Tour Boat in Halong Bay sank - kills 12

Singapore - I was there with my family in December and we had good fun and memories.   Unfortunately, on February 17 early morning, one of the many Tour boat plying Halong Bay sank and killed 12 people.

Some of the breaking News worldwide
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_636192.html
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/vietnam-halong-bay-boat-accident-kills-11-foreigners-list-of-names-51466.html

I read so much about Halong Bay and being a UNESCO site, I wanted to bring my family there.  But when I researched over the Internet - there were so many companies plying their tours and which do I choose.   Prices range from the low of US$75 to the high of US$300.     But the best advice is to read the forums and my best was TripAdvisor.  

The forumers gave lots of tips but you also have to do your own research,  There were so many horror stories which you can spend hours crawling the tripadvior website or even the Internet.  

But finally I decided on the Best Halong Bay Operator because,
- Their Junks are very new,
- Indo China Junks have exclusive routes (not croweded),
- Kayaking cost is included
- The kayak operators only served Indo China junks
- Transfer transport (to and fro Hanoi) is managed by Indochina Junk (some operators out source to 3rd party which they do not have control).

http://www.indochina-junk.com/

I booked their newest junk...
http://www.indochina-junk.com/our-junk/the-dragons-pearl.aspx

Vietnam is on a fast track...

Ho Chi Minh City - Arrived at Ho Chi Minh City on time but the flight over was very bumpy and the captain had to distrupt service twice.   The weather is very hot at around 30 degrees celcius - paid 140,000 dong for an airport taxi to the Hotel.   It was a mistake to change my currency at Changi airport as the exchanges rates are much better in Vietnam - more than 100k dong more if you change here.

There are so many motor bikes weaving in and out of the traffic with no regards to the separator lines on the road.  Also the incessant honing of the honks - whethere necessary or not there will still honk.   At some roads - half of the road is shared by motor bikes.  I think when the population grows more prosperous it can be problem when there are more cars on the road, then problem shrink the sharing of the road to 25% like Taipei.

I am writing this blog on the taxi to the Renaissance Hotel Riverside in a traffic jam but the taxi is still moving but at a snail speed.  Just pass the Notre Dame Cathedral, Continental Hotel and then the famous Carvelle Hotel.

I can see my hotel - have to stop now...

The view from the 18th floor of the Club floor

Supersitions in the Year of the Pig

2007 - Year of the 'Golden Pig' for having babies

HONG KONG - Supersitious Hong Kong people believe that the Year of the 'Golden' Pig will be the best year to having babies so hospitals are getting ready for a bumper year of surging babies. Hong Kong government might decide to do away with the incentive for procreation and leave the 'Golden Pig' to do it's job.

Furthermore, it is not only the Year to give birth but also Hong Kongers are consulting Feng Shui masters to seek the best days to have babies. Parents want a good birth date to ensure their children are healthy and have a good life.

Why the rush? The Golden Pig come around every 60 years, so for anyone thinking of having it better do it this year than wait another 60 years - I was just kidding.. Feng Shui masters claimed that the 2007 "Year of the Golden Pig" will be the best for giving birth in 600 years!

The Chinese astrology is divides time into 12 recurring year-long blocks, with each year represented by a different animal: the pig is the last in the Zodiac sequence that begins with the rat, followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster and dog. For all cat lovers - the cat did not make cause it was fooled by the rat...

Each year will have different characteristics, according to the representative animal symbol.

Feng Shui masters believe that the Pig symbolises birth, according to Chinese tradition, so the Year of the Pig is especially good for having babies, and Pigs represent wealth and fortune.

Luck Runs out for Wild Boars

VIETNAM - The Year of the Pig brings only disaster to families of pigs roaming the forests of Vietnam, as supersition holds that eating them means prosperity in the year ahead. In this year of the pig, dishes featuring wild pork have become eagerly sought-after.

It is not always possible to have wild boar meat all the time as eateries have to order meat from hunters. Those hunters go into the forest to try to find wild boars. At first, the hunters will kill mature boars only, but as the demand rises they will shoot even piglets and pregnant wild boars.

Wild pork can be cooked as many tempting dishes, so Vietnamese become interested in pork that has the special flavour of game. Also, some Vietnamese like the fresh blood from a wild boars, so hunters try to capture wild boars alive. This brings them a better return. Despite the high demand and prices, Vietnamese elbowed one another out of the way to buy the meat.

I think medically it is very unsafe to eat raw pig's blood and meat and will make you very sick with a disease called yersiniosis. This is caused by the bacteria, Yersinia enterocolitica.

When the demand keeps increasing, the supply also goes up and now there is a growing fear that wild pigs will disappear from Vietnam's forests. Though, there are some places that wild boars are bred and raised like domesticated pig, the number of wild boars is not enough to meet the demand.