(23) FLY BACK TO SAIGON - BAD EXPERIENCE

Akhirnya tiba juga saatnya terbang kembali ke Saigon. Gak terasa waktu cepet banget berlalu. Rasa happy and fun setelah seharian ngukur jalan ke tiga kota ngalahin rasa capek dan kurang tidur gue. Sampai di airport ternyata pesawat gue delay 1 jam. Lumayan ada tambahan waktu bisa ngobrol and ngopi sama Mey and Vu … he he he he … Perasaan gue mulai was-was waktu diumumin pesawat delay lagi 1 jam … waduh gimana kalo pesawatnya cancel gak terbang malem ini … deg-deg-an juga neh …

Finally time to fly back to Saigon comes. Times passed very quickest. My happy and fun feeling after a day of road to three cities defeated my tiredness and lack of sleep. When I arriving at the airport it turn out that my flight was 1 hour delay. But it’s ok there is additional time can chat and coffee with Mey and Vu ... he he he he ... I started feeling anxious when there was another announcement that my flight again 1 hour delays ... Oh no … how if the flight will not flying tonight ... so nervous ...

Ternyata berangkat juga pesawat gue setelah 2 kali delay karena ada badai. Sebenernya gue agak takut juga untuk terbang tapi apa boleh buat nggak ada pilihan. Untungnya begitu duduk di dalam pesawat gue langsung tidur pulas sampai mendarat di Saigon karena kecapekan. Itu pun karena dibangunin pramugarinya … he he he he …. Karena sudah pengalaman dengan transport di bandara di hari pertama so gue langsung keluar terminal dan nyari taxi. Sayangnya kali ini gue dapet sopir taxi yang nggak bisa bahasa Inggris. Tapi untung gue sudah nyiapin strategi untuk menghadapi situasi kendala bahasa. Gue tunjukin kartu nama hotel tempat gue nginap dan uang sejumlah VDN 80,000. Tadinya dia nggak mau tapi gue tetep kekeuh nggak mau nyerah. Finally gue dapet taxi juga. Sayangnya gue dapet pengalaman nggak bagus, pas mau bayar semua uang di tangan gue dirampas dengan kasar dan gue diusir keluar dari taxi. Sial bener !! Gue teriak dan marah tapi urung karena sadar gue liat situasi di depan hotel sepi dan nggak ada orang.. So gue langsung masuk ke hotel dan menuju kamar. Duuuhh puji Tuhan yang penting gue selamet gak diapa-apain. Gue lihat Dedy udah tidur nyenyak so abis mandi gue langsung masuk bed gue dan tidur. Hhhmmm …enaknya bau bantal … he he he he ...

It turned out that my plane is leaving after 2 times the delay due to a storm. Actually I was a little scared to fly but also I have no choice. Fortunately, when seated in the plane I directly to sleep soundly until I landed in Saigon because of exhaustion. That’s also because of the stewardess woke me up ... he he he he .... Due to I had been experience with transport at the airport on the first day so I'm straight out the terminal and look for a taxi to hotel. Unfortunately this time I get a taxi driver who did not speak English. But I've been prepared a strategy to deal with the language barrier situation. I saw him my hotel business card where I was staying and VDN 80.000. At first he did not want to but I do not want to give up increase the price. Finally I get a taxi as well. Unfortunately I do not gain experience for a nice, when I would pay him, he rob all the money on my hand and expelled me out from the taxi. Damn! I was screaming and angry but frustrated because I consciously see the situation in front of the hotel very quiet and no one there. So I went straight inside to the hotel and headed for the room. Aaahhh … thanks God, he did not anything to me while on the way to hotel. I seen Dedy was sleeping soundly so after took a shower I went straight to my bed. Hhhmmm ... pillow is always smell good... he he he he ...

(22) HOI AN - VIETNAM PAINTINGS & LAMPS

Jembatan Jepang Hoi An melintasi terusan kecil di ujung barat Kota Tua, menghubungkan Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street dengan Tran Phu Street - jalan utama di sepanjang sungai. Galeri-galeri seni dan kafe-kafe di kedua sisi sepanjang jalan yang sangat damai. Gue sangat menikmati banget jalan di sepanjang jalan ini, keluar masuk galeri seni buat nyari lukisan dan lampu khas Vietnam.

The Hoi An Japanese Bridge crosses a small canal on the west end of the Old Town, connecting Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street to Tran

Ph

u Street - the main thoroughfare along the river. Art galleries and cafes line both s ides of the peaceful street beyond. I really enjoyed walk a way along this road, went and out art galleries look for typical paintings and lamps of Vietnam .

(21) HOI AN - JAPANESE BRIDGE

Jembatan Jepang Hoi An dikenal dengan berbagai nama di masa lalu seperti: Vien Lai Kieu "Pagoda di Jepang"; Chua Cau "Jembatan Tertutup", dan Cau Nhat Ban "Jembatan Jepang". Jembatan tua yang merupakan simbol kebanggaan Hoi An ini dibangun pada awal abad ke-17. Meskipun jembatan ini dipugar kembali pada tahun 1986, jembatan kayu masih menggunakan balok-balok tua dan berkarakter. Ada sebuah kuil kecil di dalam jembatan serta patung-patung suci dari anjing dan babi yang menjaga setiap ujung jembatan. Sampai sekarang alasan diletakan patung anjing dan moyet di sisi berlawanan dari jembatan ini masih jadi bahan perdebatan. Ada yang berpendapat bahwa pembangunan jembatan Jepang dimulai pada tahun anjing dan selesai pada tahun monyet. Sedangkan yang lainnya mengatakan dua hewan dipilih untuk menjaga jembatan karena kaisar Jepang banyak lahir baik di tahun anjing atau monyet. Kebanyakan pendapat-pendapat tersebut keliatannya berhubungan tapi sampai sekarang nggak tahu mana yang merupakan alas an sebenarnya.

The Hoi An Japanese Bridge has been known by various names throughout the past including: Lai Vien Kieu "Pagoda in Japan"; Chua Cau "Covered Bridge"; and Cau Nhat Ban "Japanese Bridge". The old Japanese Bridge is a symbol of pride in Hoi An was constructed early in the 17th century. Although it was restored in 1986, the wooden bridge still beams with age and character. There is a small shrine inside the bridge as well as sacred statues of a dog and pig that guard each end of the span. Reasoning for the conspicuous statues of a dog and a monkey on opposing sides of the bridge is disputed until now. Anyone said that construction of the Japanese bridge began in the year of the dog and was completed in the year of the monkey. Others say the two animals were chosen to guard the bridge because many Japanese emperors were born either in the year of the dog or monkey. Mostly was significant issues but no body knows which one the right reason.

(20) HOI AN - FANTASTIC DINNER

Makan malam kali ini, gue dibawa ke local restaurant sama Mey. Penuh dan rame banget orang-orang makan di restaurant ini. Orang-orang sampai rela ngantri untuk dapetin meja. Waaahhh … seru banget kita berebut tempat sama orang-orang local … he he he he … lagian nggak ada yang tahu kalo kita bukan orang Vietnam. Terbukti waktu order makanan, pelayannya nanya pake bahasa Vietnam yang nggak gue ngerti. Yang ada gue cuma nyengir, sedangkan Mey dengan bahasa Vietnam ala kadarnya dan bahasa tubuh menunjuk makanan di meja tetangga mencoba order makanan … ha ha ha ha … hhhmmm … nyam nyam … makanan di sini bener-bener enak banget … yumie …

Dinner at this time, Mey was taken me to a local restaurant. Full and very crowded people eat at this restaurant. People are willing to queue to get a table. Woooww… really fun ... we fought for a table with local people ... he he he he ... anyways no one knows if we are not the Vietnamese. Proven time when we order food, when the waiter asked our order, he used Vietnam language which I don’t understand. So I just smile, while Mey tried to order food with a limit of Vietnamese language and body language pointed to the foods of neighbor table ... ha ha ha ha ... hhhmmm ... nyum nyum ... food here was really awful ... yumie ...

(19) HOI AN - THE EXOTIC ROMANS OF OLD TOWN

Sampai di kota Da Nang kita langsung menuju rumah sahabat gue Mey. Waahhh … ternyata hidup teman gue cukup makmur di sini … pantesan nggak mau balik ke Indonesia …. he he he he. Puas inspection di rumah mewah sahabat gue ini, dia ajak gue ke Hoi An. Kota tua yang dilindungi oleh Unesco sebagai warisan dunia ini diatur Undang-Undang Pelestarian dengan sangat baik. Beberapa bangunan bersejarah dan budaya terbuka untuk umum, sejumlah jalan-jalan di pusat kota tidak boleh dilalui oleh mobil, dan perbaikan dan pembatasan tinggi bangunan sangat diatur dengan baik.

Up in Da Nang city we went straight to my friend Mey house. Wooww ... my friend was quite prosperous life here ...that’s why he do not want to return back to Indonesia .... he he he he. Satisfied inspection at the mansion of my friend, he brings me to Hoi An town. The Unesco World Heritage Hoi An Old Town is governed by preservation laws that are well up to speed. Several buildings of historical and cultural significance are open for public viewing, a number of streets in the centre of town are off-limits to cars, and building alterations and height restrictions are well enforced.

Pesona dan erotic nyata kota tua ini keluar pada malam hari ketika jalan-jalan berbatu yang remang-remang oleh lentera merah di setiap bangunan, lilin-lilin terapung sepanjang sungai yang sangat tenang membuat orang merasa terdorong untuk berbicara dengan suara berbisik. Ini kedua kalinya gue merasakan berada di dunia yang sangat kuno. Gue jadi ingat pengalaman traveling ke kota kuno Xitang di China. Amazing !! O’ya … masyarakat kota Hoi An ini sangat terkenal dengan keahliannya menjahit pakaian terutama mantel-mantel musim dingin. Sebagian besar penduduk di sini bekerja sebagai penjahit dan designer. Kalau kita memesan baju siang hari, malamnya baju sudah selesai dijahit dan bisa dibawa pulang.

Old Town's real charm and exotic comes out at night when the cobbled streets are dimly lit by lantern. The floating candle setting along the river is so tranquil that people feel compelled to speak in hushed voices. This is the second time that I was feeling in very ancient world. I remember the experience of traveling to the ancient town Xitang in China. Amazing! Ah'ya ... Hoi An urban community is very famous for their expertise in sew clothing especially winter coats. Most of the residents here work as a seamstress and designer. If we order a cloth at the afternoon, the cloth will be done at evening.

(18) THE CITADEL – AROUND THE FORTES

Ada untungnya juga ngelilingin sekitar benteng. Ternyata Vu meskipun cuma supir becak dengan bahasa Inggris yang kacau balau tapi dia seorang guide yang baik, pintar, lucu dan menyenangkan. So akhirnya gue enjoy sendiri dan lupa kalo gue mesti ngejar waktu. Vu tahu mesti bawa gue kemana. Banyak sekali tempat–tempat bersejarah, kendaraan dan senjata berat peninggalan perang tentara Amerika. Gue masih gak habis pikir gimana sih bangsa Vietnam kok bisa ngalahin tentara Amerika yang punya peralatan dan kendaraan perang super-duper canggih. Yaahh … memang bukan hal yang mustahil kalo mereka menang perang dan merdeka. Buktinya gue sebagai bangsa Indonesia pun bisa bangga negara gue merdeka meskipun para pahlawan-pahlawan bangsa berperang dan menang hanya dengan bersenjatakan bamboo runcing. Kalo dipikir-pikir kan kayaknya impossible ya ….

There is fortunately also going around the fort. Vu Apparently even if just a rickshaw driver with the English language of turmoil, but he's a good guide, smart, funny and fun. So finally I enjoy myself and forget that I had to chase time. Vu knew where I had to take it anywhere. There are lots of historic places, vehicles and heavy weapons of war American troops. I still do not understand how Vietnamese could defeat American soldiers who have the super-duper sophisticated war equipment and vehicles. Yeeaahh ... it's not impossible if they win the war and independence. The proof, I as the Indonesian people can be proud of that my country can be independent even though the nation's war heroes won only armed with bamboo spears. If you think about it, seems impossible, isn’t it?!

Akhirnya kita sampai juga ke tempat Vu nunggu dengan selamat dan happy … he he he he … sebenernya Vu Cuma minta tambahan ongkos yang semula US$2 jadi US$3 untuk nganterin keliling Citadel dan sekitarnya, tapi gue pikir tadi itu lumayan jauh sekali dan gue juga happy selama dianter keliling sama dia so gue kasih dia US$10. Waaahhh … senangnya dia ….. sampai jingkrak-jingkakkegirangan and bilang thank you berulang-ulang. Sedangkan Vu sopir gue senyum-senyum ngeliatnya.

Finally we reached the place where Vu wait with safely and happy ... he he he he ... actually Vu just ask for extra charges originally US$ 2 to US$ 3 for bringing around the Citadel and the surrounding area, but I thought that was pretty far away and I'm also happy during around with him so I give him a US$ 10. Waaahhh ... he was so glad ... .. so he jumps and say thank you again and again. While my driver Vu looked him with smiles.

Karena waktunya sudah nggak memungkinkan so kita lewatin itinerary ke Gunung Marble dan langsung kembali ke Da Nang. Agak kecewa juga sih … apalagi ngeliat Vu nyetirnya pelan banget cuma 30km per jam. Sempet gue bilang sama Vu gimana kalo gue yang nyetir biar cepet … tapi ternyata emang peraturan di situ nggak boleh nyetir lebih dari 40km per jam dan Vu sudah 2 kali kena tilang karena ngelanggar kecepatan. Busyeeett … pantes aja gak nyampe-nyampe.

Because the time is not possible so we passed itinerary into the Marble Mountain and immediately returned to Da Nang. Somewhat disappointed ... moreover look in Vu driving very slowly just 30km per hour. I asked Vu to let me drive to make it faster ... but there was regulations may not drive more than 40km per hour and Vu are 2 times got a ticket because of break the speed. Wow ... No wonder if not quick to get the direction.