写一篇你去旅游(越南)的英语作文

　　TriptoHoChiMinhCity(Saigon),Vietnam-April2009

　　Thistripreportwillfocusontheshorttripthatmywife,NikkiandItooktoHoChiMinhCity(HCMC),VietnamintheperiodfromApril6-11,2009.InthecitywecheckedoutsomeoftheattractionssuchasReunificationPalace,WarRemnantsmuseum,JadeEmperorpagoda,CuChitunnelsetc.ThetripreportissplitintosectionsandthisfirstpagewillfocusonthestayinHoChiMinhCity.Onthenextpagesyouwillfindinformationaboutthehotelweused(RenaissanceRiversideHotelSaigon),aninteractiveGooglemapofHoChiMinhCityandmorephotosfromHCMC.

Pleasegetintouchongardkarlsen@hotmail.comifyouhaveanyquestionsorcomments.AllpicturesaretakenbyNikkiandGardwithourCanonEOS450D,CanonIXUSandOlympusmju750.

Prelude

NikkiandIhavebeentoAsiaseveraltimesbeforeandwehavebeentoplaceslikeChina,Thailand,Japan,Malaysiaetc.Butforawhilewehavebeentalkingaboutexpandingourhorizonsandthistimeitwastimetovisitsomenewcountries.SoinconnectionwithabusinesstriptoMalaysia,wedecidedtovisitHoChiMinhCity,VietnamandSiemReap/PhnomPenh,Cambodia.

　　MapofVietnam.Mapprovidedbywww.worldatlas.com.

Planningthetrip

Ihavetoadmitthatwedidn’tplanourtriptoHoChiMinhCitythatwell.TheperiodleadinguptothetripwasprettybusybutwedidbuytheDKEyewitnessGuideforVietnamandAngkorWat.WealsogotintouchwithKate,anoldclassmateofNikkifromSouthAfrica(currentlylivinginHoChiMinhCity)andshewasagodsendindeed.AndwealsoorganizedtheflightsinandoutofVietnam,bookedthehoteletcaheadoftime.

　　Note:ForflightsinAsiayoushouldcheckoutAirAsiaforcheaptickets.

　　Fromourexperience,hotelsinSEAsiatendtoofferahigherlevelofluxuryforarelativelygoodpricepernight.WemainlyreferredtoTripAdvisortopickourcandidates.IntheenditwasbetweenSheratonSaigonHotel&TowersandRenaissanceRiversideHotelSaigon.WeendedupwiththelatterbutinretrospectIthinkweshouldhavegoneforSheraton(especiallysinceI’maStarwoodPreferredGuest).TheRenaissancecostus170USD/pernightbutwhenwebookeditweaccidentlyforgottomakesurebreakfastwasincluded.SoweendedupupgradingtoClublevelforanextra50USDinordertogetbreakfast,loungeaccessetc.ButifyoustayinthisareathereisagreatplacecalledJuicewhereyoucanhaveawesternbreakfastifyoudon’twanttoeatatthehotel.HereisthereviewofthehotelRenaissanceRiversideHotelSaigon.

　　Note:InVietnamtheyuseVietnameseDong.Rightnow1USDisabout17900Dong.YoucangetDongatATM’sinHoChiMinhCityanditseemstobethepreferredcurrency.MakesuretochecktheexchangeratebeforeyouarriveinVietnamastheexchangerateschangesconstantly

Whenitcomestovaccinesyoushouldcheckwithyourlocalauthorities’recommendations.HoChiMinhCityandpartsofVietnamareconsideredmalariaareas,sotakenecessaryprecautions.

Thetripbegins

AftermybusinesstriptoMalaysiaIflewtoBangkokandmetupwithNikkithere.AndonMondayApril6thwegotupat04.45AMinordertocatchtheplanetoHCMC–Iwonderwhowasthegeniusthatdecidedwehadtogetanearlystart:-)Atleastwewereabletohaveaquickbreakfastatthehotelbeforeweleft.ThetaxitoSuvarnabhumiairportwasabout400Baht(about11USD)andthecheckinatAirAsiawasquick–wedidhavetopay300Bahtinoverweightsomakesureyoucheckthiswhenbuyingtickets.OuronewayticketfromBangkoktoHCMCwas4574Baht(about130USD)forthebothofus.OurAirAsiaflightwasontimeandat07.45wetookofffromBangkokinanAirbus320.IwaslookingforwardtoflyingAirAsiaagainasthey’repostersandadsfeatureprettygoodlookingflightattendants(whatcanIsay...I’maguy).IwasquitedisappointedwhenweboardedasthemaleflightattendantwasnotquitewhatIwasexpecting.Well,atleastNikkihadsomethingtolookat;-)

ArrivinginHoChiMinhCity(HCMC)

TheflighttoVietnamwasonlyabitoveranhourandwelandedatabout9am.Thelandingstripwasabitbumpyandwepassedbylotsofoldbunkersandoldterminals.Butwhenwecametoourgateitturnedouttobeabrandnewandshinyterminal.AsIhaveaNorwegianpassportIdidn’tneedavisaandIjustwenttoimmigrationandNikkihadgottenhervisasortedoutinadvancesowebothpassedthroughimmigrationwithoutanyproblems.Myimmigrationofficerwasanolderladyinagreenarmyuniform.SheresembledwhatIenvisionitwouldbelikearrivinginNorthKorea:-)Afterimmigrationwepickedupoursuitcasesandthesewerescannedaswewentthroughcustoms.

　　Note:makesuretocheckifyouneedavisabeforeyouarriveinVietnam.Ruleschangeconstantlysoit’sprobablybesttoorganizethisinadvance.

　　BeforeweleftforVietnamandCambodiaIhadheardthatUSDollarswerethepreferredcurrency.ButwedecidedtochangesomedollarsintoDongandwestartedbyexchanging40USDandgot680.000Dongback!ItistrickyconvertingwhenthenumbersarelikethissoIdownloadedanapplicationonmyiPhoneandthathelpedmekeeptrackofthecurrencies.Thereareboothsinthearrivalareawhereyoucanbookataxi.Wepaid9USDtogofromtheairporttoourhotelRenaissanceRiversideHotelSaigon.Therewasalsoanairporttaxwhenleavingtheairportandthatwas5000Dong(30cent)Makesureyouhave1dollarbillsorlocalcurrencywhenpayingforthetaxi.

Comingoutoftheairportareaandintothetrafficwasquiteanexperience.TherewerethousandsofVespastylemotorcycleseverywhere.Theypassedthetaxiontheleftandrighthandside,someweredrivingonthepavement,somewerecarryingentirefamilies,someweretransportinggoodsetc.Iguessthehighlightwasoneguyonanoldthreewheeledmotorcycletransportingacoupleof10meterlongladders.Itjustseemedtobevery,verychaoticbutthetrafficseemedtoflow.

Theweatherwashot,humidandsunnyasyouwouldexpectinSouthEastAsia.Inordertocheckwhatweathertoexpect,visitawebsitelikeWeatherbase.Weenjoyedtemperaturesofupto35degreescelcius(about95Fahrenheit)withsomerainshowers.

Whenwecheckedintothehotelwewenttotheloungeonthe18thfloorandgotagreatviewofthecity.ThehotelislocatedrightnexttoSaigonRiver(asthenameindicates)andtherewerelotsofactivitiesontheriver...bargestransportingallsortsofstuff,smallferriestransportingmotorcyclesacrosstheriver,biggershipsindrydocksetc.WhenIsawtheriverthefirsttimeitseemedtoflow“upwards”andlaterontheeveningiffloweddownstreamasIexpectedto...Iguessthisisduetothetidefromtheocean?

TimetocheckoutHoChiMinhCity

Aftercheckingintothehotelwebasicallywentouttowanderabitaroundtowntogetusedtothecity.WalkingaroundHoChiMinhisabitofachallengebecauseofallthemotorcyclesthatIdescribedearlier.Thismeansthatcrossingtheroadbecomeslikean“EvilKnieveldaredevil”stuntbutaslongasyouwalkslowlyacrossthestreet,takeitstepbystepandlookatthebikersyoushouldgetthehangofitprettyfast.Wegotoutofthehotelaroundnoonanditwaswarmandhumid.Westartedoutbyhavingasmalllunchataplacethatwefoundanditwasasetmenufor30000Dong(about1.7USD)foreachofus.Itwasnotabigmealbutsufficient.Onthewaywealsoranintoafewpeopleonthestreetssellingstuff–Ididbuy10postcardsfor1USDfromonekidbutIhavetoadmittheywerethemostboringpostcardsIhaveeverseen.OneyounggirlthatIranintowantedtosellmepostcardsafterIhadboughtthefirstbunchsoIsaidno.Butshekeptonfollowingmeandshewasstartingtoaskmewhyandstartedpushingmearound.Itgotabitfunnyactuallyasitwasalldoneinafriendlyway.

AfterwalkingaroundHoChiMinhCityforadayitwasgreattogetbacktothehotel.Firstofallthenoiseinthecityisquiteoverwhelming–thehornisusedinabundanceanditisusedinallformsof“communication”whendriving.Butitwasalsonicetogetbacktothehoteltotakeashowerasthecityfeltvery,verydusty.Idon'tthinkIhavefeltanythinglikeitsincewewenttoBeijingafewyearsback.