Hanoi is buzzing over the fate of a giant 100 year-old turtle that lives in picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. One of Vietnam’s oldest citizens, the turtle has a shell that measures 6 feet long by 4 feet wide. But these days, it’s not doing so well. Numerous lesions have appeared on its neck and […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Vietnam' Category
WoWasis book review: Dean Barrett’s ‘Permanent Damage’
It’s never easy getting Dean Barrett, author of a surprisingly vast array of books on Asian subjects, away from his favorite haunt at Bangkok’s Chao Phya 2. That’s why we here at WoWasis were pleased that he found time to pen another book in his Scott Sterling mystery series, Permanent Damage (2010, ISBN 978-0-9788888-2-4). At […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis on censored & pirated books in Vietnam: Why you’ll probably want to buy elsewhere
Want to buy books while traveling in Vietnam? While you’ll have no problem finding books on Vietnamese art and culture in its many bookstores, you’ll find almost nothing on its wars, politics, or society, and precious little Vietnam-related fiction. The two main reasons for this are governmental restrictions on imported literature, and the prevalence of […]
Read the rest of this entry »Beer in Vietnam: a WoWasis survey
With the exception of Laos, we at WoWasis feel that Vietnam has the best beer in Southeast Asia. What you’ll find is that Viet beers are stronger than most beers at home, so plan your evening accordingly, understanding that you’ll be overcharged for everything if your seller, whether it be a food vendor, taxi driver, […]
Read the rest of this entry »Vietnam tourists killed in Ha Long Bay boat tragedy
Twelve international travelers were killed this week in the sinking of one of Ha Long Bay’s ubiquitous “sleep-over” boats. The Truong Hai 06 listed precariously for several hours before finally plunging into the waters of the bay during the early morning hours as visitors were sleeping. Scores of these wooden boats take visitors on overnight […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis pioneers the use of travel-site GPS coordinates
Like most non-Western nations, the countries of Southeast Asia have loads of street addresses that don’t mean much to non-residents. It’s common for numbering schemes to stop as a street name changes, then start up again a few blocks away. Often, addresses on one side of the street have nothing in relation to those on […]
Read the rest of this entry »The Good Manner: Was mummy a prostitute?
The Good Manner: Advice on Thailand from WoWasis’ Pa Farang This week’s dilemma: Was mummy a prostitute? Dear Pa Farang, Dad and mom were killed last year in an auto accident outside of Needles, California. He was a sergeant in the Vietnam war, and met her at a restaurant while on leave at a beach […]
Read the rest of this entry »WoWasis Book review: Perfect Spy, the Life of Pham Xuan An
Perhaps the most apt introduction WoWasis found to the amazing world of North Vietnam’s super spy Pham Xuan An was discovered during a tour we took of the Cu Chi war tunnels, just outside of Saigon. Our tour guide was Binh Le Thai, a member of the Viet Cong who worked for American interests while […]
Read the rest of this entry »Thailand’s Hill Tribes
Approximately 500,000 semi-nomadic tribespeople live in Thailand, comprising some 15-20 tribes. Each has its own culture, dress, language, customs, and belief system. Tribal culture crosses geo-political boundaries, and therefore each group will be known by several names, depending on the modern country in which they’re found, whether it be Thailand, Burma, China, Laos, or […]
Read the rest of this entry »Massage parlors for men in Vietnam: the good, the bad, and the ugly
Vietnamese streetside massage shops offer everything from foot massage to manual stimulation, but do not offer full service, in sexual terms. Read on, as our handy guide will help you to navigate this labyrinth of services and to get what you’re paying for. The good Streetside stall massage shops typically offer body, face, and foot […]
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