Tuesday, April 27, 2010

KEEP IT SIMPLE

TRANSPORT FOR SALE
In daily use, aircon, very light on fuel (note no tank), only kidding it's under the seat, tyres still serviceable, optional extras: front and rear brakes. Maintenance free 5 yrs or first 200000kms. Voetstoets, as is. Can carry three seated and four standing passengers for pvt and taxi use. All this for only VND1 000 000,00. Two models to choose from.

Standard model














Ltd luxury edition -VND 1 000 250,00














Who needs the fancy vehicles of the west when you can have all this, debt free? Just one easy payment. VND1 000 000 is about R450.

One of the things we are learning from our Asian brothers is that life can be so much simpler. They don't have all of the opulence of the west but they are family orientated and happy. Their lifestyles are not dictated to by having to make money to maintain their lifestyles like us in the West. Keeping up with the Jones' can be a noose around ones neck. You constantly have to feed it. This doesn't only apply to money, it also applies to time. The simpler the home you live in, the less time you spend maintaining and cleaning it. The less things you have, the less time you need to spend maintaining them. In the Western world it is all about individualism and in the East it is all about family.

Matthew 6:19 Don't store up for yourself treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourself treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there will your heart be also.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A few pics for the day

Breakfast from a roadside vendor on the beachfront. We just had to get over a couple of dead flies on the inside of this vending machine. the baguettes are really fresh and crispy.














Waiting for breakfast















Magnficent creation!!!















Sunset outside our room

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

MUI NE

We took a sleeper bus to Mui Ne (a coastal fishing vilage) and arrived at noon. The trip was very comfy and we caught up on some of our jet lag. On arriving we dragged our bags up and down the road looking for accommodation but after a short while we realised that we would not survive the heat. So we hired a bike and loaded ALL our luggage onto it (a boer maak 'n plan). It was a lot cooler and we found a place quite quickly.















Forty winks!!!














This afternoon we stopped off at a beach that is frequented by locals on our way back from a bike ride to town. The locals stop here late afternoon. They come on bikes with whole families, grandparents, children and dogs and then they swim fully clothed.















Time to give the pets a shampoo. Afterwards he tossed them into the waves for a rinse.















Not looking impressed. Brrrrrr....














Llewellyn playing soccer with the locals. He scored a goal for the team. They really are an amazing culture. They live such simple, uncomplicated lives, unlike us in the West.














Beautiful children....














Beautiful sunset














Missing you....

Sunday, April 18, 2010

HO CHI MINH CITY

Well, we arrived in a hot sticky Ho Chi Minh City. A couple of hours after arriving the heavens opened for the first rain of the rainy season. For us westerners it was a welcome relief from the heat. It was quite an experience dragging our baggage up and down the alleys looking for decent accommodation and a good price. It took us a while to discover what the going rate is, this we did with a bit of help from other backpackers. We are in Dhe Tham Road which is filled with backpackers. It is a cooking pot of cultures but so far as westerners go the Aussies win handsdown. This is an incredible city and we fell in love with it. The vietnamese are so friendly.

This is Jeannie. Born in India and based in Australia she has spent her entire life as a nomad, travelling from place to place. We spent quite a bit of time getting to know her on the plane.














Street scene in Ho Chi Minh















Going to lunch with friends.















Meet Grant, backpacker from Australia. Constantly on the move.