Vignettes of the World
I always think that the ocean bears enormous powers of healing. I would be coming to the Khem Beach many times during this trip. In my first evening in Phu Quoc, I took a walk and arrived at Khem Beach a little before dusk hour. …
The Coconut Tree Prison is the most unhappy place in Phu Quoc, and that is an understatement. It stands testament to the ubiquity of political division that haunted the nation during much of the 20th century. In the Coconut Tree Prison, this political division manifested …
I stepped out of the airplane and could smell the ocean already. It is properly “winter” time even for this part of the world. The humidity greeted me all the same, in a somewhat tamed tropical heat. I hoped for some really sunny days on this trip, as I looked to be by the beach sipping margaritas like I would in any beach resort destination.
After landing, it took me a full hour before I checked out immigration, set up my mobile data and exchanged money. It took maybe half an hour for me to arrive at Skyline Hotel, who arranged the ride. I was very eager to see my room. Each room on each floor featured a theme of the world. I think I got the Morocco room.
When I arrived, I realized that the whole area surrounding the Khem Beach is a resort town. Hotels spanning the full price range, from budget to luxury, could be booked there. The structures were new, built in a rather uniform faux European style — one could be easily lost within the resort town because every row of townhouses looked the same.
The Skyline Hotel lied very close to a stretch of restaurants and spa establishments. It took just a minute of walk for me to find food. But as it turned out, I did not eat there even once in my 5 days here. I rather desired very local food instead.
After checking in, I ventured out looking for food.
I would like to stay away from calling Grab to the extent possible. Therefore, the first act in Phu Quoc for me was to walk 40 minutes to the Coconut Tree Prison as my first sightseeing. The walk from Skyline Hotel out to the entrance to the Khem Beach Resort took a good 15-20 minutes already. I really had a chance to see the reality of tourism in Phu Quoc in this walk.
I liked this resort town for what it is. There was certainly the sense that it was meant for much better business than it managed to secure. Of course, the JW Marriot has taken up a prime spot right by the Khem Beach, with the ocean views and the short walk to the beach as its key attraction. From my hotel, it does take 8-10 minutes of a walk to get to the beach.
But otherwise, a cursory look into the buildings in the resort town will reveal an unhappy truth about business there. The resort town is 90% empty, save for the two stretches of businesses that are close to my hotel and close to the Khem Beach, respectively.
It is my observation that the theme of dashed hopes is common in planned economies. Surely, Vietnam has embarked upon a program of significant economic liberalization, not unlike that of China, since the 1980s. But what I observed at the Khem Beach Resort was typical of grand visions that were not supported by good economic analysis, a step that should have been taken before making any kind of significant investment. I have no idea if the Khem Beach Resort was a government initiative. If it weren’t, then the investors must have suffered quite a significant loss.
That said, if you turn a blind eye to the rubbles that lie freely in the vacant lots within those townhouses, the environment is well-designed with a very sunny, cheerful vibe, “almost classy,” as I muttered. Decorative trees adorned the well-paved streets. Even for the ghost streets with no tenants, there were workmen there trimming the trees and keeping the streets clean during the day. It appeared to me that dignity was maintained despite the failed business objective.
About twenty minutes later, I made it to the proper entrance of the resort town. That was when I ventured into the “real” Phu Quoc. I was on my way to the Coconut Tree Prison.
The street views beyond the bounds of the resort town did indicate that I was out of the comfort zones for vacationers. There was quite a bit of trash on the way. The wide, multi-lane motorway was simply extended into the expanse of space until it met the houses on the side, with no proper pavement for pedestrians. In fact, some parts of the road are full of sand.
I saw on Google Map that there were some restaurants on the other side of the road. I have had to navigate carefully before making it across to the other side of the road. I found Com Tam Trang for a plate of com tam (grilled pork chop over broken rice).
A lady fully wrapped in her upper body was running a little coffee stand by the road. I envied her for the attire because I would rather be wrapped in this heat than be breathing in the diesel and the dust. Neither the humidity nor the sea breezes mediated the dustiness of a busy roadway in Phu Quoc.
I ordered my favorite Vietnamese drink, ka phe sua da (iced coffee with milk), for 15,000₫. As I sipped my coffee, I watched the old man grill his meat over an open charcoal fire. For a moment, I was concerned with this dustiness. But I pushed the thought aside. It is worth all the dust to eat like a local.
I sat down with my plate of pork chop rice and at once felt at home in Phu Quoc. This was my fifth time visiting Vietnam.
Historically, both Cambodia and Vietnam lay claims on the island. The issue has resulted in conflicts between the two nations, namely the Cambodian-Vietnamese War of 1979. As the history is presented in Wikipedia, it seems to be the case that the historical rulers or administrators of Phu Quoc have pledged their allegiance to Vietnam. On a balance, it does seem that the island had stronger ties with Vietnam.
In 1739, the Cambodians attempted to liberate Phu Quoc but failed in their expeditions. Since then, the island has enjoyed independence from Cambodia. The French missionaries arrived during the 1760s. They noted that the population there were of Vietnamese descent. Over those times, there were accounts to the French empire indicating acknowledgement of Cambodia’s formal claim of sovereignty over the island. In 1867, the Vietnamese rulers of Phu Quoc pledged allegiance to the French.
In 1939, the Governor General of French Indochina, Jules Brevie, drew a maritime demarcation line (The Brevie Line), between Cambodia and Vietnam, and the island fell within the territory of Vietnam.
With the Geneva Accord of 1954, sovereignty over Phu Quoc Island was handed to Vietnam. Yet, there were continuous tensions between the Cambodian government and the Vietnamese government over their claims to the island. In 1975, a squad of Cambodian soldiers took Phu Quoc, but the island was retaken by the Vietnamese forces soon. Although the Cambodian government dropped its claim to sovereignty over Phu Quoc Island in 1976, there was a series of attacks and counter attacks, culminating in the Cambodian-Vietnamese War of 1979.
In 1982, the two governments signed an agreement to settle the dispute. In 1999 the Cambodian representative to the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Border Commission affirmed the state’s acceptance of the Brevie Line and Vietnamese sovereignty over Phu Quoc, a position reported to and accepted by the National Assembly.
Under Vietnamese sovereignty, Phu Quoc Island is a special administrative zone since 2025.
The Wikipedia on Phu Quoc.
Phu Quoc, meaning “prosperous land” in Vietnamese, is an island that lies south of Cambodia and west of Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand. Known as the “Pearl Island,” this largest island of Vietnam is blessed with pristine waters and long stretches of beautiful white …
The Old Wan Chai Post Office is the oldest surviving post office in Hong Kong. Built circa 1913, the Old Wan Chai Post Office served its original purpose since 1915 for 77 years, until 1992. Thereafter, it served as the resource center for the Environmental …
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority Information Centre Exhibition really is a lesser-known thing in Hong Kong. It has been there since 2003 and I had never known about it. I went for a look a couple days ago and enjoyed myself thoroughly.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is Hong Kong’s central bank. It was established in 1993 by merging the Office of the Exchange Fund and the Office of the Commissioner of Banking.
Perhaps it goes without saying that the prosperity of Hong Kong depends on the policies and work of the HKMA, because the economy here is so heavily dependent upon finance. The HKMA maintains the currency peg, regulates the banking system and manages the Exchange Fund. In terms of the interest rate, the HKMA does not actively manage it in Hong Kong. Instead, it follows the trend of interest rate as the Federal Reserve determines it.
The exhibition at the HKMA Information Centre is thus all about money, from the history of Hong Kong’s currency to the technicalities of monetary policy.
The exhibition is simple, educational and fun. There are the three sections: the policy section, the historical timeline of Hong Kong’s legal tender and the currency section.
I found the historical timeline to be the most effective part of the exhibition (as in, communicating through words in proper paragraphs instead of interactive gadgets). I will retell the history of Hong Kong money briefly here.
In the pre-British days, several kinds of valuables were used in transactions, as the Qing dynasty government set the rules. For small transactions, bronze, iron and copper coins were used. Large transactions were concluded with silver.
In the early days of British administration, there were periods where foreign coins were used in Hong Kong. In 1845, the Oriental Bank Corporation was the first bank in Hong Kong that issued banknotes, in 5-dollar denominations. In 1863, the Hong Kong Government declared the silver standard. In the following year, Hong Kong makes its first coins. The first mint opened in 1866 but it closed down two years later.
The next significant development came in 1935. Due to a worldwide silver crisis, the Hong Kong Government declared the sterling standard, and Hong Kong’s monetary system is linked to the British sterling. The Exchange Fund, which carries on with the same functions today, began operating in the same year.
In 1937, various kinds of silver dollars were no longer recognized or redeemable as the Hong Kong Government as the Hong Kong dollar became the only legal tender.
The progression of monetary development was disrupted by World War II. During the years of Japanese Occupation, Hong Kong’ legal tender was exchanged with the military notes of Japan, which had no currency backing. The economy relied on military notes as its tender of exchange.
The sterling crisis of 1972 precipitated another significant change in Hong Kong’ monetary policy. The rapid depreciation of the sterling in 1967 culminated in the eventual floating of the British pound. In July 1972, the government linked the Hong Kong dollar with the U.S. Dollar. The exchange rate then was every one U.S. Dollar for HK$5.65, with the intervention band set at 2.25% plus or minus.
The Bretton Woods system collapsed as the world lost confidence in the U.S. economy following the global recession of 1974. In response, Hong Kong floated its currency. This was again reversed in October 1983. Under the Currency Board System, the Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the U.S. Dollar again at the exchange rate of $7.8, a policy that is still in place today.
Historically, the Hong Kong Government keeps an astronomical amount of reserves at the Exchange Fund for the purpose of maintaining the currency peg. There were incidents that the funds there were used to stabilize economic crises, including the stock market crash of 1987 and the bank runs of 1991. The Monetary Authority was established in 1993.
I came away from this visit feeling like I learned something interesting and important in Hong Kong history. There was a conscious effort to make the experience kids-friendly by their interactive and cute, somewhat gimmicky features.
At 55th floor in such a prime location as the IFC 2, the HKMA exhibition room’s full sized glass panels enable a 270-degree view of the most iconic city views of Hong Kong Island. This is certainly a bonus for tourists — not to mention the nice air conditioning in a spacious indoor environment. We visited on the hottest day of 2026 up to that time. This short stop was very much appreciated.
On the first floor of the building, show the receptionist your ID. Both HKID and passports would do. You will be given visitors’ badges. Wear that with you during your visit. Then head up the elevator to the 55th floor.
Note that a party of over 10 visitors must first make reservations with the HKMA for entry into the exhibition.
In this part of Hong Kong Island, there are a few sites of interest for tourists. Those who stay on the Kowloon side can take the Star Ferry to arrive at the Central Piers. Then they can get up the ferris wheel (the Observation Wheel). Stop by this exhibition at IFC 2 before heading out to other tour areas in Central. Our itinerary that day was to head up the Peak after, because both the buses and minibuses bound for the Peak are in the IFC area. See a four-hour itinerary suggestion here.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is located on 55th Floor, 2 International Finance Centre, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong.
Descriptions on site at the Monetary Authority Information Centre.
The official website of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
Australia’s aboriginal art features distinctive and unique elements that are full of unspoken meanings. They convey the contemporary reinterpretations of the native worldview. I visited an art gallery, Yubu Napa, in Alice Springs. This gallery features all kinds of aboriginal themed handicrafts, besides the display …
There are half-day tours that take you around the historical, cultural and natural sites in Alice Springs. I opted to keep things simple after three days of intense tours in the Outback. In the morning of my day of departure, I walked from my hotel …
In the beginning, Alice Springs (Mparntwe in Eastern Arrernte) was home to the Arrernte aborigines for 20,000 years, long before the arrival of the European settlers during the 1860s.
The Arrernte aborigines hunted and gathered food in this area. The Lhere Mparntwe (Todd River) determined the course of the sojourns in their nomadic life. The Todd River is, by and large, a sandy creek. The permanent and semipermanent waterholes of the Todd River supplied fresh water to the aborigines.
What was originally the town of Stuart sprang up due to the permanent waterhole of the Todd River in now-Alice Springs that provides a source of water in the desert, as the Europeans saw the same necessity as the aborigines did.
John Stuart, an inland explorer of Scottish descent, took on a few trips to trek the path between Adelaide and Darwin at the behest of the South Australia parliament. Even on his first attempt in 1860, he had reached the Alice Springs area from Adelaide. The town of Stuart, proclaimed in 1888, was about half way between Adelaide and Darwin.
In his third attempt, he made it from South Australia to Darwin, traversing the full distance in the north-south axis of the middle region of the continent. This successful expedition paved the way for the establishment of telegraph lines and stations along this route later by Sir Charles Todd, soon in 1871.
Alice Springs is thereafter named after Lady Alice Todd in 1933. Lady Alice Todd is the wife of Charles Todd, who, as the Government Astronomer and the Superintendent of Telegraph, successfully completed the journey to set up telegraph lines between Adelaide and Darwin in 1877. He is celebrated as a hero in Australia.
Being the only city in the midst of a vast expanse of red earth, Alice Springs stands at the crossroads in many facets of historical and cultural significance. Historically, Alice Springs was the original settlement area for the European settlers looking for opportunities in a pastoral economy. The Undoolya Station (a cattle station) was set up in 1873 following the establishment of the first telegraph station.
The town would see quite a lot of traffic during the Gold Rush of the late 1800s. The miners eventually set up their operations in Arltunga in 1887, off of East Macdonell. Another round of gold rushers entered the scene in 1902, when gold was discovered at Winnecke’s Depot, north of Stuart.
In the late 1800s, another significant development was the arrival of the Lutheran missionaries, who established a mission for the aborigines. Albert Namatjira, the first aboriginal painter of Outback sceneries that earned national acclaim in Australia, was born and raised in the Lutheran mission. Interactions between the European settlers and the aborigines were ongoing, wavering between benevolent and tensely contested over land occupation and water sources.
Worthy of mention is the effort of Mrs. Ida Standley. She established the Bungalow, which was a welfare institution for aboriginal children. Her contribution to Alice Springs, in educating both the early settlers’ children and aboriginal children, was recognized as the Standley Chasm in West Mac was named after her.
Before WWII, an event of significance is the Coniston Massacre of 1928, the year in which a four-year drought drove both the frontier settlers and the aborigines to desperation. At the time, the European settlers thought that the aborigines’ contesting demands for water and food for survival were at odds with their interests in maintaining the cattle stations. Tensions flared between the station operators and the aborigines. In the confrontation that was precipitated by the killing of the dingo hunter Fred Brooks by the aborigines, the police investigating the murder killed a significant number of aborigines in a series of pursuits. The murder of Fred Brooks was tried in court, followed by an inquiry later.
The Coniston Massacre is considered the last known officially sanctioned massacre of Indigenous Australians and one of the last events of the Australian frontier wars.
During WWII, Alice Springs was a major military camp that served as the arsenal and staging point for supplies to Darwin, which was Australia’s warfront in the Pacific War. More on this in the next entry on ANZAC Hill.
Today, the population of Alice Springs numbers 35,000. About 6,000 identify as aborigines. The community continues to adapt to the rising trends in immigration and integration. There are immigrant communities as well, mainly from India and Africa.
The dynamics in Alice Springs can be troublesome at times. As I said in a previous entry, a month before my trip, I learned that the rival gangs (consisting of descendants of different aboriginal tribes) got into a huge fight. The story was that they were at a funeral and fights broke out, resulting in multi-day violence rising to the level of a riot. There was a prolonged youth curfew as a result. I got the sense from Kirsty of Red Earth Roaming that this was quite exclusively within the aboriginal community. But it does go to show that deep-seated animosity amongst different groups can disturb the peace of a small city in this vast region of peaceful nature.
There are half-day tours that take tourists around the historical, cultural and natural sites in Alice Springs. I opted to keep things simple after three days of intense tours in the Outback. In the morning of my day of departure, I walked from my hotel to ANZAC Hill, where you can see the city in a 360 panoramic view. Coupled with the aboriginal art gallery that I saw a couple days ago, this served all my purposes in learning about Alice Springs.
Descriptions on site at ANZAC Hill, Alice Springs.
The Wikipedia on Alice Springs.
The Wikipedia on Albert Namatjira.
The Wikipedia on the Coniston Massacre.
Perhaps I can take a break from the history, culture and the nature and discuss the food that I had in this part of Australia. Surely, I heard all about the bush tucker and the kangaroo tail, which are considered essential and delicacies in aboriginal …