If you go to Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon) in Vietnam, whether you book any day-tours around the city or just follow the guide-books, there are a number of places that are almost guaranteed to be on the itinerary. There’s the Notre Dame church, the Central Post Office (NOT designed by Gustave Eiffel,…
Hey, it’s back! 🙂 Here’s the third (somewhat delayed) episode of Rear View Microphone – the weekly podcast covering Travel, and Tourism, and Cruising, and Communications, and Arts and Entertainment, and Politics and more … Enjoy!
The theme for our ‪‎travel pics this week is E, for Eating. We’ve just returned from a two week trip to Vietnam – and as part of the holiday, we did a cookery class near Hoi An, making Cha Gio (fried spring rolls) and Banh Xeo (fried Vietnamese pancakes with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts and egg),…
You may remember that I wrote, some months ago, about taking guided tours as opposed to self-guided travel trips. And I said that I would update the blog, after I undertook another guided tour, to Vietnam. Well, I’m sitting in the lobby of the Ruby River hotel in Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City, waiting…
I was offended as I watched a 60’s era anti-American propaganda film on the bus yesterday, as we drove toward the Cu Chi tunnels northwest of Ho Chi Minh City. Oh .. I wasn’t offended by the fact that it was propaganda. I was offended that it was so badly done, and yet was still being…
One of the most common issues I face when teaching journalism students – especially those from Asian backgrounds – is the need for attribution. “You can’t just say ‘The 12th National Party Congress is a congress of solidarity, democracy, discipline and renovation, demonstrating its resolve to increase comprehensive and synchronous reforms while promoting the country’s…
Puppet shows are common the world over – and for those of us in the west, whether its the traditional Punch and Judy show, or something more modern like Thunderbirds, they are mostly meant for kids. Mostly. Of course the Muppets appeal to both children and adults – and shows like Avenue Q are clearly skewed…
The turtle is gone, but his spirit lives on. In Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem lake, there lived a Giant Yangtze softshell turtle – one of only four known to still be alive. It was the symbol of Vietnam’s independence, and was revered as sacred by many. I say was, because it died this week, just as…
Thursday is normally ‘commentary’ day here at Cairnscommunications – and today my comment comes in the form of a ‘picture study’. We spent two days at Sapa this week – and as part of that, visited the Hmong village in the valley below. The Hmong are an interesting people – they came from China around 400…
We’ve just spent a couple of days cruising in Vietnam’s Halong Bay, on board a boat with about a dozen cabins and a mixed group of passengers from the four corners of the earth. When I think of cruising, I normally think of a large(ish) ship, crossing oceans and visiting far flung places. But the…
Cairns Communications 