I just found this video on YouTube. APL one of the members of the famous American pop rock bands, The Black Eyed Peas, sang a song about the Philippines. Staying in the Philippines for over a year now makes me want to discover all those other islands and mountain I have yet to see. I think Philippines has so much more to offer like its neighboring Asian countries. *oink**oink* Please check it out and tell me what you think? Are you ready to go to the Philippines and discover its 7,107 islands. *oink* I sure am!!! *oinktastic!*

Why The Black Eyed Peas Love the Philippines is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

Reunification Palace: The Sexiest Building in Southeast Asia is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

It is no different when I visited Vietnam. In my readings, the majority of Vietnamese people classify themselves as non-religious, although they visit religious temples several times every year. Their everyday behaviours and attitudes are dictated by the synthesis of philosophies which can be traced from many religions, especially Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Those religions have been co-existing in the country for centuries and mixed perfectly with the Vietnamese tradition of worshiping their ancestors and national heroes. *oink**oink*

Because of that special mix explains why the people there find it hard to say exactly which religion they belong to. I have always been intrigued why people worship. I guess it is somehow deep inside us we know that there is something greater out there that made us. *oink* *oink*

Here is are some pictures of the Temples I visited when I was in Vietnam.

Saigon: The Special Mix of Religions is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

Following the French conquest of Cochinchina and Saigon, the Roman Catholic Church decided to establish a community and religious services for the French colonialists. The first church was built on today’s Ngo Duc Ke Street. In that street, there use to be a Vietnamese pagoda which had been abandoned during the war. However, Bishop Lefevre decided to make this abandoned pagoda into a church.

The first church was too small. Thus, in 1863, Admiral Bonard decided to build a wooden church on the bank of Charner canal. Lefevre put the first stone for construction of the church on 28 March 1863. The construction was completed two years later and was called “Saigon Church”. When the wooden church was damaged by termites, all church services were held in the guest-chamber of the French Governor’s Palace. This palace would later be turned into a seminary until the Notre-Dame Cathedral was completed.

In August 1876, the Governor of Cochinchina M. Duperré, held a design contest for a new cathedral. Apart from creating a religious building for the Catholics, the cathedral was also aimed at displaying Christianity and the greatness of French civilization. *Oinksome!!!*

The Saigon Post Office

Saigon Central Post Office is a post office in the downtown Ho Chi Minh City, near Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, the city’s main church. The building was constructed when Vietnam was part of French Indochina in the early 20th century. It has a Gothic architectural style. It was designed and constructed by the famous architect Gustave Eiffel in harmony with the surrounding area. Today, the building is a tourist attraction. *oink* *oink* I had a pleasure of meeting 3 lovely Filipinas, Ms. Phet, Ms. Tin and Ms. Rose,  inside the Cathedral, you can them on the pictures below. *oinktastic!*

Saigon: The Notre Dame Basilica and Post Office is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

At the alleyway near the hostel, they served wonderful noodle dishes called Pho. Gino and I had our first Vietnamese noodle breakfast. Here is a picture of the noodles. The noodles were really really good. *oinkaliscious*

After breakfast, we headed to the famous Ben Tham Market. It is a huge market where they sell all sorts of good stuff from shirts, to fake sunglasses, to coconut candies, to shoes, to silk scarves, and lots of food.

The Amazing Pho is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

Ben Thanh Market (from Vietnamese Ben meaning “wharf”, and Quy Thanh meaning “turtle citadel”) is a big marketplace in the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in District 1. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and today is considered one of symbols of Ho Chi Minh City, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, áo dài, and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine. *oink**oink*

Saigon: The Ben Thanh Market is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

Before, I flew to Vietnam, I wanted to know more about it. From my reading, Ho Chi Minh City ( Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh pronunciation ) is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong Delta. In the 17th century, Saigon used to be the port of Cambodia (Prey Nokor in Khmer)  before it was annexed by the Vietnamese. The French conquered Saigon, as it was then known, in 1859, and made it the capital of Cochin China in 1862. They extended and embellished the city with broad boulevards and elegant architecture. At the peak of the Vietnam War in 1969 the city had 4.5 million inhabitants. They were all evacuated when Saigon and the rest of the South fell to North Vietnam in 1975. *oink**oink*

The city has recovered in the 30 years since then; the current population is over 7 million. It was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, after the spiritual leader of Vietnamese Communism. The Vietnamese government may be Communist, but it understands well the importance of the tourism industry to the economy, and has promoted the country vigorously. *oink* *oink*

You might be asking why I called it the City of Motorbikes? It is because I have never seen so many motorbikes in my life. When I asked one local guy about the motorbikes, he said that, “If you want to have a girlfriend in Vietnam, the first thing you need to do is buy a motorbike. No motorbike. No girlfriend.” The number of motorbikes I saw was probably by the hundreds of thousands along the streets of Saigon. For a little pig like me, crossing the streets was unbelievably scary! *oink**oink*

After I arrived in the Saigon Airport, I took a taxi to Phan Ngu Lao or District 1 where all the backpacker hostels are located. The trip was enjoyable because I saw many colorful lit buildings and churches and streets. I was simply amazed with all the lights. *oink**oink*. Tomorrow, I will tell you where I stayed and the amazing family who took in me in for the night.

This is it for now. I will tell more stories of Vietnam in the coming days. *OINKTASTIC!!!*

Saigon: The City Of Motorbikes is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

Ever since I began journey to discover the world and my purpose in life, many people ask me what exactly do I do? I fondly tell each one that, “I am a little pink pig who is on journey to discover the world.” But I think that answer is not enough to quell the curiosity of many humans.

“Aren’t you little and young to be traveling around the world?” Human would ask.

“YES, yes I am.” – is my quick reply. *oink* *oink*

“I write everything down on my website called  The Adventures of Spider Pig.” *oink*

“Do you have card?”

And that made me think. It has been one year and I never thought bringing a little card withme to share to people about travels. Gino, my photographer, always reminded me of it.

In the end, here is what I made. I created a new traveling card. So,  whenever I go out  and people ask me who I am, I just simply hand them my card and tell them “I am a little pink pig who is on a journey to discover the world.” *oink* *oink*

I hope you all like it. *oink* *oink*

Oinktastic Business Travel Card!!! is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

Sometimes, I think human beings have the best of everything. They can walk very fast. Not like me who can only walk very small strides. They use hands to create something beautiful. I only have 4 stubby foot which I use to walk and do other stuff with. Humans can jump very high. I wish I can jump very high too when I am very happy. The higher I am the happier I feel inside. *oink**oink*

There are so many things human beings can do that we pigs can only dream of. Is it difficult to be human? *oink**oink*

The Difficulties of Being Human is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig

In my travels across the world, I have met people who have suffered greatly in their lives. *oink* There are some who lost their jobs. There are some who lost a loved one. There are some who were beset by natural calamity that took away their homes and livestock. And yet, many of these people still can afford to smile. I would hear them say when asked, “You just got to have faith.”

What is faith? Is it something we should believe in? Is it confined by religion? Or is it a state of mind? What is faith?

Maybe, I can learn something about faith? Is there any other word that means the same as faith? Maybe, oneday when this travel journey of discovery ends, I will learn about faith and, perhaps, have a little bit of it. *oink**oink*

You Got To Have Faith is a post from: The Adventures of Spider Pig