"gozai masu...gozai masu... gozai masu..."

I'm in the coolest cafe ever right now, Cafe Respekt, in the Shibuya area of Tokyo, drinking a "tea float" - iced earl grey tea with the richest, most delicious (oyshi) soft-serve vanilla ice cream ever - surrounded by super-stylish people as house music plays softly in the background and a chorus of "(something something) gozai masu" echoes from the staff as customers come and go. (Customer service is amazing here!)
I've been busy sightseeing and meeting with my guides from Tokyo Free Guides this week. Last night I went with one of my guides and her friends to dinner in Ginza, followed by too much bourbon drinking at a tiny, basement country-western bar, where the bartender wore a cowboy shirt and an Alan Jackson CD played on the sound system ("Here in the Real World"...). I've been marveling at creations such as the "ice bagel" (a bagel with ice cream inside it) and figuring out how to work the remote-controlled toilets, not to mention navigate around this city with a confusing address system, so many different train lines, and maps where North is never put at the top. Usually I make at least one mistake every time I go somewhere, but I eventually correct my course and get to where I need to be.
And now I need to go meet another guide at the Hachiko statue and head to karaoke!
Will post more this weekend...

The skyscraper-escalator-shopping-dessert maze

Hong Kong is even bigger and more modern than I expected. The skyscrapers and high-rise apartment buildings extend as far as the eye can see, the metro (MTR) is extremely clean and efficient, and the people have excellent taste in fashion. The guys here actually put effort into the way they look, and they look hot. Even the construction workers sport Pumas and stylish eyeglasses. I can't compete with the beautiful women here (who never seem to sweat). Shopping is a popular pastime, and temptation looms every few feet. In the area where I'm staying (Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon) there are probably hundreds of stores with trendy clothes and shoes (as well as electronics) at reasonable prices on every block, and they stay open late. Unfortunately, almost nothing below the waistline fits me. The largest size for women's clothes is a US 10 (a narrow-hipped 10), and the largest size for women's shoes is US 9. At some of the cheaper places you can't even try the clothes on. It's frustrating. But at least I have delicious food to console me (and make me even fatter), especially desserts such as fresh mango in coconut juice with black sticky rice and - my old friend - bird's nest. Or you can get desserts with aloe jelly or harsmar jelly.
There's lots of fun stuff to try here. I am a little lonely though. Yesterday morning I had dim sum by myself. No one should *ever* go to dim sum by themself. It is depressing! Unlike in Vietnam, not many people here will talk to me. They aren't rude, they're just not outgoing. The only people who will really talk to me are the Indian/Pakistani guys on the street trying to sell me tailoring or "copywatch." (No, I do not want "copywatch.")
Anyway, I've done plenty in HK besides shopping. I took the Star Ferry over to Central, rode the Midlevels escalators (a series of escalators that extends about 10 blocks - downhill in the morning rush hour and uphill afterward), and took the tram up to the Peak, with spectactular views of the skyline. I also visited Lantau Island to see the Big (bronze) Buddha, explored the street markets in Mongkok (one of the most densely populated areas in the world), bargained for jade jewelry at the Jade Market, got a 2-hour foot massage (1 hour each foot), and went to the beach at Shek O (on Hong Kong Island), where I got a nice, uneven, splotchy sunburn. Perhaps I now need to invest in the many "whitening" skin products popular in Asia. I had planned to do some hiking, but it is just too hot and humid now, and I don't think it's wise to go off hiking by myself - I might get eaten by a dragon. Oh yeah, I went to the Wong Tai Sin temple, where I met with a fortune teller/Chinese astrologist. He politely informed me that in the future I am going to get divorced. That's great...
It is very safe and easy to get around here, although the maze of escalators, pedestrian subways, overpasses, alleyways, and layers of signs can be confusing. Don't count on using the 7-11 as a landmark, because there is seriously one on every block.
Sorry for the lack of photos to go with this post, but I am encountering technical difficulties again in that area... but no worries. Tomorrow I fly to Tokyo!!! Waku waku!

Children in "Chicken Village"

children in "Chicken Village"
Originally uploaded by djflowerz

I'm going back for them - Angelina Jolie style! Just kidding. But look at those curls! And eyes! They look scared but I think they were just shy. Other kids in the village were very happy, laughing and playing. I took this a few weeks ago on the bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat. I think the kids are from either the Kho or Cham ethnic minority group. I forgot to mention in my last post that also in Hanoi we visited the Ethnology Museum, which focuses on Vietnam's 54 minority groups and is one of the best museums I've ever visited. It is very well designed with highly engaging and educational exhibits, including clothing, tools, recreated houses, and videos of funerals and other rituals.

Hanoi, etc.

Hoa Kiem Lake, Hanoi
Originally uploaded by djflowerz

After brief visits to Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong National Park, and a relaxing overnight boat trip on Halong Bay, the tour headed for our last destination: Hanoi. I enjoyed Hanoi much more than Saigon. I found it to be a more cosmopolitian and comfortable city with more relaxed people and refreshing green areas. The traffic was crazy though. As in all of Vietnam, you have to be confident and alert while crossing the street and walk with a steady pace; the motorbikes will weave around you.
On our first day in Hanoi I went to the massage place across the street from our hotel. The decor was very basic (this was no spa) and I had to pay up front (70,000 dong, or a little over $4, for 1 hour); for a second I was a little sketched out, but the receptionist spoke good English and was very friendly and I had faith that the experience would not scar me too much. I was brought into a little room that had only a padded table, towel, and pillow, and place to hang my clothes. There was also a shower/steam room attached. The masseuse who worked on me spoke no English. Before she started I pointed out the huge bruise on my hip that I acquired from slipping on the wet bathroom floor in Hue. (Oh yeah... I fell a few days before and got the biggest bruise of my life. It looked like Tanya Harding had attacked me.) As soon as she saw my bruise she went straight to work on it. First she rubbed in a menthol-type heating balm, then she got a bunch of fresh herbs (I wish I knew which herbs...), wrapped them in a towel, steamed it in the shower, and patted the compress on my bruise. She repeated this about 4 times and then rubbed in more menthol stuff. My bruise looked and felt much better afterward! Then she climbed up on the table and started digging into my back and shoulders with her fingers, elbows, the heel of her hard, her forearm... It's good that I like a lot of pressure here, because that's what I got. This was not a massage for the faint-hearted. She also wrapped one of her legs around my leg and pushed her free foot up and down the inside of my leg. It was a little weird but fun. I gave her a big tip, because I really appreciated the special treatment for my bruise.
Also in Hanoi our group saw a water puppets show and visited the Ho Chi Minh complex, which includes his waxy corpse in a glass case, his house, and a museum about his life. Ho Chi Minh, or "Uncle Ho," is worshipped like a saint here. The complex had the most security measures I had come across in Vietnam. Usually the Vietnamese seem pretty lax about everything, but not when it comes to Uncle Ho. We had to pass through a metal detector before viewing his tomb, and women were requested to cover their shoulders and knees.
When our tour ended I felt a little lost without the structure and companionship of the group, but luckily I met some local girls at the Temple of Literature to entertain me. The girls (age 22-23, named Chang, Lan, and Xuan), who were recent graduates with degrees in tourism, had gone to the Temple to pray for a good job and also to practice their English with foreigners. We had a nice conversation and they gave me their mobile number. I called them the next day. They picked me up on their motorbike and took me to West Lake for ice cream, then to their neighborhood beauty salon, as I wanted to get a manicure and pedicure. This was a neighborhood that tourists don't usually venture into. I was the first foreigner customer that the salon ever had and they were all super nice to me and happy that I was there. I got a mani/pedi complete with floral designs on my toes for $2. Two dollars!!! Then Xuan (pronounced Swan) took me to dinner at a popular restaurant (where I was also the only foreigner) and ordered for me a very tasty meal of mien, which was clear noodles with dried eel, onion, crushed peanuts, and basil. It was one of the best meals I had the whole time, and something I would have never ordered on my own. Xuan was really happy that I liked it. I had so much fun making new friends and riding around town on a motorbike!
All in all I am very happy with my time in Vietnam. Now I'm in Hong Kong and experiecing culture shock all over again!

Hue, ancient capitol

The weather in Hue (pronounced huh-way) was hella hot but I enjoyed the time there. The main tourist site is the impressive Citadel and Forbidden City, modeled after Beijing's Forbidden City. I loved the Chinese architecture and bright colors of this site. The entrance is also a great place to watch local people going by on bikes and motos. Another popular activity in Hue is to take a boat trip down the Perfume River to see royal tombs and pagodas. I saw my first group of monks here at Thien Mu Pagoda



and also some very lovely lotus flowers. (Are water lilies and lotus flowers the same thing?)



Hue has a really good local brew called Huda. I wonder if I can get it in the States?