the best yet
The Dragons (Renata , Simon , Ryan , Willy , Thomas , Siaki , Spencer) , Were measured up for some very stylish suits yesterday after getting a special deal with the resturant manager who told us were to go and got us areally good deal ($100.00USD) for a Suit, Pants, Tie, Shirt all custom made and fitted which will be ready to pick up today , We are going for a fitting at 10.00AM this morning
Wes is a great leader and with out him and his knowledge and the other helpers on this trip we wouldnt be here so a big thanks for all your time and hardwork this trip will be remembered forever and already people are talking about wanting to comeback next year like myself which I think is awesome
I will upload photos later on today its juts the internet here is quite slow and cuts out so will head to an internet cafe
So its Xin Chow For Me
Willy (Dargon)
We have bumped into many other New Zealand students doing the same type of trip as us which is really cool Auckland Grammar, Komo From Nelson to name just a few
Our resort we are staying in the Pho Hoi Riverside Resort is awesome the pool is huge and goes down a treat on these very warm 30Deg + Days we are right near the old town which is really good because there are some 500 Tailors around and great shoppin the best yet
The Dragons (Renata , Simon , Ryan , Willy , Thomas , Siaki , Spencer) , Were measured up for some very stylish suits yesterday after getting a special deal with the resturant manager who told us were to go and got us areally good deal ($100.00USD) for a Suit, Pants, Tie, Shirt all custom made and fitted which will be ready to pick up today , We are going for a fitting at 10.00AM this morning
Wes is a great leader and with out him and his knowledge and the other helpers on this trip we wouldnt be here so a big thanks for all your time and hardwork this trip will be remembered forever and already people are talking about wanting to comeback next year like myself which I think is awesome
I will upload photos later on today its juts the internet here is quite slow and cuts out so will head to an internet cafe
So its Xin Chow For Me
Willy (Dargon)
Visiting a School in Vietnam
A visit to a school was arranged yesterday by Mr Dong our travel agent. He had to go to the provincial government for permission and it looked unlikey but the permission came through suddenly late yesterday.
We were shown around and the ICT room had 300 hundred computers in it. A little challenge for us!
7000 students come through the school each day in 3 shifts.
When we walked into the assembly hall we were greeeted by hundreds of clapping students who were having a class in politics.
They were more than a bit surprised by the Haka and once again Ka Waiata by the group.
Wes was not completely sure that his teaching style would fit the Vietnam model but was quietly confident he could do it!
35 degrees and very humid today but it hasn't held back the shoppers!
Lynley
We were shown around and the ICT room had 300 hundred computers in it. A little challenge for us!
7000 students come through the school each day in 3 shifts.
When we walked into the assembly hall we were greeeted by hundreds of clapping students who were having a class in politics.
They were more than a bit surprised by the Haka and once again Ka Waiata by the group.
Wes was not completely sure that his teaching style would fit the Vietnam model but was quietly confident he could do it!
35 degrees and very humid today but it hasn't held back the shoppers!
Lynley
Unicorns unite
Today was the group's first full day in Hoi An - the Tailor capital of Vietnam. The small town has over FIVE HUNDRED tailors and suit shops, so we were spoilt for choice.
The first half of our day comprised of a few sights throughout Hoi An - including trips to Temples and a museum - with our lovely (although extremely knowledgeable and very talkative) tour guide 'Drew'. With an extreme case of blistering, swelling and sweating, the group trudged through what many considered to be the longest two and a half hours of their lives. But after that, we were free.
And there was no other way to begin our date with Hoi An than getting suits and dresses made. Nearly everyone - from Unicorns to Dragons - went out in search of the most affordable attire; a few spending all their money (and in some cases more than they had).
Overall the day was a great success, and our entire group are anxious to have a completely tour-free day tomorrow. We miss you all, but quite honestly don't want to go home... ^-^
Atrayl recommends the roast pidgeon.
Cody advises you don't.
Parting is such sweet sorrow:
Cody
x
The first half of our day comprised of a few sights throughout Hoi An - including trips to Temples and a museum - with our lovely (although extremely knowledgeable and very talkative) tour guide 'Drew'. With an extreme case of blistering, swelling and sweating, the group trudged through what many considered to be the longest two and a half hours of their lives. But after that, we were free.
And there was no other way to begin our date with Hoi An than getting suits and dresses made. Nearly everyone - from Unicorns to Dragons - went out in search of the most affordable attire; a few spending all their money (and in some cases more than they had).
Overall the day was a great success, and our entire group are anxious to have a completely tour-free day tomorrow. We miss you all, but quite honestly don't want to go home... ^-^
Atrayl recommends the roast pidgeon.
Cody advises you don't.
Parting is such sweet sorrow:
Cody
x
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tortoises
Hello from the wise, patient and clever tortoises!
Hanoi has been absolutely incredible. The shopping is amazing!
Hundreds of shops filled to the brim with Gucci, D&G, Louis Vuitton wallets,bags,belts etc.
Between 5 girls we have managed to barter successfully for 28 bags. (Hopefully we can get them all home)
Highlight for Hanoi would have to be the private cart rides around the city, MAD!! We also visited some fascinating museems including the hanoi Hilton (an old prison for poltical prisoners). Interesting fact: a group of prisoners manged to escape by peeing on thier t-shirts then rubbing them on the sand and using them as sand paper to sand down the iron bars and escape! YUK!
But the most amzing experience came last night when we stayed on two beautiful boats in the south China sea in Halong Bay! We swam in 20 degree water in 35 degree heat with almost the whole tour party jumping from the second floor! To top of the night we sang Kareoke and drank non-alcoholic cocktails on the roof! WOW! We also visited breath taking caves on our journey on the seas.
Today we had a 3 hour bus journey back to town stopping at pottery and embroidary factories along the way then to the historic war museem where Mr Melvin gave us all the information we needed!
So far all the accomadation has been great, some of us are even cold at night due to having the air conditioning too low! The food is delicious, the whole tour party has been trying all sorts of new things some even pigeon head! Sea food such as squid and prawns are definitly our favourite!
The boys love us over here! You would think Catherine Zeta-Jones had come to town! Some Vietnamese boys have even proposed! Not that we are complaining.
We are all having the time of our lives, nothing could of prepared us for this. The culture is just so different!
3am start tomorrow so I think it's time for bed.
night all!
From the trustworthy Tortoises
Rosamund, Katherine, Alice, Greta and Kieran. :D
Hanoi has been absolutely incredible. The shopping is amazing!
Hundreds of shops filled to the brim with Gucci, D&G, Louis Vuitton wallets,bags,belts etc.
Between 5 girls we have managed to barter successfully for 28 bags. (Hopefully we can get them all home)
Highlight for Hanoi would have to be the private cart rides around the city, MAD!! We also visited some fascinating museems including the hanoi Hilton (an old prison for poltical prisoners). Interesting fact: a group of prisoners manged to escape by peeing on thier t-shirts then rubbing them on the sand and using them as sand paper to sand down the iron bars and escape! YUK!
But the most amzing experience came last night when we stayed on two beautiful boats in the south China sea in Halong Bay! We swam in 20 degree water in 35 degree heat with almost the whole tour party jumping from the second floor! To top of the night we sang Kareoke and drank non-alcoholic cocktails on the roof! WOW! We also visited breath taking caves on our journey on the seas.
Today we had a 3 hour bus journey back to town stopping at pottery and embroidary factories along the way then to the historic war museem where Mr Melvin gave us all the information we needed!
So far all the accomadation has been great, some of us are even cold at night due to having the air conditioning too low! The food is delicious, the whole tour party has been trying all sorts of new things some even pigeon head! Sea food such as squid and prawns are definitly our favourite!
The boys love us over here! You would think Catherine Zeta-Jones had come to town! Some Vietnamese boys have even proposed! Not that we are complaining.
We are all having the time of our lives, nothing could of prepared us for this. The culture is just so different!
3am start tomorrow so I think it's time for bed.
night all!
From the trustworthy Tortoises
Rosamund, Katherine, Alice, Greta and Kieran. :D
From the BOT Rep (on location in Vietnam)
The tour is just wonderful and we are all surviving the challenges amazingly well.
The team is pulling together well and there is lots of fun and laughter.
A major event yesterday and today was the bus trip to Halong Bay and the crazy bus driver whose skill at overtaking on a narrow road and a blind corner was something to behold. There were a number of nervous males in the front seats with their hanmds over their eyes!
Halong Bay has been a highlight...wonderful scenery, balmy temperatures and great company (even the Karaoke led by Rosamund and Alice, Cody and Tim) made it an experience to remember. The crew are still slightly suprised but impressed by the Haka and version of Ka Waiata we gave them as a gift.
Thanks to everyone at home who supported us all to have this amazing experience.
Lynley
The team is pulling together well and there is lots of fun and laughter.
A major event yesterday and today was the bus trip to Halong Bay and the crazy bus driver whose skill at overtaking on a narrow road and a blind corner was something to behold. There were a number of nervous males in the front seats with their hanmds over their eyes!
Halong Bay has been a highlight...wonderful scenery, balmy temperatures and great company (even the Karaoke led by Rosamund and Alice, Cody and Tim) made it an experience to remember. The crew are still slightly suprised but impressed by the Haka and version of Ka Waiata we gave them as a gift.
Thanks to everyone at home who supported us all to have this amazing experience.
Lynley
Dragooooons!!!!
Well well kia ora tatou!!
Sin chow!
The Dragons here posting our impressions of this beautiful place. Hanoi has been soooo cool, people trying to sell us EVERYTHING "Zippo lighter for you sir?" is a common occurance! our night in Halong bay was an experience that you must have. The scenery was amazing and the water was about 20x warmer than both Fortrose and Bluff ressie put together. I have to say that i wish we stayed a couple more days there!
Today was a busy day of travelling back from Halong to Hanoi, with a bit of a visit to the local army museum. The centerpiece being a 20m pile of b-52's and fighters from god knows where. Lots of tanks and dirty communist propaganda up to our ears.
Tomorrow we are flying from here to Hue (pronounced Hway) at 3am so it'l be an early start and a late finish. From there our company is moving to Hoi an, which will be a bit of a detox after our busy last few days. Tailor made suits being the order of the day!
I'm so glad this tour has actually come to plan, even when we were at the airport we were still thinking that wes had probably forgotton to book the flights lol. It has been a tumeke experience so far and I know its only going to get better.
Well thats it for the Dragon Crews posting for today, hope all is well at home and the weather is as nice as what we're experiencing!
L8az bol!
Renata*Simon*Thomas*Siaki*Spencer*Willy*Gilby
Crew Leaders: Tane*Stu
Sin chow!
The Dragons here posting our impressions of this beautiful place. Hanoi has been soooo cool, people trying to sell us EVERYTHING "Zippo lighter for you sir?" is a common occurance! our night in Halong bay was an experience that you must have. The scenery was amazing and the water was about 20x warmer than both Fortrose and Bluff ressie put together. I have to say that i wish we stayed a couple more days there!
Today was a busy day of travelling back from Halong to Hanoi, with a bit of a visit to the local army museum. The centerpiece being a 20m pile of b-52's and fighters from god knows where. Lots of tanks and dirty communist propaganda up to our ears.
Tomorrow we are flying from here to Hue (pronounced Hway) at 3am so it'l be an early start and a late finish. From there our company is moving to Hoi an, which will be a bit of a detox after our busy last few days. Tailor made suits being the order of the day!
I'm so glad this tour has actually come to plan, even when we were at the airport we were still thinking that wes had probably forgotton to book the flights lol. It has been a tumeke experience so far and I know its only going to get better.
Well thats it for the Dragon Crews posting for today, hope all is well at home and the weather is as nice as what we're experiencing!
L8az bol!
Renata*Simon*Thomas*Siaki*Spencer*Willy*Gilby
Crew Leaders: Tane*Stu
Monday, September 29, 2008
Hanoi (From Allanah)
Hot nights and air conditioning that breaks down is NOT a good combination. However despite the extreme weather, it has been awesome so far. We have already done so many amazing things and it is only the 2nd day of the tour. The museum of the Vietnam War was very interesting and we all now know what the Vietnamese went through during the war. The people here are real nice, even though half of them have ripped us off, theyre still very polite. We are about to embark on an attempt at ordering Vietnamese food rather than the western food we have been eating. Tea tonight will be interesting...... AMAZING shopping! I swear Ive already spent a third of my money....crikey... The bartering is very fun as well, i bet when we are back in NZ we'll try doing that in our shops!
wes
great tour, troops have taken heavy fire but have performed with bravery, not as hot as expected but cars trying to kill us, atrayl has been promoted and tim has won an award for being the worst shopper, guides excellent and troops can not believe what they have seen just an amazing place
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Kia Ora From Ha Noi
Hello Folks Back Home In NZ
We are in Hanoi at the top of North Vietnam , Weather is amzing 30+Deg , Excellent shopping everyone is safe and really enjoying the trip we are just about to hit the shops in the old quater will keep in touch later we will make everyone post on here
Cheers The Dragons
We are in Hanoi at the top of North Vietnam , Weather is amzing 30+Deg , Excellent shopping everyone is safe and really enjoying the trip we are just about to hit the shops in the old quater will keep in touch later we will make everyone post on here
Cheers The Dragons
Goodmorning Vietnam
hello NZ
all is well in vietnam
many zippos and knives being bought. only a few a have tried the local cuisiene of pigeon and frogs. having a very good time and lots of fun. not enought deo brought on tour. fake gucci and d&g on every corner. we had a n amazing tour on the cyclo tour dodging traffic from all angles only one person got hit! (cody)
Dragons seem to be the supreme group in Vietnam!!!
Update later were off shopping
From the Dragons!
(spencer, chunk, gilby, willy, renata, siaki, simon, tane, stu)
all is well in vietnam
many zippos and knives being bought. only a few a have tried the local cuisiene of pigeon and frogs. having a very good time and lots of fun. not enought deo brought on tour. fake gucci and d&g on every corner. we had a n amazing tour on the cyclo tour dodging traffic from all angles only one person got hit! (cody)
Dragons seem to be the supreme group in Vietnam!!!
Update later were off shopping
From the Dragons!
(spencer, chunk, gilby, willy, renata, siaki, simon, tane, stu)
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