Saturday, February 14, 2015
Tuesday, February 3rd. Today, we went back to another temple, the name escapes me right at this moment, but it was in the same complex. When the guide asked us to give him our passes so he could show them at the gate, Kevin realized his was in their room so he raced off the bus to go get it. When he got back, he showed his wet piece of paper that used to be his pass. He had washed his shirt the night before with it in the pocket. It was nothing but a damp paper with holes in it. His comment "I think it got the holes when I wrung out the shirt." We lost about a half hour, which we didn't mind actually, when the person at the gate wouldn't take it and we had to drive to the main gate to get it replaced. However, on the way there and back, we did see the King of Cambodia's motorcade. They were having some sort of UNESCO ceremony that day and he was in Siem Reap to see it. All the vehicles had black tinted windows, and there were about 10 cars in a row, so who knows what vehicle he was actually in.
We returned to the hotel for lunch and a few hours before we met to go to yet again another temple. We opted out of the temple excursion. We've seen enough. Tonight, we had our farewell dinner at a restaurant that was like the one in Saigon. It has students who learn the restaurant business, everything from waiting tables to hostessing to cooking. The meal was excellent, one of the best we've had on this trip.
Our flight leaves at 11:50 pm tonight, as all flights to Seoul do, so we opted to leave tonight instead of wait all day tomorrow (tour is over after breakfast). After dinner, we were going to take a cab to the airport (about 15 minutes away), but the cab company and bus company are owned by the same people so the bus dropped everyone else off at the hotel, where we said our goodbyes, and took us to the airport.
A full flight to Seoul, 6 hours. Then we found the transit hotel and spent most of the day there sleeping. It was a 12 hour layover. At 6:30 pm, our plane left for Seattle, another full flight. It was interesting that when we came to Seoul from Seattle, it was 11-1/2 hours. When we left Seattle, it went almost all the way to Anchorage and then curved around and landed in Seoul. This time, our schedule said it was 9 hours and 40 minutes. Well, when we boarded, the pilot announced that it would be 10 hours. The plane flew due east, over Tokyo, not going north at all. I was beginning to wonder if we were going to San Francisco instead when we began to curve northward to Seattle.
Our layover in Seattle was 1 hour and 40 minutes, which we thought was enough time to make the flight to Boise. Since we left a half hour late from Seoul and the flight was a half hour longer than scheduled, we missed our connecting flight by about 3 minutes. It hadn't left yet but the doors were closed when we raced to the gate. Luckily, we managed to fly standby on the next flight to Boise about an hour later. We might have made the earlier flight but it took forever to get our luggage at Customs. I have never seen so many large cardboard boxes come off a plane. I think 50-75 is not a bad estimate, most with duct tape and even some string wrapped around them.
Some random facts about Cambodia and Vietnam. Cambodia has 54 percent women in the population. 56 percent of their population is under the age of 18. Life span there is 58 years for men and 62 years for women. Every tuktuk or boat person who took us anywhere in either country asked us how old we were. When we told them, they were like "wow", probably because we are older than 62. 96 percent of the people in Cambodia are estimated to do something to lighten their skin. Michael Jackson comes to mind.
In Vietnam, when we were on the boat ride through the caves, one of the women rowing us along felt Stella's hair. Stella thought that was interesting since we were told not to touch anyone. When we got to Saigon, Bon told us to always wear our purses and bags crossbody because "there is no violent crime here but a lot of "snatch and grab" occurs." Okay. When I asked the front desk person to show me on the map where the Hard Rock was, she drew it out (about 3-4 blocks away), and told us the same thing - "wear your purse or bag crossbody." After two warnings, I made sure I did.
It was a good trip. Vietnam is a beautiful country. We were never shown any anger or animosity that we were American. The fruit and vegetables we ate were fresh and, consequently, excellent. A friend of mine, who served there in the war, had told me that the pineapple in the Mekong Delta was the best and he was right. Weddings and funerals are big things here. Lots of businesses cater to those occasions. Bon told us that in south Vietnam, it is the custom for the deceased to be in the house where they died for a week before they are buried. He paused and then said "they are in heavy well-sealed caskets." I would hope so. Maybe that's why they burn so much incense. Vietnam law says only two children allowed. Cambodia doesn't have that law. Ken has three and his wife wants another one but he thinks three is enough. The record number of people we saw on a motorbike was six. Someone asked Ken if his family travelled all together on one motorbike and he said "yes, the oldest child rides in front of me, the middle child rides between me and my wife, and my wife carries the baby." He thought that was a really odd question because it's just normal for families to do that here. Helmets are required but a lot of people don't wear them.
Monday, February 2, 2015. Today, we went back to Angkor Wat. It's known for its monkeys, although I only saw one from the bus. Others, who were on the driver's side saw three. Other than that, no wildlife. We entered Angkor Wat from a different gate and another entrance into the temple. Some of it has been restored, but they have a lot left to go. Along one of the colonnaded walkways, the carvings depict 23 punishments for various sins, drinking, adultery, theft, gossiping, etc. Brutal punishments, extreme physical torture, actually. Our guide pointed out each one and described in detail how the punishments were carried out. I know that this is part of their history, but I really didn't need to hear it.
We went up steep steps to get to the next level. And then, if you were brave enough, you could climb the steps up to the top. Needless to say, I did not do that. I took one look at steps that were probably 10 inches high and had about a five inch place to put your feet and decided I really didn't need to see it from up there. About half the group did it, but the rest of us wandered around and looked at other vantage points. Those steps were extremely steep, I took pictures but I haven't gotten them off my camera yet.
I came across a shrine where, after making a donation, you could worship. A man dressed in saffron robes was there to take your money and give you the incense stick, etc. I suppose he was a monk, but I was a little suspicious since he had on gold colored robes and all the others we had seen were wearing orange. And there was also a man dressed in robes that appeared to be a healer of sorts. Our guide had warned us about the kids that try to sell you a wide variety of items. He said that most of them work for a business in Siem Reap and that they do not get to keep your money for themselves so don't get fooled and feel sorry for them and buy trinkets just to support them.
We then continued on to Angkor Thom, which is in the same complex. It's another temple that has had some renovation but needs a lot more. Stella is still having a lot of pain with her knee so we elected to not climb all the way through it. We entertained ourselves by people watching at one of the entrances. A never-ending source of entertainment, like always.
Oh, on another note, after we left Cambodia, two young American sisters were arrested and banned from the country for taking pictures at Angkor Wat mooning each other. We did witness a security guard there blowing an extremely loud whistle at tourists for doing things that weren't allowed, so they do keep a close eye on everyone there. Very poor behavior, you need to respect places and other's beliefs when you are outside the USA.
When we got back to the hotel, we went to the market and walked around there. Yesterday, when we went to the Hard Rock Café so I could expand my collection of pins, Stella mentioned to the tuktuk driver that we wanted to look at jewelry. And it was just like they tell you, he said I know where to go and whisked us off to a very upscale jewelry store, more than likely he gets paid to do that by the store. Anyway, we both ended up buying ear rings but we did manage to only pay half of what they wanted. Learned our lesson there. Do not tell your driver what you are looking for.
We ate in the hotel dining room this evening. After being in the crowds of people today, it was nice to just eat and then relax in our room.
We went up steep steps to get to the next level. And then, if you were brave enough, you could climb the steps up to the top. Needless to say, I did not do that. I took one look at steps that were probably 10 inches high and had about a five inch place to put your feet and decided I really didn't need to see it from up there. About half the group did it, but the rest of us wandered around and looked at other vantage points. Those steps were extremely steep, I took pictures but I haven't gotten them off my camera yet.
I came across a shrine where, after making a donation, you could worship. A man dressed in saffron robes was there to take your money and give you the incense stick, etc. I suppose he was a monk, but I was a little suspicious since he had on gold colored robes and all the others we had seen were wearing orange. And there was also a man dressed in robes that appeared to be a healer of sorts. Our guide had warned us about the kids that try to sell you a wide variety of items. He said that most of them work for a business in Siem Reap and that they do not get to keep your money for themselves so don't get fooled and feel sorry for them and buy trinkets just to support them.
We then continued on to Angkor Thom, which is in the same complex. It's another temple that has had some renovation but needs a lot more. Stella is still having a lot of pain with her knee so we elected to not climb all the way through it. We entertained ourselves by people watching at one of the entrances. A never-ending source of entertainment, like always.
Oh, on another note, after we left Cambodia, two young American sisters were arrested and banned from the country for taking pictures at Angkor Wat mooning each other. We did witness a security guard there blowing an extremely loud whistle at tourists for doing things that weren't allowed, so they do keep a close eye on everyone there. Very poor behavior, you need to respect places and other's beliefs when you are outside the USA.
When we got back to the hotel, we went to the market and walked around there. Yesterday, when we went to the Hard Rock Café so I could expand my collection of pins, Stella mentioned to the tuktuk driver that we wanted to look at jewelry. And it was just like they tell you, he said I know where to go and whisked us off to a very upscale jewelry store, more than likely he gets paid to do that by the store. Anyway, we both ended up buying ear rings but we did manage to only pay half of what they wanted. Learned our lesson there. Do not tell your driver what you are looking for.
We ate in the hotel dining room this evening. After being in the crowds of people today, it was nice to just eat and then relax in our room.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
February 1, 2015. After saying goodbye to the 12 people who are not continuing on to Cambodia, we waved to Bon and got on the bus to go to Cambodia. It's a 45 minute flight on Cambodia Airlines. Reid had 10 people on his ticket that he needed to get checked in and Ron had five on his. I was with Ron and with that few of passengers, it didn't take long to get our boarding passes. The plane was nice, and in that short time, we all made out our immigration forms before we landed. It was another hand-out-water flight, with no snacks or picking up of empty bottles.
I wish we could have taken pictures in the immigration area when we arrived in Siem Reap. It was a full flight with a school group of volunteers that looked like high school age so the area was crowded. It cost $30 US to enter the country and another $2 for a photo if you didn't bring an extra passport photo. Since we didn't, we paid $32. After waiting in line and handing over the money, we went to the end of the counter and waited to get our passports back with our visas. How do I describe this? It was a long counter with about 15 immigration agents sitting at it. I handed my passport and immigration form to the first person on the left hand side, along with my money. He looked at it, stamped something on it, and handed it to the next person, who looked at it, stamped something, and handed it to the next person. This went on for the entire 15 people. At the end of the counter, the last person took it and hollered out the person's name for them to come get their passport. I couldn't figure out when they took your picture and asked Reid about it. He didn't know so he went and asked someone and they said "we scanned the photo in the passport." Okay, so I have nothing to show for that $2, which isn't a big deal.
Then we went to other lines where more immigration people checked your passport and form. This was kind of like US Customs where they look at the form, stamp it and let you through. Luckily, three of us were sent to another line because in the line next to ours the school group chaperone or leader or whoever had all 40 or so passports and was processing all of them at once. That line had not moved when we were finally finished. I'm about fifth in line. Two people were processed and then it was Bill, Judy and me. Bill gets up there and has to take his baseball cap off. They had one of those little ball cameras on a stand to take pictures so I think that's why. Anyway, he does that and then the immigration agent says something to him and gets up and leaves. What? After about 10 minutes, he comes back with a plastic bag with two Styrofoam containers in it. His lunch! All this time, Bill is just standing there waiting. He stamps Bill's passport and gives it back to him. Judy and I were next and we whizzed through. At all the counters on this part of the process were fingerprint units. None of us had our prints taken, but every other person on the tour that was in another line did. Since we were the first ones through, we started getting everyone's luggage off the baggage claim area. When all of us were processed, we left the airport for the bus. This antiquated process took longer than the 45 minute flight.
Siem Reap is not a very large town, but it is built solely for the tourists that come to see Angkor Wat. Lots of large hotels, lots of people with tuk tuks wanting to take you places. These tuk tuks are not like the ones in India that had three wheels and were very old. These are motorbikes with an attached "trailer", for lack of a better word, that has two bench seats facing each other and a top on it. Stella and I took one to the market twice. They whiz right along, it was nice.
But I digress. We checked into our hotel, which is very nice, has a pool in the center and a large dining area. Supposed to have wifi but no one in our group could get it to work. A couple of hours before we left for home, someone found out that they change the password daily and if you didn't ask them, they didn't give it to you.
Our local guide, Ken, met us and we went to get our passes to the Angkor Wat complex. Another photo opportunity because your pass has your picture on it. Awful pictures, even worse than driver's license ones. The pass is good for three days and if you fold it, crinkle it, or otherwise damage it, they won't take it. One of our group found that out after he washed his shirt with the pass in the pocket and had to get another one.
Angkor Wat is 65 meters high. No buildings here can be higher that that. It took 27 years to build and then the king died and it was never finished. Centuries old. After seeing pictures of it, I was expecting it to be larger than it was. Since this is Sunday, it's very crowded. Ken told us that tomorrow and Tuesday, the crowds will be smaller. It's only about 100 miles to the border (or less) so lots of people from Vietnam and Thailand come just for the day.
As we were walking up to the entrance, we saw Buddhist monks coming toward us. They were dressed in bright orange robes just like in all the pictures. Reid and Ken told us that men are allowed to get within 4 feet of them but women have to stay back 10 feet, and we should not violate that rule. We didn't, but I saw other women tourists get closer to take pictures. We were standing and listening to Ken when a monk came past us and was going to go through the building but a woman was standing at the top of the stairs with her back to him taking pictures of the shrine inside. She stood there forever. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and waited awhile but she didn't move so he finally walked to the side and stepped through an opening and went on. We did see a monk that was about six years old. Monks can start training at 5 years old. When they are 18, they are more restricted to
where they can go and what they can do. Ken also said that they can be monks for life or they can be monks for a couple of years and then do something else. I know it is an honor for a family to have a monk in it, but I can't imagine sending your five year old off to do it.
We watched the sunset and then returned to the hotel. Dinner was at a place about a block away. It was a buffet that was about the size of a football field, although it was square. Ken hurried us over there because he wanted us to get there "before the Chinese eat everything." Interesting observation, but okay. The food was just so-so, but there was entertainment afterward. We were sitting up close to the stage. It started with five musicians playing. They were good, a different style of music than we had in Vietnam. We smiled about the boy on the end. He looked about 14 and was beating a drum with his hands - and looked like he'd rather be doing anything than that. Then they moved to the side, and dancers came out. Six pairs who used small wooden bowls to clap together in all kinds of rhythms. I'm sure it takes a lot of practice to do that changing partners all the time and smacking the bowls together in a pattern with your partner. It made me think of Monty Python in Spamalot where they use coconut shells to make the clipclop sound of horseshoes. I think that's also in "The Holy Grail", too. Anyway, the performance lasted about an hour. The women dancers did the dances with their hands making all the movements while they moved very slowly. I enjoyed it more than the water puppets but it was an entirely different kind of show.
When it was over, the audience could go up on stage and have their pictures taken with the performers. No one in our group did that, but others were. For the size of the venue, it emptied out in about five minutes. Amazing how everyone just disappeared.
I wish we could have taken pictures in the immigration area when we arrived in Siem Reap. It was a full flight with a school group of volunteers that looked like high school age so the area was crowded. It cost $30 US to enter the country and another $2 for a photo if you didn't bring an extra passport photo. Since we didn't, we paid $32. After waiting in line and handing over the money, we went to the end of the counter and waited to get our passports back with our visas. How do I describe this? It was a long counter with about 15 immigration agents sitting at it. I handed my passport and immigration form to the first person on the left hand side, along with my money. He looked at it, stamped something on it, and handed it to the next person, who looked at it, stamped something, and handed it to the next person. This went on for the entire 15 people. At the end of the counter, the last person took it and hollered out the person's name for them to come get their passport. I couldn't figure out when they took your picture and asked Reid about it. He didn't know so he went and asked someone and they said "we scanned the photo in the passport." Okay, so I have nothing to show for that $2, which isn't a big deal.
Then we went to other lines where more immigration people checked your passport and form. This was kind of like US Customs where they look at the form, stamp it and let you through. Luckily, three of us were sent to another line because in the line next to ours the school group chaperone or leader or whoever had all 40 or so passports and was processing all of them at once. That line had not moved when we were finally finished. I'm about fifth in line. Two people were processed and then it was Bill, Judy and me. Bill gets up there and has to take his baseball cap off. They had one of those little ball cameras on a stand to take pictures so I think that's why. Anyway, he does that and then the immigration agent says something to him and gets up and leaves. What? After about 10 minutes, he comes back with a plastic bag with two Styrofoam containers in it. His lunch! All this time, Bill is just standing there waiting. He stamps Bill's passport and gives it back to him. Judy and I were next and we whizzed through. At all the counters on this part of the process were fingerprint units. None of us had our prints taken, but every other person on the tour that was in another line did. Since we were the first ones through, we started getting everyone's luggage off the baggage claim area. When all of us were processed, we left the airport for the bus. This antiquated process took longer than the 45 minute flight.
Siem Reap is not a very large town, but it is built solely for the tourists that come to see Angkor Wat. Lots of large hotels, lots of people with tuk tuks wanting to take you places. These tuk tuks are not like the ones in India that had three wheels and were very old. These are motorbikes with an attached "trailer", for lack of a better word, that has two bench seats facing each other and a top on it. Stella and I took one to the market twice. They whiz right along, it was nice.
But I digress. We checked into our hotel, which is very nice, has a pool in the center and a large dining area. Supposed to have wifi but no one in our group could get it to work. A couple of hours before we left for home, someone found out that they change the password daily and if you didn't ask them, they didn't give it to you.
Our local guide, Ken, met us and we went to get our passes to the Angkor Wat complex. Another photo opportunity because your pass has your picture on it. Awful pictures, even worse than driver's license ones. The pass is good for three days and if you fold it, crinkle it, or otherwise damage it, they won't take it. One of our group found that out after he washed his shirt with the pass in the pocket and had to get another one.
Angkor Wat is 65 meters high. No buildings here can be higher that that. It took 27 years to build and then the king died and it was never finished. Centuries old. After seeing pictures of it, I was expecting it to be larger than it was. Since this is Sunday, it's very crowded. Ken told us that tomorrow and Tuesday, the crowds will be smaller. It's only about 100 miles to the border (or less) so lots of people from Vietnam and Thailand come just for the day.
As we were walking up to the entrance, we saw Buddhist monks coming toward us. They were dressed in bright orange robes just like in all the pictures. Reid and Ken told us that men are allowed to get within 4 feet of them but women have to stay back 10 feet, and we should not violate that rule. We didn't, but I saw other women tourists get closer to take pictures. We were standing and listening to Ken when a monk came past us and was going to go through the building but a woman was standing at the top of the stairs with her back to him taking pictures of the shrine inside. She stood there forever. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and waited awhile but she didn't move so he finally walked to the side and stepped through an opening and went on. We did see a monk that was about six years old. Monks can start training at 5 years old. When they are 18, they are more restricted to
where they can go and what they can do. Ken also said that they can be monks for life or they can be monks for a couple of years and then do something else. I know it is an honor for a family to have a monk in it, but I can't imagine sending your five year old off to do it.
We watched the sunset and then returned to the hotel. Dinner was at a place about a block away. It was a buffet that was about the size of a football field, although it was square. Ken hurried us over there because he wanted us to get there "before the Chinese eat everything." Interesting observation, but okay. The food was just so-so, but there was entertainment afterward. We were sitting up close to the stage. It started with five musicians playing. They were good, a different style of music than we had in Vietnam. We smiled about the boy on the end. He looked about 14 and was beating a drum with his hands - and looked like he'd rather be doing anything than that. Then they moved to the side, and dancers came out. Six pairs who used small wooden bowls to clap together in all kinds of rhythms. I'm sure it takes a lot of practice to do that changing partners all the time and smacking the bowls together in a pattern with your partner. It made me think of Monty Python in Spamalot where they use coconut shells to make the clipclop sound of horseshoes. I think that's also in "The Holy Grail", too. Anyway, the performance lasted about an hour. The women dancers did the dances with their hands making all the movements while they moved very slowly. I enjoyed it more than the water puppets but it was an entirely different kind of show.
When it was over, the audience could go up on stage and have their pictures taken with the performers. No one in our group did that, but others were. For the size of the venue, it emptied out in about five minutes. Amazing how everyone just disappeared.
January 31st. I drank snake rice wine yesterday. On the way to the home stay, we stopped to see how wine is made. The large glass containers all had snakes fermenting in the wine. Our local guide, a young woman, pointed out the different kinds of snakes in the wine and took a hook and lifted one out of the container to show us. The person who worked at this place handed out samples in little blue and white "thimbles". These are about half the size of a shot glass, maybe less. Anyway, most of us tasted it, Stella opted out. It had an after burn, kind of like scotch or tequila does. Not something I would order anywhere. Then it was off to see how they make puffed rice and rice candy and caramels. We had tea before we got back on the boat. Another cage with snakes in it.
On the way back to Saigon, we stopped and walked through the market where we got off the boat. Lots of fish, still flopping around, live chickens, live ducks, baby chicks and baby ducks. Vegetables, fruits, meat, snakes, flowers, you name it, they had it. The market covered about 3 city blocks. It had about a five foot walkway between the stalls that the local people use as a thoroughfare for motorbikes. All in all, chaos.
Road construction had us stopped for 40 minutes in traffic and then we finally inched our way up to where it was down to one lane over a bridge. The bus driver must have had to be somewhere because after that we zoomed down the road. It's beautiful here with all the trees and everything is green. Humid, but about 70 degrees so not too bad. A lot of the Vietnamese people are all bundled up in coats, with hoods, and gloves on. The guide said that people here want to be white so they cover up, and it's a little cold to them. Brown skin is a sign that you are a farmer or work outside, white skin says that you have a good job working inside.
Tonight we had our farewell dinner at a restaurant that trains disadvantaged kids for jobs in the food industry. It was excellent. Reid tries to do this wherever there are programs like this. Before we went, we had happy hour at the hotel and discussed what we liked most about the trip. The people, the caves, Halong Bay, the home stay, all were mentioned.
Tomorrow, we leave for Siem Reap, Cambodia.
January 30, 2015. I forgot to tell you that when we got to Saigon, we stopped for lunch on the way to the hotel at a place where we had to walk through a restaurant to get to the stairs to go to the restaurant upstairs. An awkward set-up, but there you go. Anyway, when we got to our tables, there were several large pictures of Bill Clinton eating there in 2000. First, a place where Anthony Bourdain ate and now Bill Clinton.
We are off to do a "home stay" on the Mekong Delta today. The nearest description of "home stay" I could find is "bed and breakfast." It's 130 kilometers from Saigon to where we got on the boat. Along the way, we saw acres of coconut palms and banana trees, bright green rice paddies that are much closer to harvest than we have been seeing, and more birds here, too. We passed a lot of little roadside places where you can get something to eat and drink but these all had roofs held up by a lot of poles. In between each set of poles was a hammock. Bon told us that if you have a long ways to go you can stop at these places and have a "lie down."
Imagine if America had these. How many homeless people do you think would just live there? Speaking of that, we have not seen any people living on the streets or panhandling. Bon did point out some multi-story apartment houses today in Saigon that he said were built to get people off the streets. The highway that runs right along the river had been widened and upgraded in the last few years and the people who were camped out there had to move. I think one reason people don't live on the streets is the culture here. Family takes care of family with multiple generations living together.
The Mekong River is the largest "river" we've seen here. We loaded onto a boat that could carry 30 people and it took us 20 minutes or more just to get to the other side. Along the way, we went to the "floating market" which has been reduced by large numbers. With prosperity came more people being able to have their own boats and a means to buy their food onshore. We stopped and went to see how rice paper is made. Quite an amazing operation with 3-4 women putting oil and the rice "dust" (finely ground rice) in a pan that wasn't really a wok but it wasn't a pan like we use either. In just a minute or so, the rice paper is finished and they take it out and stack it beside their station. There was a constant rhythm to this. Two women next to them were counting out the papers, weighing them and then packaging.
We walked a little farther down the street and went to where they were making fish sauce. I had to breathe through my nose here because the smell of fermenting fish was nasty. Stella pointed out the single sink that had one glass with one toothbrush sitting in it. We wondered if everyone used the same brush. We have noticed that taking care of one's teeth is a big thing here. Every hotel has had 3-4 toothbrushes for the guests and we have seen posters at some of the shops showing how to clean your teeth.
Back on the river, we went past some oyster farms that involved a lot of nets and 2x12 boards. I'm not sure how the term "river" applies here as it has to be saltwater to grow oysters. When we got to the "island", we got on sampan boats for a cruise through a canal. These are 3 person flat boats that a woman rows. We had done one earlier in the trip, but this time we had to climb down off the larger boat on the smaller one which was not as easy as it sounds. They are quite tippy, but we managed. Getting out when we finished was harder. We floated past a lot of little homes with palms and bananas, and a lot of chickens. The chickens in Vietnam are very large. A lot of Rhode Island Reds and very colorful roosters that crow constantly, and are free-range.
We stopped for lunch at a place that served snake and had a very large python in a cage on the patio. 6-7 people opted to eat snake at dinnertime. I wasn't one of them. After lunch was finished, the proprietor took the snake out so anyone who wanted to could pose with it. Again, I wasn't one of them. The snake, whose name was Monty (isn't every python named Monty?), was large enough that it could be draped around 2-3 people at a time. After about 10 minutes, Monty went back into his cage and we got on the river to go across to the home stay.
The home stay consisted of two large houses. The six of us, all women, who had twin bed rooms, stayed in the one nearest the river, and the others stayed in the house that was about 200 feet behind it. The second house is where the meals were served. When we got off the boat, we were told to use the mosquito nets and to tuck them under the mattresses all the way around the bed. Didn't have to tell us twice, we tucked them in immediately, greased ourselves with insect repellent, and sat on the veranda. Because we were on the main route through the island from one part of the delta to another, the boat traffic is constant. All old boats with diesel motors. Needless to say, I didn't sleep but a few hours during the night. When the larger boats went by, it sounded like helicopters going over. And the roosters crowed all night. When the sun came up, they clammed up and didn't make another sound.
At 6 pm, we trooped over to the other house where dinner was to be served. Guests are supposed to help with preparation in the kitchen. I slipped out and went back to the veranda but about 5-6 people stayed to help, Stella being one of them. She was grating and chopping and stirring, to the point that she was the only one helping by the time dinner was ready. Phil Arnold told us that Stella was assigned to make the spring rolls and that when she did her first one, it was too large for the cook's taste so the cook fished it out of the pile, held it up to the one she rolled and made her roll them shorter. A true story, Stella said. As everyone was dismissed from the kitchen one by one, she had to stay. Every time she started to put the spoon down, the cook would tell her to keep stirring.
On the way here today, we stopped at a temple that was a combination of five religions, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic and two I can't remember. It was very colorful with blue, green, yellow, pink, white, and black paint. We had to take our shoes off to go inside. Every temple we have been in here has had incense burning, to the point where it makes your eyes burn a little. This one was no exception. Bon lit enough incense sticks for all of us to use to make a wish. On the way back to the bus, I was walking with Bon and Kevin. Here's the conversation I listened to. Kevin: "what did you wish for?" Bon: "a dirt bike. I always wish for a dirt bike." "Two stroke or four stroke?" "Four." "how many cc's?" "150, but I don't think I will ever get one." Pointing to his front teeth - "these aren't real and my wife doesn't want to go through getting me new ones again." Kevin: "what happened?" "I was talking on my cell phone and drinking a beer riding my motor bike and I ran into ...." something, I can't remember what...."so I don't think I will ever get a dirt bike." "you do know that you were doing two things wrong, don't you?" "yeah, I don't drink beer on my motorbike anymore."
There are more cell phones here than population. I saw a lot of people talking on them while riding motorbikes. One guy was smoking and talking on his cell while riding. Three people on a motorbike is common, and four is not unusual. Not as many people wear the face masks in Saigon as in Hanoi. I think the pollution is less here.
We are off to do a "home stay" on the Mekong Delta today. The nearest description of "home stay" I could find is "bed and breakfast." It's 130 kilometers from Saigon to where we got on the boat. Along the way, we saw acres of coconut palms and banana trees, bright green rice paddies that are much closer to harvest than we have been seeing, and more birds here, too. We passed a lot of little roadside places where you can get something to eat and drink but these all had roofs held up by a lot of poles. In between each set of poles was a hammock. Bon told us that if you have a long ways to go you can stop at these places and have a "lie down."
Imagine if America had these. How many homeless people do you think would just live there? Speaking of that, we have not seen any people living on the streets or panhandling. Bon did point out some multi-story apartment houses today in Saigon that he said were built to get people off the streets. The highway that runs right along the river had been widened and upgraded in the last few years and the people who were camped out there had to move. I think one reason people don't live on the streets is the culture here. Family takes care of family with multiple generations living together.
The Mekong River is the largest "river" we've seen here. We loaded onto a boat that could carry 30 people and it took us 20 minutes or more just to get to the other side. Along the way, we went to the "floating market" which has been reduced by large numbers. With prosperity came more people being able to have their own boats and a means to buy their food onshore. We stopped and went to see how rice paper is made. Quite an amazing operation with 3-4 women putting oil and the rice "dust" (finely ground rice) in a pan that wasn't really a wok but it wasn't a pan like we use either. In just a minute or so, the rice paper is finished and they take it out and stack it beside their station. There was a constant rhythm to this. Two women next to them were counting out the papers, weighing them and then packaging.
We walked a little farther down the street and went to where they were making fish sauce. I had to breathe through my nose here because the smell of fermenting fish was nasty. Stella pointed out the single sink that had one glass with one toothbrush sitting in it. We wondered if everyone used the same brush. We have noticed that taking care of one's teeth is a big thing here. Every hotel has had 3-4 toothbrushes for the guests and we have seen posters at some of the shops showing how to clean your teeth.
Back on the river, we went past some oyster farms that involved a lot of nets and 2x12 boards. I'm not sure how the term "river" applies here as it has to be saltwater to grow oysters. When we got to the "island", we got on sampan boats for a cruise through a canal. These are 3 person flat boats that a woman rows. We had done one earlier in the trip, but this time we had to climb down off the larger boat on the smaller one which was not as easy as it sounds. They are quite tippy, but we managed. Getting out when we finished was harder. We floated past a lot of little homes with palms and bananas, and a lot of chickens. The chickens in Vietnam are very large. A lot of Rhode Island Reds and very colorful roosters that crow constantly, and are free-range.
We stopped for lunch at a place that served snake and had a very large python in a cage on the patio. 6-7 people opted to eat snake at dinnertime. I wasn't one of them. After lunch was finished, the proprietor took the snake out so anyone who wanted to could pose with it. Again, I wasn't one of them. The snake, whose name was Monty (isn't every python named Monty?), was large enough that it could be draped around 2-3 people at a time. After about 10 minutes, Monty went back into his cage and we got on the river to go across to the home stay.
The home stay consisted of two large houses. The six of us, all women, who had twin bed rooms, stayed in the one nearest the river, and the others stayed in the house that was about 200 feet behind it. The second house is where the meals were served. When we got off the boat, we were told to use the mosquito nets and to tuck them under the mattresses all the way around the bed. Didn't have to tell us twice, we tucked them in immediately, greased ourselves with insect repellent, and sat on the veranda. Because we were on the main route through the island from one part of the delta to another, the boat traffic is constant. All old boats with diesel motors. Needless to say, I didn't sleep but a few hours during the night. When the larger boats went by, it sounded like helicopters going over. And the roosters crowed all night. When the sun came up, they clammed up and didn't make another sound.
At 6 pm, we trooped over to the other house where dinner was to be served. Guests are supposed to help with preparation in the kitchen. I slipped out and went back to the veranda but about 5-6 people stayed to help, Stella being one of them. She was grating and chopping and stirring, to the point that she was the only one helping by the time dinner was ready. Phil Arnold told us that Stella was assigned to make the spring rolls and that when she did her first one, it was too large for the cook's taste so the cook fished it out of the pile, held it up to the one she rolled and made her roll them shorter. A true story, Stella said. As everyone was dismissed from the kitchen one by one, she had to stay. Every time she started to put the spoon down, the cook would tell her to keep stirring.
On the way here today, we stopped at a temple that was a combination of five religions, Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic and two I can't remember. It was very colorful with blue, green, yellow, pink, white, and black paint. We had to take our shoes off to go inside. Every temple we have been in here has had incense burning, to the point where it makes your eyes burn a little. This one was no exception. Bon lit enough incense sticks for all of us to use to make a wish. On the way back to the bus, I was walking with Bon and Kevin. Here's the conversation I listened to. Kevin: "what did you wish for?" Bon: "a dirt bike. I always wish for a dirt bike." "Two stroke or four stroke?" "Four." "how many cc's?" "150, but I don't think I will ever get one." Pointing to his front teeth - "these aren't real and my wife doesn't want to go through getting me new ones again." Kevin: "what happened?" "I was talking on my cell phone and drinking a beer riding my motor bike and I ran into ...." something, I can't remember what...."so I don't think I will ever get a dirt bike." "you do know that you were doing two things wrong, don't you?" "yeah, I don't drink beer on my motorbike anymore."
There are more cell phones here than population. I saw a lot of people talking on them while riding motorbikes. One guy was smoking and talking on his cell while riding. Three people on a motorbike is common, and four is not unusual. Not as many people wear the face masks in Saigon as in Hanoi. I think the pollution is less here.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
It's February 3rd and we are in Cambodia getting ready to leave for home at midnight. The Internet connection has been very bad so I haven't been able to update the blog. I hope to do that in Seoul tomorrow but if I cant there I will when I get home. We've been to the Mekong Delta and Angkor Wat here in Siem Reap. Lots to tell you.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
January 29, 2015. We are the walking wounded today. Stella's knee hurt her so much that she opted out in this morning's excursion. I was doing fine. Or so I thought. When I got out of bed, my lower back was so tight and hurting, I didn't think I could put my shoes on. Two and a half hours on the boat sitting on hard wooden chairs had caught up with me apparently. Not to mention the hours on the bus and planes. And the cherry on the cake - no hot water this morning. This hotel is really nice, too. Everyone must have been the shower at the same time.
I hobbled to the bus to go to Cu Chi anyway. Cu Chi is where the tunnel system is. It was really interesting to see how the Viet Cong did that. 156 miles of tunnels. We sat through the worst example of a propaganda film yet. It was made in1967 and featured American Killer heroes. Vietnamese who had killed the most of our troops. Even though I know that it's just propaganda, I was repulsed by it. Then we walked around and saw the traps and devices that they used against the U.S. troops. At one point, we could go down and walk about 30-40 feet through a tunnel to where there was a place to get out. It continued on to two more of the stairs out. I didn't go in the tunnel. I might have if it didn't involve the stairs since my back hurt so much. About half of the group did it. Then we walked past a shooting range where you could shoot aK 47's and another large gun. I can't remember what it was but it cost $2 a bullet. From all the noise, lots of people were shooting.
It took us two hours to get there and back due to traffic. It is estimated that there are 10 million motorbikes on the road every day in this country. Another interesting fact or two: 94 percent literacy rate here and I'm thinking that our guide told us education here is free. Elementary students go five days a week, and middle school and secondary students go six days a week. Also, 56 percent of the adult male population smokes. Several people have tried to sell us Marlboro cigarettes.
When I got back to the room, Stella had recovered so we walked to the Hard Rock Cafe so I could expand my pin collection and ate there. Those hamburgers and fries tasted really good. 😊. I had taken a Tylenol of hers so my back was better also.
This evening, we went to see the AO show at the Saigon Opera House. Great building, looks like it was built about 1900. The show was kind of a cirque de soleil production but it kind of reminded me of the native dances of the Polynesian people, too. Very good, the cast was amazing. Extremely fit and athletic.
Tomorrow, we are off to the Mekong Delta and will spend the night there.
I hobbled to the bus to go to Cu Chi anyway. Cu Chi is where the tunnel system is. It was really interesting to see how the Viet Cong did that. 156 miles of tunnels. We sat through the worst example of a propaganda film yet. It was made in1967 and featured American Killer heroes. Vietnamese who had killed the most of our troops. Even though I know that it's just propaganda, I was repulsed by it. Then we walked around and saw the traps and devices that they used against the U.S. troops. At one point, we could go down and walk about 30-40 feet through a tunnel to where there was a place to get out. It continued on to two more of the stairs out. I didn't go in the tunnel. I might have if it didn't involve the stairs since my back hurt so much. About half of the group did it. Then we walked past a shooting range where you could shoot aK 47's and another large gun. I can't remember what it was but it cost $2 a bullet. From all the noise, lots of people were shooting.
It took us two hours to get there and back due to traffic. It is estimated that there are 10 million motorbikes on the road every day in this country. Another interesting fact or two: 94 percent literacy rate here and I'm thinking that our guide told us education here is free. Elementary students go five days a week, and middle school and secondary students go six days a week. Also, 56 percent of the adult male population smokes. Several people have tried to sell us Marlboro cigarettes.
When I got back to the room, Stella had recovered so we walked to the Hard Rock Cafe so I could expand my pin collection and ate there. Those hamburgers and fries tasted really good. 😊. I had taken a Tylenol of hers so my back was better also.
This evening, we went to see the AO show at the Saigon Opera House. Great building, looks like it was built about 1900. The show was kind of a cirque de soleil production but it kind of reminded me of the native dances of the Polynesian people, too. Very good, the cast was amazing. Extremely fit and athletic.
Tomorrow, we are off to the Mekong Delta and will spend the night there.
January 28, 2015. This morning, we had a one hour flight from DaNang to Saigon on Vietnam Airlines. It was a nice airline, but when we landed that plane swayed from side to side, I've never had that happen before. It was like "lean to the left, lean to the right" and then we went straight. I was on the aisle and when I swayed to my right, I was halfway out in the aisle. Weird feeling.
The Saigon airport is a large one and pretty much right in the midst of the city. Nine million people live here. The traffic is so bad it took more than an hour to get to the hotel. We toured the reunification palace where the president used to live and work. Part of the tour was through the bunker where he could go in an emergency. Old radio and office equipment from the 60's. All supplied by the U.S. Not a very impressive place,
After that, we went to the "War Remnants Museum " that used to be called the War Crimes Museum. The courtyard was filled with US military aircraft and equipment. I didn't realize how large the Chinook helicopter is. They even have a bulldozer of ours. Anyway, it was really really hard to look at the pictures on display. Our guide had warned us about the pictures of children with deformities due to agent orange but it was worse than I thiught it would be. And there were lots of pictures of our military personnel too. And that was really hard to see, too. Many were familiar from the news media when the war was going on. The picture of the young naked girl was there. All in all, a hard place to see.
We had dinner on a boat tonight cruising on the river here, which was very nice. Saigon is a port so large container ships were being loaded, as well as barges. We're 30 miles inland so it's a freshwater river. Very large, probably as big as the Columbia.
Oh, I saw the Harley Davidson "dealership" from the bus. A canopy with one motorcycle (not a big one either) with a plastic chair, in front of a car dealer. Not too impressive, to say the least.☺️
The Saigon airport is a large one and pretty much right in the midst of the city. Nine million people live here. The traffic is so bad it took more than an hour to get to the hotel. We toured the reunification palace where the president used to live and work. Part of the tour was through the bunker where he could go in an emergency. Old radio and office equipment from the 60's. All supplied by the U.S. Not a very impressive place,
After that, we went to the "War Remnants Museum " that used to be called the War Crimes Museum. The courtyard was filled with US military aircraft and equipment. I didn't realize how large the Chinook helicopter is. They even have a bulldozer of ours. Anyway, it was really really hard to look at the pictures on display. Our guide had warned us about the pictures of children with deformities due to agent orange but it was worse than I thiught it would be. And there were lots of pictures of our military personnel too. And that was really hard to see, too. Many were familiar from the news media when the war was going on. The picture of the young naked girl was there. All in all, a hard place to see.
We had dinner on a boat tonight cruising on the river here, which was very nice. Saigon is a port so large container ships were being loaded, as well as barges. We're 30 miles inland so it's a freshwater river. Very large, probably as big as the Columbia.
Oh, I saw the Harley Davidson "dealership" from the bus. A canopy with one motorcycle (not a big one either) with a plastic chair, in front of a car dealer. Not too impressive, to say the least.☺️
Monday, January 26, 2015
January 27, 2015. I ate lunch yesterday at a hole in the wall place that didn't even have a sign. The guide took us there for the baguette sandwiches. The sandwich was great but the big thing was that Anthony Bourdain had eaten there. His picture was on the wall.
A young woman was waiting for her food there and she was wearing the mask that everyone wears here for the motorbike fumes and air pollution but hers was light blue with Minnie Mouse embroidered on one side. I tried to get a picture. I hope it turns out.
After happy hour around the pool, five of us went to dinner at The Morning Glory restaurant. Phil Arnold recommended the crispy pork with red rice risotto and it was the best food I've had on the trip. Other than the baguette.
Stella was off to the cooking class this morning so I went back to old town to do a little shopping. And we discovered that the toilet in our room wasn't working today. Vietnam is like Europe in that you are not supposed to flush paper ever. All hotel rooms have a covered wastebasket for your used paper. Except this hotel. Which we took as a sign that it could be flushed here. Apparently we were wrong. I told them at the front desk and they weren't the least bit surprised. A "tech" was going to fix it and it was when I came back from shopping.
I got what I think was a great deal on jade bracelets today. Beverly wanted one so I've been looking at them. Near Hanoi, they wanted $1000 US. That wasn't happening. I found almost identical ones for $40 US. I bought 3 because I'm not sure if we have the same size wrists since they are bangles. Now she has a choice. 😊 They have red jade here. I've never seen that before. It's pretty but in my mind jade is supposed to be green.
Nice to have a free day to relax from the hectic schedule we've had.
Tomorrow, we fly from DaNang to Saigon. All the local people still call it that although it was changed to Ho Chi Minh City. The first Harley Davidson dealer in Vietnam is there. It looks like it's way away from where we'll be staying. Otherwise, I was going to look for shirts there. We've seen some pickups here, but not many. Most are Ford Rangers with 4 doors and a locking cover on the bed. A Honda or two and a Toyota, but Ford is predominant. I think they build them here. Honda has a large presence here with motorbikes. Motorbikes are affordable at $1000-$1500 each, but it has to be cash.
In Saigon, we are going to an hour performance of something that kind of sounds like cirque de soleil. And we will be going to the Mekong Delta for a night at a "home stay" which seems to be like a bed and breakfast. I think the delta is going to be fascinating. We will do a boat ride and see the floating market.
A young woman was waiting for her food there and she was wearing the mask that everyone wears here for the motorbike fumes and air pollution but hers was light blue with Minnie Mouse embroidered on one side. I tried to get a picture. I hope it turns out.
After happy hour around the pool, five of us went to dinner at The Morning Glory restaurant. Phil Arnold recommended the crispy pork with red rice risotto and it was the best food I've had on the trip. Other than the baguette.
Stella was off to the cooking class this morning so I went back to old town to do a little shopping. And we discovered that the toilet in our room wasn't working today. Vietnam is like Europe in that you are not supposed to flush paper ever. All hotel rooms have a covered wastebasket for your used paper. Except this hotel. Which we took as a sign that it could be flushed here. Apparently we were wrong. I told them at the front desk and they weren't the least bit surprised. A "tech" was going to fix it and it was when I came back from shopping.
I got what I think was a great deal on jade bracelets today. Beverly wanted one so I've been looking at them. Near Hanoi, they wanted $1000 US. That wasn't happening. I found almost identical ones for $40 US. I bought 3 because I'm not sure if we have the same size wrists since they are bangles. Now she has a choice. 😊 They have red jade here. I've never seen that before. It's pretty but in my mind jade is supposed to be green.
Nice to have a free day to relax from the hectic schedule we've had.
Tomorrow, we fly from DaNang to Saigon. All the local people still call it that although it was changed to Ho Chi Minh City. The first Harley Davidson dealer in Vietnam is there. It looks like it's way away from where we'll be staying. Otherwise, I was going to look for shirts there. We've seen some pickups here, but not many. Most are Ford Rangers with 4 doors and a locking cover on the bed. A Honda or two and a Toyota, but Ford is predominant. I think they build them here. Honda has a large presence here with motorbikes. Motorbikes are affordable at $1000-$1500 each, but it has to be cash.
In Saigon, we are going to an hour performance of something that kind of sounds like cirque de soleil. And we will be going to the Mekong Delta for a night at a "home stay" which seems to be like a bed and breakfast. I think the delta is going to be fascinating. We will do a boat ride and see the floating market.
January 26, 2015. This morning, we went to see My Son temple. It's a Hindu temple that dates from the 13th century, A lot is in ruins but they are working to restore it. We bombed it, apparently because it was on the Ho Chi Minh trail. Yesterday, on the bus ride to Hoi An, our guide gave a history of the war here from 1945 until the U.S. pulled out in 1973. Talked for 45 minutes without stopping. There were more dates than I could remember if I was paid to do it. It was an interesting history of what Vietnam went through prior to 1963.
The U.S. has spent 30 billion dollars cleaning up unexploded ordinance (land mines) and between 500-1200 people die each year from them. He also said that so much chemical was used during the war that researchers estimate it will take from 4 to 7 generations for it not to show up in their system. Very sad.
We are seeing and hearing birds since we came over the pass. Lots of egrets in the rice paddies. The ever present pigeons are here, a variety of kingfisher, some sparrows, and butterflies. There was a big frog hopping in the grass by the swimming pool last night.
The U.S. has spent 30 billion dollars cleaning up unexploded ordinance (land mines) and between 500-1200 people die each year from them. He also said that so much chemical was used during the war that researchers estimate it will take from 4 to 7 generations for it not to show up in their system. Very sad.
We are seeing and hearing birds since we came over the pass. Lots of egrets in the rice paddies. The ever present pigeons are here, a variety of kingfisher, some sparrows, and butterflies. There was a big frog hopping in the grass by the swimming pool last night.
January 25, 2015. Vietnam has had as much as 60 percent inflation in recent years. To buy a Rav4 vehicle here, it would be $90,000 US dollars, in cash. They do not deal in credit here. Someone asked our guide how much he paid in taxes. He said that he didn't pay taxes because he deals in cash like everyone else. He said that a person could walk in and pay $100,000 for a car with cash and no one would question it.
Today we drove from Hue to Hoi An going through DaNang. We went over a mountain pass that has a tunnel but our bus chugged up it so we could see the view. There was a supply station on the Ho Chi Minh trail at the top. A wedding couple was having their wedding photos taken there. Weddings are a huge business here. They last anywhere from 3 days to a week. A large wedding has 800 to a thousand guests. Bon told us that some couples fly all over the world to have their pictures taken, spending between $30,000-$40,000 to do it. We must have passed 10-12 weddings today. The fortune tellers thought it was a good day to get married apparently.
In DaNang, we stopped at China Beach, where our military landed. Beautiful sandy beach so we all went to wade in it. Big waves. I was standing with my back to the sea taking a picture of Stella when a big one came in and drenched me up to my back pockets, along with a lot of others. We were walking back to the bus and someone said "that must be why the red flag is up." The one we all trooped past to get to the water. The Vietnamese call it something else and can be fined if they put China Beach in print. They call the ocean here the Eastern Sea, not the China Sea.
It was so hazy today that we didn't get much of a view. But we finally saw blue sky. It's quite a bit warmer here and humid. We have stayed in four star hotels on this trip and this one is no exception. All the rooms even have doorbells and a light outside the door that signifies that the room is occupied. Vietnam is like Europe in that you have to put your room key in a slot inside the door for the lights to come on.
We went to the Old Quarter for lunch and then did an orientation walk. A cruise ship was in so the narrow streets were very crowded. From 3-9 pm, no motorbikes are allowed in the Old Quarter which is nice. Stella's knee was hurting badly so we opted out of the group dinner and ate in the hotel restaurant. Here's a tip, don't order pizza in Vietnam. It was edible but not very tasty.
Today we drove from Hue to Hoi An going through DaNang. We went over a mountain pass that has a tunnel but our bus chugged up it so we could see the view. There was a supply station on the Ho Chi Minh trail at the top. A wedding couple was having their wedding photos taken there. Weddings are a huge business here. They last anywhere from 3 days to a week. A large wedding has 800 to a thousand guests. Bon told us that some couples fly all over the world to have their pictures taken, spending between $30,000-$40,000 to do it. We must have passed 10-12 weddings today. The fortune tellers thought it was a good day to get married apparently.
In DaNang, we stopped at China Beach, where our military landed. Beautiful sandy beach so we all went to wade in it. Big waves. I was standing with my back to the sea taking a picture of Stella when a big one came in and drenched me up to my back pockets, along with a lot of others. We were walking back to the bus and someone said "that must be why the red flag is up." The one we all trooped past to get to the water. The Vietnamese call it something else and can be fined if they put China Beach in print. They call the ocean here the Eastern Sea, not the China Sea.
It was so hazy today that we didn't get much of a view. But we finally saw blue sky. It's quite a bit warmer here and humid. We have stayed in four star hotels on this trip and this one is no exception. All the rooms even have doorbells and a light outside the door that signifies that the room is occupied. Vietnam is like Europe in that you have to put your room key in a slot inside the door for the lights to come on.
We went to the Old Quarter for lunch and then did an orientation walk. A cruise ship was in so the narrow streets were very crowded. From 3-9 pm, no motorbikes are allowed in the Old Quarter which is nice. Stella's knee was hurting badly so we opted out of the group dinner and ate in the hotel restaurant. Here's a tip, don't order pizza in Vietnam. It was edible but not very tasty.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
January 24, 2015. This morning we set off to see the Citadel, where the Mandarins lived, it has six miles of walls and us surrounded by a moat. Lots of the buildings are gone but they are slowly rebuilding the complex.
We then continued on to Thien Mu Pagoda. One of the items there is labeled as a relic. It's the car that the monk who self immolated in the square in Saigon in 1963 used to drive there. He was a monk from Hue. I'm sure you remember the picture of him in flames that graced all the magazine covers. The car is in great condition and is in an open front garage. Our guide pointed out the picture of his heart. It did not burn like the rest of him.
From there we got on a boat to cruise the river to the next stop. The Perfume River is very large, much bigger than the Snake. Some of the men in the group bought shirts and pants on the boat. Stella noted that we just putted along until no one else bought anything. Then they revved it up. We had a vegetarian lunch at a monastery that was very good.
Off to the next stop, a temple that had 126 steps to the top. Eileen counted them. Beautiful mosaic tiles on all four walls.
We had taken our laundry to dinner last night so it would be ready for pickup today. A young woman picked it up at the restaurant. There were about 8 of us that had bags of it. She stuffed it on a motorbike around the driver and in between them and rode off. We picked it up on the way back to the hotel. Mine cost $4.50 to get it done. I'm just hoping that my blue jeans aren't bleached out to white. Stella said she had visions of two young Vietnamese women wearing hers for a picture, one in each leg. We howled over that image. That's something we have not seen - anyone overweight here. They are all tiny and thin. Diet and physical labor will do that.
When we got back, we decided to eat in the restaurant here. Dinner was on our own tonight and we just wanted to relax and not go anywhere. There were 19 members of the tour doing the same thing when we sat down to eat. No one wanted to face the city it seems.
We then continued on to Thien Mu Pagoda. One of the items there is labeled as a relic. It's the car that the monk who self immolated in the square in Saigon in 1963 used to drive there. He was a monk from Hue. I'm sure you remember the picture of him in flames that graced all the magazine covers. The car is in great condition and is in an open front garage. Our guide pointed out the picture of his heart. It did not burn like the rest of him.
From there we got on a boat to cruise the river to the next stop. The Perfume River is very large, much bigger than the Snake. Some of the men in the group bought shirts and pants on the boat. Stella noted that we just putted along until no one else bought anything. Then they revved it up. We had a vegetarian lunch at a monastery that was very good.
Off to the next stop, a temple that had 126 steps to the top. Eileen counted them. Beautiful mosaic tiles on all four walls.
We had taken our laundry to dinner last night so it would be ready for pickup today. A young woman picked it up at the restaurant. There were about 8 of us that had bags of it. She stuffed it on a motorbike around the driver and in between them and rode off. We picked it up on the way back to the hotel. Mine cost $4.50 to get it done. I'm just hoping that my blue jeans aren't bleached out to white. Stella said she had visions of two young Vietnamese women wearing hers for a picture, one in each leg. We howled over that image. That's something we have not seen - anyone overweight here. They are all tiny and thin. Diet and physical labor will do that.
When we got back, we decided to eat in the restaurant here. Dinner was on our own tonight and we just wanted to relax and not go anywhere. There were 19 members of the tour doing the same thing when we sat down to eat. No one wanted to face the city it seems.
January 23, 2015, Friday. I was wrong. We got off the train at Quang Binh. After having breakfast, we went to Phong Nha cave by boat via Son River. The cave is phenomenal. We went by boat and walked through the last quarter mile on the way out. Huge cave with amazing colors and formations. My camera isn't good enough to get pictures inside.
After returning to the bus, we had a four hour bus ride to Hue according to the schedule. There was so much road construction that it took longer. This evening we had a 7 course dinner at a local restaurant.
All the structures here are brick covered with concrete. We have not seen a wooden building since we landed in Hanoi. The area we're in is typhoon country. The guide said that some years there have been as many as 3 go through here. Consequently, this area doesn't have very good soil. It's flooded so much that it's been washed away. Hue has about 300,000 people. It's where the Tet Offensive started in January, 1968.
It was a long day today. The train and then the bus. We are all tired.
After returning to the bus, we had a four hour bus ride to Hue according to the schedule. There was so much road construction that it took longer. This evening we had a 7 course dinner at a local restaurant.
All the structures here are brick covered with concrete. We have not seen a wooden building since we landed in Hanoi. The area we're in is typhoon country. The guide said that some years there have been as many as 3 go through here. Consequently, this area doesn't have very good soil. It's flooded so much that it's been washed away. Hue has about 300,000 people. It's where the Tet Offensive started in January, 1968.
It was a long day today. The train and then the bus. We are all tired.
Thursday, January 22, 2015. After breakfast, we cruised back to shore. At 4 mph, which was top speed for this excursion. A lot of commercial ships today. Then it was back on the bus to Hanoi. Went through a lot of small villages, all of them are very clean. We saw someone sweeping everywhere. As in using a broom. One thing I have noticed is that they burn the trash/leaves etc in the gutter.
The guide announced that we would be going to see the water puppets this afternoon before we get on the train. I have no idea what water puppets are. Apparently, they have performed all over the world. A lot of the group was excited about this. The guide explained that the one hour show would be a series of stories about the farmer's life that wrote the performance. Before the puppets, we went back to the hotel to use day rooms to "freshen up". Four to a room. Sounded good. In reality, we had 45 minutes for 4 people to shower if they wanted to. Way too short of time and almost no one did. A bedraggled looking group of people since the showers on the boat weren't the best.
The theater held maybe 300 people. The rows were so close together that my knees were jammed against the seat in front of me and I'm not very tall. One of the men in our group opted to sit on a folding chair at the end of the row. I don't think "fire code" is in the language here. There was a large pool in front of the curtain, and a small orchestra on the side. Have you listened to Asian music? Sounds high pitched and tinny, huh? Yep. For an hour. Dragon puppets appeared in the water, doing synchronized movements, like dancing. The people here believe that they came from dragons and fairies so I think this was to signify the beginning.
I must be severely lacking in cultural arts. I don't get ballet. I certainly couldn't follow this. It was in native language. After awhile I just made up my own ideas. The farmer came out and there were fish jumping out of the water while he flailed around trying to catch one. After 2-3 minutes he finally did. That must have been his first job or something. Then he disappeared back behind the curtain. Out came other characters. They would dance or chase others around and then they would go back behind the curtain. At one point, four babies came out in flat round baskets. I'm thinking "Moses was a quadruplet?" What? Then they were out of the baskets and doing synchronized swimming. Practicing for the Olympics I presume.
Two big fish puppets came out and fought over a large ball for awhile. Two large birds came out, courted and a large egg appeared. After a few minutes it turned into a baby bird. Six ladies came out and danced. Another fancier woman joined them. I thought she must be a queen when another one came out. No clue. Back behind the curtain. When it was over the puppeteers came out in the pool and bowed. It would have been interesting to see how they did it. Stella seemed to be really engrossed in it. After it was over, she turned to me and said "that was bizarre,". An apt description.
We walked back to the hotel and had spaghetti carbonara for dinner. The others went to local restaurants. All we've had is native food. Time for something other than rice, fish, pork, vegetables.
The bus took us to the station for the overnight train to Hue. Four to a compartment. Stella, Eileen, Patty and I were together. Eileen and I have the top bunks. We turned out the lights about 9:30 and slept in our clothes. The train here is narrow gauge, 39 inches between the tracks so it sways some. Not unpleasant, I slept better than I have been. And it was clean. Nothing like the train in India.
Okay, I'm back. On Wednesday, we went to Halong Bay for an overnight stay on a boat. Halong Bay is a UNESCO site, world heritage place. When we left Hanoi, the bus took us to see Ho Chi Minh's museum, for lack of a better word. Very large building. We had five minutes to hurry off the bus and take pictures. We were quite a ways from it and it was so hazy that I don't know if my pictures will turn out. They were changing the guard while we were there. Ho Chi Minh wanted to be cremated when he died and have his ashes scattered on mountaintops, but when he died, innnnnnn 19 something, not that long ago, it was decided that he was too important for that so his body was kept in a temperature controlled chamber for two years while they built this monument. His body is on display in a glass coffin. Our guide says no one knows if it's a fake body or a real one.
It took us an hour to get out of the city due to traffic. Stella and I decided that we saw at least 500,000 motorbikes in that time. And it could be a low estimate since 11 million people live in Hanoi. It's hard to describe it. And almost all of the riders have on masks, which is a good thing due to the smog/haze.
We got to Halong Bay that morning and settled in on the boat. There are 1,969 islands in this bay and they are spectacular. All different rock formations, shapes and sizes. After lunch, we stopped and walked through a large cave. It was a hike but beautiful. Afterwards, some opted to go swimming but it was almost sunset and when they got to the beach, it was closed. Three of the group are going kayaking at 6:30 in the morning. It was great to just sit on the deck and watch the scenery.
We saw some kites (birds) here and that brought up the question that we had not heard or seen any bird life at all. Our guides comment "they ate them all." Okay then. But it is weird that, in this tropical environment, there are no birds. Lots of white domestic ducks and lots of chickens but nothing else. The ducks are for eggs.
When we went to bed, we discovered that our feet were higher than our heads. So we each got up and rearranged our beds so our heads were at the foot. I'm sure it looked strange but it felt much better.
It took us an hour to get out of the city due to traffic. Stella and I decided that we saw at least 500,000 motorbikes in that time. And it could be a low estimate since 11 million people live in Hanoi. It's hard to describe it. And almost all of the riders have on masks, which is a good thing due to the smog/haze.
We got to Halong Bay that morning and settled in on the boat. There are 1,969 islands in this bay and they are spectacular. All different rock formations, shapes and sizes. After lunch, we stopped and walked through a large cave. It was a hike but beautiful. Afterwards, some opted to go swimming but it was almost sunset and when they got to the beach, it was closed. Three of the group are going kayaking at 6:30 in the morning. It was great to just sit on the deck and watch the scenery.
We saw some kites (birds) here and that brought up the question that we had not heard or seen any bird life at all. Our guides comment "they ate them all." Okay then. But it is weird that, in this tropical environment, there are no birds. Lots of white domestic ducks and lots of chickens but nothing else. The ducks are for eggs.
When we went to bed, we discovered that our feet were higher than our heads. So we each got up and rearranged our beds so our heads were at the foot. I'm sure it looked strange but it felt much better.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
January 20, 2015. We started out this morning for Hoa Lu that was the capital of Vietnam during the 10th century . We visited the remains of two temples. One had offers of crackers and beer that had been left by people worshipping that particular king. Incense is big in these temples, too. Strong incense. It's enough to make your eyes burn. We were not allowed to take pictures inside but there were two people on the grounds with water buffaloes that were more than happy to let you take their picture, for a fee. The guide, Bon, had warned us about the people who would take our pictures and then try to sell them back to us. No one in the group got sucked into that.
Then it was time for the bike ride. The 16 kilometer ride. Stella and three other women opted out. I rode 12 kilometers and then decided to give it up. Especially after one of the women crashed on her bike. We had turned off the pavement by then and it was bumpy dirt with potholes. Eileen wasn't hurt so that was good. The ride was billed as leisurely. Not a race, Bon kept saying. Uh huh, sure. As soon as we started out, the men went FOOMPH and were off. Nothing leisurely about their pace. I honestly didn't think I was in that bad of shape but I certainly didn't try to keep up with them.
When I decided to ride in the truck the rest of the way, I climbed in the cab. The driver didn't speak English so we nodded at each other and started off. When we got to the "turn in the bikes place" I didn't know what to do so I stood around for a few minutes wondering if the others were going to find me. The driver pointed at the restaurant across the street. So I went over and didn't see anyone from the group although I knew we were supposed to have lunch after the ride. I'm standing outside watching for the riders to get there. And watching and watching and watching. 15-20 minutes go by and I'm beginning to wonder if they would ever find me again. It's a weird feeling to be in a foreign country with no idea what to do and no way to communicate with anyone. I was getting increasingly worried about this when the rest of the riders showed up. Thank god. We go upstairs for lunch and there's Stella and the other 3 ladies having a beer. Their comment: oh we didn't see you. Sigh. Oh well it all came out ok.
After lunch, we went to the river and climbed into two person sampan boats. The women row them with their feet which is amazing to see. Stella was in the middle and I was in front. Another woman climbed in beside Stella and paddled. It was a two hour boat ride up and back to the dock. We went through two caves which was cool.
I have lots more to tell you about today but it will have to wait. Still on jet lag and tired. Tomorrow, we go out on Halong Bay for an overnight stay on a boat. I doubt there is wifi so talk to you in a couple of days.
Then it was time for the bike ride. The 16 kilometer ride. Stella and three other women opted out. I rode 12 kilometers and then decided to give it up. Especially after one of the women crashed on her bike. We had turned off the pavement by then and it was bumpy dirt with potholes. Eileen wasn't hurt so that was good. The ride was billed as leisurely. Not a race, Bon kept saying. Uh huh, sure. As soon as we started out, the men went FOOMPH and were off. Nothing leisurely about their pace. I honestly didn't think I was in that bad of shape but I certainly didn't try to keep up with them.
When I decided to ride in the truck the rest of the way, I climbed in the cab. The driver didn't speak English so we nodded at each other and started off. When we got to the "turn in the bikes place" I didn't know what to do so I stood around for a few minutes wondering if the others were going to find me. The driver pointed at the restaurant across the street. So I went over and didn't see anyone from the group although I knew we were supposed to have lunch after the ride. I'm standing outside watching for the riders to get there. And watching and watching and watching. 15-20 minutes go by and I'm beginning to wonder if they would ever find me again. It's a weird feeling to be in a foreign country with no idea what to do and no way to communicate with anyone. I was getting increasingly worried about this when the rest of the riders showed up. Thank god. We go upstairs for lunch and there's Stella and the other 3 ladies having a beer. Their comment: oh we didn't see you. Sigh. Oh well it all came out ok.
After lunch, we went to the river and climbed into two person sampan boats. The women row them with their feet which is amazing to see. Stella was in the middle and I was in front. Another woman climbed in beside Stella and paddled. It was a two hour boat ride up and back to the dock. We went through two caves which was cool.
I have lots more to tell you about today but it will have to wait. Still on jet lag and tired. Tomorrow, we go out on Halong Bay for an overnight stay on a boat. I doubt there is wifi so talk to you in a couple of days.
Monday, January 19, 2015
We met our fellow tourists this afternoon. Most of them we knew from past trips. A varied group from all over the US this time. A couple from Kirkland WA, a couple from Portland OR, a couple from a small town in Arkansas, a mother and son from the Washington DC area, a woman from Jacksonville FL.
After the meeting we went to see the "Hanoi Hilton" prison. Very sobering but it was a lot of propaganda too. Then it was off to see a temple. I'm already wondering how many pictures of altars with brass kings is too many. Buddha was there, too. I wasn't able to convince Stella to have her picture taken with the giant crane standing on the back of a turtle. Might have been a heron.
I thought Europe had the corner on the scooter market but I think Vietnam has more. Most of the riders wear helmets and a lot of them wear surgical masks. These aren't your run of the mill masks either. They have patterned fabrics and some look quilted. If I could figure out how to take pictures of them, I would. Might have to try to get some pictures from the bus tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, we have a 9 mile bicycle ride that our local guide, Bon, kept emphasizing was not a race and that it will be flat terrain. Stella is not looking forward to it but I think it will be fun. We'll have pictures of us on the bikes. Can't miss that opportunity!😀
We haven't been to the bank yet to get local currency but we've been instructed to ask for smaller bills. Otherwise, we could end up with 1,000,000 bills and apparently a lot of the shops don't like to make change. 1,000,000 is like $200 US. The inflation rate has been as high as 60 percent here the last couple of years.
Off to dinner. More tomorrow. This is January 19th, by the way. I forgot to put the date in. Nothing like jet lag. 😊
After the meeting we went to see the "Hanoi Hilton" prison. Very sobering but it was a lot of propaganda too. Then it was off to see a temple. I'm already wondering how many pictures of altars with brass kings is too many. Buddha was there, too. I wasn't able to convince Stella to have her picture taken with the giant crane standing on the back of a turtle. Might have been a heron.
I thought Europe had the corner on the scooter market but I think Vietnam has more. Most of the riders wear helmets and a lot of them wear surgical masks. These aren't your run of the mill masks either. They have patterned fabrics and some look quilted. If I could figure out how to take pictures of them, I would. Might have to try to get some pictures from the bus tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, we have a 9 mile bicycle ride that our local guide, Bon, kept emphasizing was not a race and that it will be flat terrain. Stella is not looking forward to it but I think it will be fun. We'll have pictures of us on the bikes. Can't miss that opportunity!😀
We haven't been to the bank yet to get local currency but we've been instructed to ask for smaller bills. Otherwise, we could end up with 1,000,000 bills and apparently a lot of the shops don't like to make change. 1,000,000 is like $200 US. The inflation rate has been as high as 60 percent here the last couple of years.
Off to dinner. More tomorrow. This is January 19th, by the way. I forgot to put the date in. Nothing like jet lag. 😊
Sunday, January 18, 2015
The flight from Seoul to Hanoi was very bumpy. It was raining hard in Seoul but it's nice here. The mile sprint through the airport threw me into the mother of all hot flashes so after I took off my fleece jacket at security, I didn't need it again for about 3 hours. Odd for me because I'm a cold person.
Ran into Jerry and Kathleen Martin at breakfast this morning. Stella accused Jerry of ordering our wake up call. He wished he'd thought of it but said it wasn't him. 😊
We meet at 2 to officially start the tour. More later.
Ran into Jerry and Kathleen Martin at breakfast this morning. Stella accused Jerry of ordering our wake up call. He wished he'd thought of it but said it wasn't him. 😊
We meet at 2 to officially start the tour. More later.
So, where was I, oh yeah, the flights. Asiana Air is a great airline. The Plane looked new, they gave us menus for the two meals and the food was great. About 45 minutes after we left Seattle we were served the first one. I had the steak and for the first time ever on an airplane, I cleaned my plate, Beverly would be so pleased. Then about six hours later, we had ham and cheese sandwiches. About three hours later we had another full meal. We had aisle seats in the center of the plane with two open seats between us which was really nice.
The flight from Seoul to Hanoi was on a smaller plane and every seat was taken. We had aisle seats again, one behind the other, but someone was sitting in mine so the flight attendant tried to straighten that out. A lot of native language discussions with them getting out all their boarding passes. There were 8 traveling together and, as the flight attendant put it "they are sitting here because of the children." Shades of India where we got on the train with assigned seats and there was a family of six sitting in three seats, two of which were ours and they weren't moving. I ended up two rows back but I said it had to be an aisle seat so the two fathers in the group took the window and center seat. To make matters worse, when Stella tried to put her seat back a little, the woman who was sitting in my seat poked her between the seats and essentially said "don't do that." Stella tried it again a couple of hours later and got the same response. We think the woman couldn't figure out how to tilt the screen on the back of Stella's seat so she could see it when the seat was back.
When we walked out the door, there was a gaggle of drivers holding up signs, a lot of which were not in English but we spotted one with Stella's name on it so we were off to the hotel. I was sitting in front this time. The driver told us he was 33 and he works 7 days a week usually for 17 hours a day being a driver. He's from the mountains, married with a 4 month old son. We oohed over the baby picture that he showed us on his phone. Not much traffic at midnight but lots of motorbikes loaded with flowers going to the flower market. He also told us that he learned English on the job because he quit school at 14 to work in a restaurant. And he loves to sing karaoke so he sings in his car all the way back to the airport after he drops off the passengers. The new airport has only been open 18 days.
The flight from Seoul to Hanoi was on a smaller plane and every seat was taken. We had aisle seats again, one behind the other, but someone was sitting in mine so the flight attendant tried to straighten that out. A lot of native language discussions with them getting out all their boarding passes. There were 8 traveling together and, as the flight attendant put it "they are sitting here because of the children." Shades of India where we got on the train with assigned seats and there was a family of six sitting in three seats, two of which were ours and they weren't moving. I ended up two rows back but I said it had to be an aisle seat so the two fathers in the group took the window and center seat. To make matters worse, when Stella tried to put her seat back a little, the woman who was sitting in my seat poked her between the seats and essentially said "don't do that." Stella tried it again a couple of hours later and got the same response. We think the woman couldn't figure out how to tilt the screen on the back of Stella's seat so she could see it when the seat was back.
When we walked out the door, there was a gaggle of drivers holding up signs, a lot of which were not in English but we spotted one with Stella's name on it so we were off to the hotel. I was sitting in front this time. The driver told us he was 33 and he works 7 days a week usually for 17 hours a day being a driver. He's from the mountains, married with a 4 month old son. We oohed over the baby picture that he showed us on his phone. Not much traffic at midnight but lots of motorbikes loaded with flowers going to the flower market. He also told us that he learned English on the job because he quit school at 14 to work in a restaurant. And he loves to sing karaoke so he sings in his car all the way back to the airport after he drops off the passengers. The new airport has only been open 18 days.
We're here! After being up for 30 hours, we made it to the hotel at midnight. Then we got a wake up call at 6 am THAT WE DID NOT ASK FOR. I'm not happy about it. Our flight from Seattle was an hour late leaving. We had an hour and 20 minutes layover in Seoul. I asked our flight attendant about getting to our Hanoi flight, which was a good thing. She had about 10 of us move to the front of the plane so we could be first off. That flight was only about half full which was great. Anyway someone met us and we did the half mile run to security which she got us through in record time. They did take Stella's keychain knife though which prompted them to do a thorough search of her carry on. Then we sprinted to the gate which was about another quarter mile. So the flight was a half hour late leaving because they waited for us. Thank goodness they did. And our luggage made it!
More later. We're off to breakfast.
More later. We're off to breakfast.
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