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.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
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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