Comments regarding Angkor Wat and….Ho Chi Minh Memorial in Hanoi…Photos and more…

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Can you even imagine safely navigating these steps at Angkor Wat?  (Not our photo)

It was impossible for me not to feel badly about missing Angkor Wat, one of the most revered temple sites in the world.It would have been foolhardy to risk any further injury, we stayed behind.  We watched a special presentation on the describing the unbelievable site and its enchanting history.

It was very hot and uncomfortable on the long walk to and around this site, The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

If you’re interested in information about Angkor Wat, please click here. The historic site is rich in history and content attracting visitors from many parts of the world, anxious to see it in person and tackle its massive stairway.

Kong, our knowledgeable Viking Cruise guide, explained that visitors climb the step and cry when they can’t figure out how to climb down.The above photo clearly shows how tough that would be. Also, a several mile walk is necessary to get close enough for good photos, which I was unable to do based on my current condition.

The Presidential Palace on the ground of the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Park.

The many tours in Vietnam with hours of walking with many steps threw me into a tailspin back to where I’d been in the recovery process a few weeks ago. In Singapore, most days I lay flat on my back in our hotel room taking hot baths three times a day hoping for a little relief.

Gorgeous grounds and fountains in the surrounding park lands.

As my situation improves once again, its no longer necessary to be lying down and we’re able to stay out of the hotel room as we are at the moment, sitting in a luxurious bar in the Hotel Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort in Siem Reap, Cambodia. 

Fortunately, a portion of the long hike was on smooth roads such as this. The heat was at 98F, 37C, with 80% humidity.

The only way I’ve been able to make some headway in this recovery has been keeping the walking and steps as indicated on my FitBit under about 4000 steps a day. That would have been impossible on any of the tours of the past two days.

Jack fruit grow prolifically in the park.
Although Ho Chi Minh is revered as a modest man with little desire for opulence, he owned these cars, one of which was bulletproof.

Instead, we joined our group again last night for the second dinner in Cambodia and will do so again tonight for our third and final dinner together until checking out of the hotel tomorrow for a five hour bus ride through the countryside to the river boat docked in Kampong Cham, via the provincial capital of Kampong Thom. 

A glass partition prevented a clear photo of the interior of Ho Chi Minh’s first home on the property.
Ho Chi Minh never had children or married.  As a result, he was referred to as Uncle Ho.  From History Channel: “Ho Chi Minh first emerged as an outspoken voice for Vietnamese independence while living as a young man in France during World War I. Inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution, he joined the Communist Party and traveled to the Soviet Union. He helped found the Indochinese Communist Party in 1930 and the League for the Independence of Vietnam, or Viet Minh, in 1941. At World War II’s end, Viet Minh forces seized the northern Vietnamese city of Hanoi and declared a Democratic State of Vietnam (or North Vietnam) with Ho as president. Known as “Uncle Ho,” he would serve in that position for the next 25 years, becoming a symbol of Vietnam’s struggle for unification during a long and costly conflict with the strongly anti-Communist regime in South Vietnam and its powerful ally, the United States.”

Barring any unforeseen delays, it’s expected we’ll arrive at the boat on the Mekong River at 4:30 pm to begin the actual cruise portion of the cruise/tour. With such a small group, boarding should be as fast and easy as other processes have been on this cruise thus far. 

Peaceful lake scene in the center of the park.

Once boarded and settled in our cabin, we’ll continue to travel through Cambodia for a few more days. It’s during this time we’ll have an opportunity to share the beauty of the small villages and points of interest as we travel along the Mekong River and eventually the Mekong Delta.

Although it was a Saturday, it wasn’t overly crowded at the park.

Although we’ll have missed out on a few temple tours, we’re no longer disappointed. How else would we have weathered this unanticipated injury to my spine? We had no where to stay for two months while I healed nor were we ever able to find a heating pad. We made the best of it. 

This newer house was built for Ho Chi Minh by his beloved people, referred to as “Khmer” and completed on May 17, 1958.
The house stands today as it was built including the furnishing, a contemporary Asian influenced architectural style. It isn’t a huge house but is well built and functional.

And, for Tom and I, the patience and compassion we have for one another has kept the situation from ever feeling like a burden or inconvenience. Wherever we find ourselves our love and fortitude drives us to continue this exquisite journey that we pray can continue for many years to come.

We all walked on this footbridge over a Koi pond.
Roots grow like weeds in many areas of Vietnam.

At the end of this month, we’ll reach our 45th month since the day Tom retired and we left Minnesota on October 31, 2012. At this juncture that seems like it was a “world away.”

This is referred to as “One Pillar Pagoda” as described from this site: The One Pillar Pagoda (Vietnamese:Chùa Một Cột, formally Diên Hựu tự , which means “long lasting happiness and good luck”) is a historic Buddhist temple in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. As you visit Hanoi, you may come to various other monuments, parks and historical places. Yet, the One-Pillar Pagoda reflects the architectural splendour that the country has grown.
Where is it located? The unique pagoda is located in the western part of the city, near Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Ong Ich Khiem St., Ngoc Ha, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. The Legendary story: According to legend, ageing Emperor Ly Thai To of the Ly dynasty, who had no children, used to go to pagodas to pray to Buddha for a son. One night, he dreamt that he was granted a private audience to the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, who was seated on a great lotus flower in a square-shaped lotus pond on the western side of Thang Long Citadel, gave the King a baby boy. Months later, when the Queen gave birth to a male child, the Emperor ordered the construction of a pagoda supported by only one pillar to resemble the lotus seat of his dream in the honour of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. According to a theory, the pagoda was built in a style of a lotus emerging out of the water.”

 

Be well and be happy.

Photo from one year ago today, July 12, 2015:

We fell in love with pelicans for their beauty, grace and movement in Trinity Beach, Australia. For more details, please click here.

We made it to Cambodia…Angkor Wat, a hard reality we’ve had to accept…More Hanoi photos…”The Hanoi Hilton”

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Hỏa Lò Prison, aka Mason Centrale (meaning central house in French) was nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton” during the war in Vietnam. “Hỏa Lò Prison was a prison used by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners, and later by North Vietnam for U.S. Prisoners of War during the Vietnam War. During this later period it was sarcastically known to American POWs as the Hanoi Hilton. The prison was demolished in part during the 1990s, though the gatehouse remains as a museum.”

Yesterday morning, we toured the Old Quarter in Vietnam riding in a small golf cart-like six passenger vehicle, through the narrow streets too tight for cars or buses. We took many photos we’ll soon share.

General information at the prison.

By 12:30 pm, we were on the bus on the way to the Hanoi Noi Bai airport where Kong, our leader, host and guide from Viking Cruises had every aspect of the flight and eventual arrival at the hotel in Cambodia covered. He’s so good at what he does, he even negotiated with Vietnam Airlines to waive our excess baggage fees. 

Broken glass atop this wall as added security. This type of glass was cemented into the top of the walls of our villa in Kenya. (See our link for details and photo).

From the baggage handling, to immigration and customs processing everything was prearranged and handled seamlessly. Our little group of 54 passengers shuffled along  with our carry-on as we made our way to the newer comfortable airplane.

A painting currently on display at the historical site.

In less than two hours from boarding, we landed in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It’s funny how we’re still so excited entering a new country, especially as beautiful as Cambodia, a lush green plethora of flowers, trees and dense rainforest.  

A painting of the prison.

Vietnam had its own unique charm and appeal, but Cambodia is an entirely different environment, covered in water and rice paddies in many areas in what appears to be vast lowlands. It’s the rainy season here now and the Nazis are on a frenzy for fresh meat, making our group ideal targets.

A drawing of the map of the prison.

After a short 20 minute bus ride we arrived at yet another luxurious five star hotel, Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort. Unlike the Sofitel in Hanoi this hotel complex is nestled among the trees in the rainforest. It, too, is exquisitely appointed with some of the finest service we’ve seen anywhere in the world.

Massive gates to the main prison area.

Our spacious room (we didn’t upgrade this time) was perfect, again with every amenity we can possibly need or want.  Photos will follow, of course. The grounds are breathtaking. 

An architectural representation of the prison prior to parts of it being demolished in the 1990’s.

Last night’s included dinner buffet and this morning’s breakfast buffet were over the top. The chef met with me before dinner pointing out which foods fit my strict dietary criteria. 

Rendition of prisoner’s shackles.

I was practically squealing with delight when so many dishes were suitable including the most delicious side dish I’ve had in five years, a cauliflower cheese gratin made without sugar, starch or grain.

Statues of how prisoner lived.  Horrifying.

Rarely do I ever return for a second plate at a buffet but last night Tom went back to the buffet to bring me a second plate of the cauliflower gratin. It was comparable to eating a fine dessert minus the sweetness. Guess I’ll be adding this dish to our repertoire of side dishes as soon as we get to Phuket, providing we can find cauliflower, whole cream and cheese.

This word translates to “dungeon” since this was the solitary confinement area.

Anyway, one of many reasons I was particularly attracted to the Viking Mekong River cruise and tour was my interest in visiting Angkor Wat (see below from this website):

“Angkor Wat is a temple complex, indeed the largest religious structure in the world, and part of the capital city of the Khmer Empire, which controlled all the area in what is today the modern country of Cambodia, as well as parts of Laos and Thailand, between the 9th and 13th centuries AD.

The Temple Complex includes a central pyramid of some 60 meters (200 ft) in height, contained within an area of about two square kilometers (~3/4 of a square mile), surrounded by a defensive wall and moat.”

The tiny solitary confinement cell.

Supposedly, visiting Angkor Wat is comparable to visiting Petra in Jordan (see our link here) for its profound effect on each visitor its in own special way. Of course, this appealed to both of us.

Few prisoners escaped from the prison through the sewer system. 

But, reality of daily life prevails and as hard as I tried to make this morning’s arranged four plus hour walking tour suitable for my current painful condition, it just wasn’t worth the risk. 

Example of how prisoners chipped away at the stone in the sewer system in order to escape.

There’s no way it made sense to walk the long distances, required at the historic site, climb the many flights of steps without handrails and not exacerbated my slowly recovering condition.

Artistic rendition of a part of the prison.

We considered just going and doing what I could but I know myself…I would have pushed beyond reason forcing myself to “tough it out” without complaint. Essentially, I could have reversed the progress I worked so hard to attain over this past almost six weeks since the injury. 

The guillotine in the Hanoi Hilton.

Then, we wouldn’t be able to do anything on the cruise itself which begins in 54 hours. We just didn’t want to risk it. Its the nature of our lives. If we lived like most of the world, if we had such an injury we’d have stayed home, canceling the trip and taken the time necessary to heal.

Side view of the guillotine.

For us, we continue on in our travels as long as we get on a plane, into a hotel or next vacation home, all of which I’ve somehow managed to do over these past busy weeks. 

This area ensconced in artwork may have been the prisoner’s exercise yard.
In the past two weeks we moved into four different hotels in four different countries, flown on three international flights, taken over 1000 photos and posted each and every day. 

I can’t beat myself up over not choosing to visit Angkor Wat or, as a matter of fact, a few more temples in the next few days, all of which require hours of walking and climbing steps. 

Artwork in yard.

It is what it is. Personal strength not only comes from “doing” but also from “accepting” when one can’t “do” when a situation requires holding back. I’m there today, in acceptance mode. With smiles on our faces and joy in our hearts we’ll participate in everything I can do instead of focusing on what I cannot. 

Today, we’re sharing more photos from Vietnam and soon will start uploading many photos we’ve already taken of Cambodia including those we’ll be adding over the next few days until our departure.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 11, 2015:

Spoonbill, rightfully so named. For more photos, please click here.

Temple of Literature…Heading to Cambodia today…

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Entrance to the Temple of Literature.
At 12:30 pm today we’ll be checking out of the stellar five star Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi and heading to the Noi Bai International airport by bus. We have an included flight through Viking cruises to Cambodia, the next leg of our land and Mekong River journey.
Beautiful manicure grounds of the temple.

Although we don’t particularly care for bus or group tours, this 54 passenger manifest feels small and intimate. Already, we’ve come to know a few other passengers and look forward to many more pleasant conversations and shared activities. 

Apparently, the Temple of Literature is busy most days.

Viking Cruise Line’s reputation for excellence is evident in all the activities thus far with the utmost of class and organization. Nothing is spared in providing each passenger with care and diligent attention to detail.

The Chinese language and the French influence attributed to the Vietnamese language.

Our tour guide, Kong, took a photo on his phone on the food list on my phone. As a result, last night’s dinner at the upscale Nineteen11 Restaurant located in the Hanoi Opera House was prepared to perfection with Kong’s assistance in working with the restaurant staff. That’s the type of service we’re receiving on this adventure. Over the top.

A body of water on the grounds of the temple.

They specially made pumpkin soup for me which was quite a treat. The Australian filet mignon was cooked to perfection with a side of butter sautéed bok choy with garlic, a fabulous side I’d never considered. 

The Temple of Literature was built in 1070.

Tom enjoyed his soup, salad, bread and similar steak with mashed potatoes and vegetable coulis as well as a beautifully prepared Vietnamese dessert.   

There were many areas of the temple to investigate.

I’m in a bit of a quandary posting all these tours. We have more photos than space or time to share of these experiences in Hanoi. Since we’ll in Cambodia by dinner tonight and don’t want to miss sharing some of the integral experiences we’ve had in Hanoi, we’ll continue with Hanoi stories over the next few days and “catch up” as we move along in Cambodia. 

The crowds gathered on their path to the main part of the temple.
Animal lawn sculpture in the temple.

In the event we aren’t able to catch up with so many tours ahead, we may decide to save some of the photos to share after the cruise ends while we’re living in Phuket for six weeks at a considerably slower pace. This whirlwind trip makes the appeal of Phuket’s easy lifestyle all the more appealing.

The historic architecture if beautiful not unlike Hindu temples we visited in Bali. Although Vietnam is a communist country, people are free to choose their religious beliefs as long as they don’t interfere politically.

How did I weather yesterday’s full day of touring? It was a challenge walking the long distances while navigating lots of stairs and uneven walkways. 

There’s no way this photo indicates how hot we were.

Add the scorching sun, heat and humidity and there were moments I wondered if I could continue on. Tom, of course, walked slowly and gingerly alerting me to every step change and holding my hand even as both of our hands were dripping with sweat. 

Gargoyle.

My desire to see everything and to take photos kept me motivated enough to keep going. The tour provided us with unlimited supplies of chilled bottled water, which we guzzled continuously. Each time we neared a patch of shade, Kong alerted us to take cover. We weren’t the only ones sweating profusely. 

Inside the temple.

Since most of the passengers are as old or older than us, they too suffered along with us.  Cambodia is supposedly much hotter and more humid. Today, I feel a little better as I continue to heal and hope by the most challenging of the upcoming tours, Ankor Wat, that I’ll be able to participate.

Statue of Confucius.

Hanoi’s temperature yesterday was 98F, 37C with 80% humidity. I can’t imagine Cambodia would be a whole lot worse. When we struggled through the heat (and my continuing pain) many times we discussed what the soldiers went through in this horrid weather during the war. 

Most revered statue of Confucius in the temple.

On several occasions, those sad thoughts made me give myself a mental slap to tough it out.

Touching the breast of this bird statue with the right hand and the touching the head of the turtle below with one’s left hand is considered “yin and yang” allowing good fortune to flow through the participant. Tom was able to do this but I did so with caution, unable to easily bend down.

Today’s photos are from yesterday’s visit to the Temple of Literature. Future photos will continue of the Hanoi Hilton, (the prison), the Ho Chi Minh Memorial and the city tour we took this morning in small motorized vehicles through streets in the Old Quarter, inaccessible by cars or buses. It was quite an adventure in itself.

A religious service was being conducted while we visited.

Since we’re leaving soon, I’ll only have time to post photos and will do as many captions as time allows. Back at you soon from Cambodia! 

There was a lily pond on the grounds.

Photo from one year ago today, July 10, 2015:

The boat launch at Holloways Beach leading to a river that heads to the sea. It is this type of location where people are attacked by crocs which are commonly found on beached in Australia.  For more details please click here.

Our first cruise tour in Hanoi…Vietnam Museum of Ethnology…

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The bright red color of this Hoa, or ethnic Chinese wedding dress is intended to bring happiness, good luck and a prosperous future. The Hoa in Vietnam continue to maintain customs from their provinces of origin, mainly in Southern Chine. Many Hoa is involved in trade in urban areas, primarily in Ho Chi Minh City where we’ll soon visit.

Both of us were up and getting ready for the day before 6:00 am determined to keep from having to rush to any of the mornings activities. First on the agenda was the breakfast buffet in the Vietnamese Spice Restaurant located in the hotel.

It was busy at both tourist venues not only with our groups but many others.

As we were seated, we could sense the influx of other cruise passengers when we detected many American accents, something we hadn’t heard in a long time. On the cruise in April from Sydney to Singapore supposedly there were 17 Americans on board but we never met one.

This wall indicted the 54 separate ethnicities of the people of Vietnam. For more on this, please click here.

In January, on the cruise from Sydney to Auckland there were a reported 200 Americans on board, but here again, we only met a few. On this 56 passenger cruise, we expect that  approximately 46 of the passengers are from the US.

A bicycle pulling a variety of styles of fishing traps.

Not that the nationality of other cruisers matters to us. Not after all this time. But, it is fun to hear the familiar accents from throughout the country and chat with people who may have lived near us and been where we’ve been in the past.

Ceremonial attire.

After a chatty breakfast we all headed to a meeting room for a 30 minute intro to the cruise and its varying nuances, precautions and general instructions. We’re assigned to Group A which comprises half of the manifest with Kong as our red-shirted tour guide and host. 

Centuries old furnishings and artifacts.

Kong is a highly entertaining and friendly Vietnamese fellow who’s is easy to understand and extremely  well organized. By 8:45 we were on the Group A red modern and air conditioned bus containing a cooler with chilled water bottles for us at no charge. It’s been one hot and humid day to say the least!

Vietnamese ritual dolls.

Each of us were given a QuietVox audio headset to use during many aspects of the cruise/tour.  The last time we’d used such a devise was in Versailles in Paris in August, 2014 on a very rainy day. This is especially helpful for Tom with his difficulty in hearing after all those 42 years on the railroad.

In the countryside, when an elder reaches 60 years of age, a coffin is made for them and kept under the house until they pass away.  Once they’re buried three meals a day is delivered to the burial site to support the deceased in their journey to heaven. After the three years, a special celebration is held and the soul is released to heaven.

The morning’s plan was to first visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology and then drive to a well known temple in Hanoi, the Temple of Literature, a popular tourist venue on a list of many interesting and revered temples.

Household decorations.

As much as we’d like to get into the details of Vietnamese history, with each day jammed packed with activities and meals, we won’t have time to elaborate on what we’ve learned.  

Example of a house in the country.

Right now, we have 75 minutes to upload photos, complete this post (during an on-your-own-lunch-break) and upload it until we’re off again for the next three hour tour to the famous “Hanoi Hilton” which we’ll write about in tomorrow’s post. 

More hand crafted decorations.

We’ll return to the hotel at 5:00 pm, shower and change for dinner, meet our new friends at 5:30 for one last 50 minute happy hour (they actually aren’t leaving until tomorrow) and then walk the short distance to the Hanoi Opera House where we’ll dine for a prearranged dinner with the two groups at 6:30 pm.

Halloween is observed by some Vietnamese people and thus, this scary mask.

Tomorrow morning, we’re off on another tour and then will board the bus at 12:30 pm for the airport for our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia arriving at 5:30 pm. We’ll check in to the hotel, another Sofitel, and then head to a buffet dinner at 7:00 pm. Another very busy day!

Weaving of fine cloths.

How am I holding up? I’ll admit its not as easy as I’d hoped by this date but I’m managing thanks to the expert help of my attentive and thoughtful husband who holds me up, holds my hand and monitors every step I take to ensure my safe stepping over some rough and uneven steps and terrain. 

Women’s garment.

I’m going to do this, that’s all there is to it. And darn it all, I’ll treasure every moment. I took almost 100 photos this morning, even after all the rejects I’ve since deleted on the bus on the return drive, I look forward to taking hundreds more.

Artistic wooden renditions.

So bear with us.  We’ll post everyday but the timing may be sketchy at times. If you check back a few times a day, you’ll see us here with all new photos and updates on the day’s activities.  Tomorrow, we’ll post photos from the Temple of Literature based on today’s time constraints.

The grounds are kept meticulously groomed surrounding the museum.

Unfortunately, we have no alternative but to keep most of the photo captions to a minimum since it takes considerable time to look up the information online for each display. If something catches your eye, please write to us and we’ll get back to you with more information.

There’s symbolism in artistic works.

It’s hard for us to believe we are here and on this amazing journey in a land that holds many sad heart wrenching memories for soldiers and their loved ones not only from the US but several other countries. 

A display of typical family life in centuries past in Vietnam.

We express our love and appreciation to every soldier and their families as we’ll express every word and thought contained herein over these next few weeks with them in our hearts and minds.

Photo from one year ago today, July 9, 2015:

A peacock with another bird we couldn’t identify down the road from our vacation home in trinity Beach, Australia. For more photos, please click here.

Hanoi keeps on giving…Cruise/tour starts tomorrow…

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This photo we took in one of the hotel’s two lobby areas reminded us of another era. We can easily imagine the ambiance in this historical hotel built in 1901, then called the Hanoi Hotel, now the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel. Many world renowned celebrities and political figures have stayed in these opulent surroundings.

As it turned out we didn’t have time to work on the Indonesian visa while in Hanoi in preparation for our return visit to Bali on September 1st. We called the embassy and they explained that a two or three day turnaround wasn’t possible due to local holidays.

An indoor boulevard of pricey shops was tempting to peruse. We thought of the precious little alpaca Mont Blanc when we spotted this store.  Gosh, that seems so long ago.

Instead, we’ll try to accomplish it using overnight mail (which actually takes three days each way) from Phuket, Thailand during our six weeks on the island beginning after the cruise ends.

A cell phone display in an expensive shop’s window. I asked for the price of this particular model to discover its US $18,000, VND 401,427,000. Guess we don’t need one of these!

We let the Indonesian visa acquisition waft from our minds satisfied that we currently have the required visas for this cruise/tour and the upcoming six weeks in Thailand. 

Antique working phones in a hallway of the hotel.

In the worst case, we’ll do another three day Lovina run between September and October to get the second 30 day visa. Once that’s completed, we won’t need any additional visas until after the US visit ends when we’ll be heading to Costa Rica for a slightly longer than allowable 90 day visa.

Its unlikely we’ll use the hotel’s pool.  Its rained or been cloudy most of each day since our arrival.

Thank goodness I’m feeling much better. I may not be 100% better, although I’m hovering around 75%. Walking is easier now than a week ago in Singapore. Sitting remains the most difficult especially if the furnishings aren’t conducive to a straight posture. 

At breakfast I had a bowl of pho minus noodles. It was delicious reminding me of the pho my younger son Greg and I often ordered when we frequently visited a popular Vietnamese restaurant in Minneapolis, Kinhdo.

Last night, our cruise documents were awaiting us in the room after another fabulous fun filled evening with our new friends from the UK/Singapore; Sally, Richard and Isabel. 

The hotel’s bellmen provide the utmost of bell services.

It was another nonstop laugh fest with nothing held back resulting in outrageous story telling. How refreshing! Tonight, we’ll all get together for the final time with them heading back to Singapore tomorrow and our cruise essentially beginning tomorrow morning.

Vendors are often on foot battling the outrageous traffic in an attempt to sell their wares.

Tomorrow’s first day schedule is tight with a three hour morning tour beginning after breakfast and the 8 am itinerary meeting here in the hotel. From there, we’ll board four person vehicles which at this point we aren’t certain if they mean taxis, pedi-cabs or the equivalent of “tuk-tuks” one often finds in Thailand.

With over 5 million motorbikes in Hanoi, many are used for transporting products for resale.

At noon during a two hour break we’ll prepare and upload tomorrow’s post with photos we’ve taken from the morning tour. After the two hour break we’ll board  a bus for another tour of several important sites in Hanoi, reporting back with photos the following day.

One person pedi-bikes are inexpensive and a popular means of travel.

The busy day will end with dinner in an upscale local restaurant, a five minute walk from the hotel.  With a total of 56 passengers on the cruise’s manifest (which was included in the package) it should be an interesting opportunity to meet and mingle with other passengers.

These converted motorbikes/trucks are also a common means of transport.

With the usual 2000 to 4000 passengers on a typical cruise, this small group, mostly Americans, should be interesting. Its been a long time since we’ve interacted with many other Americans, most likely since the wonderful people we met in Kauai, Hawaii. Then again, we love meeting people from all over the world.

A towering cookie display.

Hopefully, we can keep political/election discussions to a minimum and focus on other topics as well as the historical aspects of the cruise. Over these past years we’ve heard many travelers rave about this cruise being their favorite of many. We’ll hold off speculating any further for now and report details as they occur.

Tom sitting at the hotel’s shoe shine station.

Tomorrow, as mentioned above, we’ll be back three or four hours later than usual, looking forward to sharing more details of this amazing experience in Vietnam.

Be well and happy!


Photo from one year ago today, July 8, 2015:
This adorable Kookaburra posed for me in the yard while sitting on the fence next to the rain gauge. These birds are much larger than appearing in this photo. For more Trinity Beach photos, please click here.

More than we expected of Vietnam, fascination, awe and wonder…It has it all…Where does familiarity fall into the mix?

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This, dear readers, so much bespeaks Vietnam in today’s world.

Yesterday afternoon, when we took off on foot from the hotel, we were excited to be walking. With the cruise officially starting tomorrow, I needed to get out walking to test how I’d do on the many upcoming treks over the next two weeks.

The streets are packed with locals, drinking famous Vietnamese coffee, tea while happily commiserating among friends.

Determined to be able to participate fully, we decided to walk until I couldn’t take another step which lasted nearly two hours. Not only was exercise my mission, but capturing as many possible photos to share here was on my mind.

Vendor cooking on the street with the barest of essentials.

It was raining off and on during the entire walk, although at no point were we soaked. There were plenty of overhangs and trees to shelter us during the downpours. We continued on when each block we explored provided its own unique flavor of Vietnam.

There are over 5 million motorbikes in Hanoi.  Walking across any road is challenging.

The sights, the sounds and the smells of lemongrass wafting through the air created a unique persona, unlike any we’ve experience anywhere else in the world. 

Colorful lanterns, balls, balloons and toys line the streets.

As we’ve begun to explore Southeast Asia in our worldwide travels, no doubt these assaults to our senses will become more familiar and less intoxicating. You know how it is…familiarity…well, in this case it doesn’t “breed contempt” as the saying goes. 

Folding cut paper art.

For us, it instills a familiarity that we incorporate into the vast experiences we glean in this special life we’ve chosen to live. Now, that I’m  feeling better and hopeful again for the future, I’ve become philosophical in the enormity of it all. 

We stopped in a tiny shop to find grandma aka, Bà nội  (in Vietnames) asleep on the floor.

This morning after breakfast on the elevator back up to our floor, Tom picked a tiny bit of food out of my hair and said, “I can’t take you anywhere!”  In a flash, he added, “But I take you everywhere!”

Vegetable in the basket of a shopper’s bicycle.

We both laughed over his usual instantaneous wit and…the irony of it all. We ask ourselves, “What are we doing in Vietnam in a five star hotel having the time of our lives…once again?” We’ll never become too familiar with the excitement and adventure to ever take it for granted.

Eggs tied the a motorbike handle for a hopefully safe trip home.

Last night during happy hour/buffet dinner in the Club Lounge we met a fabulous couple, Sally and Richard and their lovely teenage daughter Isabel, originally from the UK, currently living in Singapore, also with vast world travel experience. We joined them at their big booth for an outrageously delightful evening.

A Hoan Kiem lake and park across the road.

Within moments of engaging in light conversation, we all clicked and magic happened. The complimentary cocktails flowed (iced tea for me) along with the laughter and endless animated chatter. 

Ho Chi Minh artistic piece on an office building

It couldn’t have been more fun!  We’re planning to do the same again this evening, if time allows for all of us. If not, we leave behind one more memorable night in our ever growing repertoire of social interactions we’ll always treasure.

Many large beautiful trees remain in Hanoi.

Add what we’re finding so far during this short period in Hanoi and we’ll leave with a happy heart even before the cruise actually begins. Tonight at 5:00 pm, we’ll attend a Viking cruise meeting to get our bearings including a description of the itinerary and activities over the next many days.  With a maximum of only 60 passengers on the entire cruise/tour, it should be enjoyable in many ways.

An old woman selling fruit on the street.

We’ll be back with more photos tomorrow with an update on the timing for future posts based on the upcoming cruise/tour schedule. 

May familiarity enhance your day in many ways.

Photo from one year ago today, July 7, 2015:

A year ago today, we posted this photo of Nash’s remaining fuzz  which didn’t deter him from being ready to fledge out to sea. Only five months old, he’d yet to shed his chick fluff but the dark lined eyes were very grown up. Our friends in Kauai sent us videos of the  actual which we missed having left before the momentous events. For more photos and videos, please click here.

Too wonderful for words…This five star hotel in Hanoi is over the top!…

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This clawfoot tub is just what I needed for soaking. The master bath is huge with double sinks, a private water closet and, a glass-enclosed shower.  Every possible lotion, potion, and amenity are provided.

First off, the flight on the jumbo jet on Singapore Airlines was superb. The seats were roomy, the bathroom was the biggest we’ve ever seen on a plane, the service was impeccable and the three-plus hours flew by (no pun intended).

With a lengthy slow-moving line at immigration the wait exceeded an hour, the longest we’ve experienced when checking in at a new country. By the time we made it to the baggage claim, our bags were waiting.

The king-sized bed in our Club Metropole is unbelievably comfortable with superb bedding. We both slept well.

By 2:00 pm we were checked in to Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, an absolutely exquisite hotel, built in 1901, as described on their website:

“Step back into history at Hanoï’s most storied 5-star hotel. A Grand Dame of Southeast Asia Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoï welcomes guests to experience her colonial grandeur and timeless elegance. Located steps from the Opera House in Hanoï’s French Quarter this legendary property brings guests into intimate contact with the opulence of another era.

Surround yourself in heritage as you stroll stately corridors and explore a dramatic past. Behind its classical white façade green shutters, original wrought iron details and stately wood paneling reside over a century of stories. Stand on the walkways that grace its lush courtyard lawn and immerse yourself in the hotel’s rich traditions.”

The desk soon became cluttered with our digital equipment.

Once we checked in, a beautiful young concierge escorted us on a tour of the hotel, ending at our prepaid booked room, a very lovely well-appointed king room. 

My biggest concern during checking in was that our room would have a bathtub. Soaking several times a day has greatly helped my painful situation during this past week in Singapore where we finally had a bathtub. 

It was good to confirm our travel scale is accurate with this included scale. The towels are thick and fluffy unlike any we had in a long time.

I was hoping to continue with several hot baths a day, which would be helpful in ensuring we’d be able to handle the upcoming tours beginning on Saturday, July 9th. I’m improving each day, quicker now than over the past several weeks. 

Once we saw our booked room, the concierge suggested an upgrade to the VIP penthouse level for the additional US $120, VDN (Vietnamese Dong) 2,676,780 per night. 

Not only are these two his and her robe included, but there are two additional silk robes in the closet.

By doing so, there are many extras including breakfast in three possible restaurants, high tea, and dinner in the VIP lounge each night, a buffet as well as tableside servings with offerings from the hotel’s other two restaurants. The meals and drinks alone, more than paid for the upgrade.

Also included is butler service with a pillow menu, free cocktails between 5:30 and 7:30 each night, complimentary all-day beverage service, including coffee, tea, mineral water, and snacks.

Tea and coffee service in the room, a nice touch.

Of course, this included an upgraded room on the VIP Club Metropole, the key-card-access-only seventh level.  In most cases to conserve expenses, we avoid “up-selling.” However, in this case, we decided a little luxury would certainly be befitting my continuing recovery.

Also, from reading menus from local restaurants, this five-star hotel is more suited to accommodate my way of eating. As a matter of fact, a huge number of the offerings are easily suitable for me; sashimi (raw fish) and other cooked meats, stir-fried and steamed vegetables, cheeses, and raw nuts. We’d never be able to find such options in any of the local eateries. 

The TV has premium movie channels and a number of English speaking channels including my favorite, Nat Geo. However, in an attempt to stop laying down to improve my recovery, we’ve spent little time in the room.  As we prepare this post, we’re seated in the Club Lounge.

The Club Metropole upgraded room immediately sold us its many amenities and we opted for the increased cost.  Over five nights the added cost would be US $600, VDN 13,383,900. We’d already paid the basic rate for the hotel a long time ago making this extra not seem as much. 

Last night while we languished over great food and drinks in the Club Metropole Lounge, I said to Tom, “Thanks, Honey, a little luxury is nice once in a while. I appreciate this.”

Another lounge area in the hotel.

He laughed and said, “It’s not as if we deserve it, Sweetie  Look where we’ve been over these past 44 months!” I laughed and agreed.

Sometimes, it all just works out and this was one of those occasions for which we’re very humbled and grateful. Once we’re done posting today, we’ll head out for a short walk to get me moving a little more to prepare for the upcoming action-packed days.

Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, July 6, 2015:

One year ago today we posted this photo of the upcoming private house in Phuket, Thailand. We’ll be moving in another 16 days. Wow!  For more details, please click here.

We’re at the Changi Airport in Singapore…

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As a renowned international business center there are many high rise office buildings.

I was apprehensive about the long walk to our gate. Based on my Fitbit it was almost a mile long. I made it ok, albeit rather slowly, while Tom maintained the slow pace with me. Each day, I’m a little better.

Singapore has a wide array of interesting buildings, both old and new.

Since we’d paid our hotel bill yesterday, checking out of the hotel was quick and easy, with the taxi van driver grabbing our bags. He talked all the way to the airport explaining laws in Singapore that its citizens are pleased to obey and have in place. His accent was thick and hard to understand so we only picked up bits and pieces.

Once we arrived we checked the three bags, only having to pay SGD 32, US $23.75. We couldn’t complain about that. We’d purchased a number of necessary vitamins and toiletries in Singapore that may have been hard to find in Vietnam or Cambodia surely adding to the weight. It’s the way it is.

The old and the newer.

We never went out for dinner last night after we decided I needed to rest. We ate the balance of the cheese and nuts, never giving it another thought. There’s a complimentary meal on the plane but most likely Tom will eat both of ours. 

The airlines can’t ever accommodate my multitude of restrictions. It’s either gluten free with lots of starches and sugars or sugar free with lots of fruit and carbs. No matter. I won’t have any trouble waiting until dinner in Hanoi tonight, hopefully somewhere close to the hotel.

Street after street with shops.

We’d planned to do some sightseeing on the first three days in Hanoi before the beginning of the cruise tour. Most likely, more rest and light walking will be all I’ll be able to manage in an effort to prepare for the intense walking and activity ahead of us when the tour begins. We both accept this reality. Wherever we may be when injury or illness strikes, we’d be missing out on something.

This reminded me of New Orleans.

Just wanted to post this short post to say hello to all of our loyal and thoughtful readers who continue to write with warm wishes for improvement. Depending on the time we arrive and get situated, this may be today’s only post.

For all of our family, friends/readers in the US, have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July and we’ll be looking for your fireworks videos on Facebook. We’ll be back soon! 


Photo from one year ago today, July 5, 2015:

Viking Mekong Itinerary, Current Position, Ship Review | CruiseMapper

The Viking Mekong. For more, please click here.

Scroll for total final expenses for one week in Singapore…Tomorrow, an early morning flight to Hanoi, Vietnam…Tom’s haircut in Singapore…

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Historical building.

We sorry we weren’t able to explore Singapore as we’d intended based on my injured spine during our entire week in this lovely country. It’s unlikely we’ll return when we still have so much of the world left to see.

The street outside Chinatown at dusk.

Right now, our biggest concern is getting me able to handle walking for several hours a day based on the many tours upcoming on the Mekong River Cruise beginning in four days. 

The bright lights in Chinatown at night.

Of course, we have a backup plan. If I’m only able to walk only short distances, we’ll go on the shorter excursions and decide at the time for the all day excursions which as of today, I can’t imagine being able to manage.

A popular eco friendly office building.

However, each day there’s a little improvement. Tom’s been a huge help literally waiting on me for absolutely everything, whether it’s filling the tub with hot water for me to soak several times a day (which really helps) or pouring my iced tea, he’s “Johnny on the spot” with never a scowl or complaint for getting something for me one more time. This makes recovery a whole lot easier.

Sunday morning we took a walk through a section of Chinatown before the crowds.

I want to thank all of our readers who sent emails wishing me a speedy recovery. My inbox was full this morning with suggestions, prayers and good wishes. I managed to respond to each before beginning today’s post which contributed to yet another late posting.

Its appealing to some business professionals to purchase clothing in Singapore but prices were high although the service was quick.

We went for our final breakfast in the hotel which has been quite a treat each day. On several days, we were so filled by the huge and delicious meal, neither of us were hungry for dinner and only nibbled on our cheese and nuts into the evening when we felt like a little something.

Most of the locals wear flip flops on casual days. Tourists purchased this shoulder bags.

We’re disappointed not to have dined out more often, but when I think back to our old lives, when one of us was under the weather, we never thought about going out for dinner. 

Many products for sale are wrapped in plastic, most likely imported from China.

We’d stay “home” continuing to nurse back to good health.  Same here. The thought of going out most nights wasn’t appealing, although we did do so on a few evenings. Rest has seemed to be the most logical solution at this point.

These popular plastic chickens scream. Why? We never quite figured it out.

Luckily, when we arrive in Hanoi tomorrow afternoon, we’ll still have three days to continue my recovery before the cruise/tour begins. During that period, we’ll head out to get our final visa needed at this time, Indonesia, for the upcoming return to Bali in a few months. 

There are areas that reminded us of the French Quarter.

There’s no way we want to go through that awful three days of travel back and forth to Lovina for the visa extension in Bali if we can avoid it. With the three days in Hanoi, we should be able to accomplish it, plus the cruise includes two more days in Hanoi for sightseeing. This gives us a five full days to get the visa and for me to recover if necessary.

Tom was thrilled to get a haircut at long last.

Sure, it will be disappointing if we can’t go on the tours in Hanoi, but what else can we do? It’s the way our life is. We accept it fully. Tom, bless his heart, never for a moment has made me feel badly over money we may lose not taking advantage of our location. We’re together. I’m improving each day and we continue on with love and hope in our hearts.

A good cut by a stylist in a pricey salon.  The haircut was SGD 44, US $32.74 which included a 20% discount and was more than he paid anywhere in the world thus far.

Based on our late return to our hotel room after breakfast which included a lively conversation with a lovely couple from the US that we met in the restaurant and sorting out our hotel bill today instead of tomorrow morning, it was a late start.

Lots of tourist trinkets.

Our taxi will arrive at 6:45 am tomorrow for the 30 minutes ride to the Changi airport. Our flight is at 9:20 am, almost four hours on Singapore Airlines. We should arrive at our hotel in Hanoi by 1:00 pm.

Insect jewelry. 

Once we’re situated in our hotel room in Vietnam we’ll prepare a new post with a few photos of Hanoi we’ll have taken during the taxi ride. Thus, you won’t see a post until several hours later than usual. 

Colorful statues atop the Sri Mariamman Temple.

Here are the total expenses for the seven nights we spent in Singapore. Included is the cost for the visas we acquired for Vietnam and Thailand. 

Our food expenses were considerably less than average travelers may spend based on the fact we only dined out for dinner a few times and for breakfast everyday. (Please excuse formatting issues on char below).

Expense
SGD –
Singapore Dollar
US
Dollar
Hotel – 7 nights                 2108.03                            1568.00  
Airfare –Bali to Singapore                   223.10  $                            165.95
Taxi                    177.53  $                            132.06
Visa Extensions (2)                    562.07  $                            418.10
Tips/Laundry/Misc.                          –    
WiFi                          –    
Groceries                      36.11  $                              26.86
Dining Out                    320.85  $                            238.67
Clothing                          –  
Pharmacy/ Dental                    217.68  $                            161.92
 
Total                 3,105.34  $                        2,309.92
   
Avg Daily Cost-7 Days                     443.62  $                           329.99

See you tomorrow after our arrival in Hanoi!

Photo from one year ago today, July 5, 2015:

The Cattana Wetlands in Australia offered excellent expansive views. For more photos, please click here.

An unusual city…An unusual experience…Surprising cost of owning a car in Singapore…Three days and counting.

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The Chinatown Point mall contains more restaurants than apparel shops.

Singapore is unlike any city/country we visited in these past 44 months of world travel. For the enthusiastic shopper, food and wine aficionado, and avid tourist this location has it all.

Yesterday, we grabbed a taxi for the final trip to the Thailand Embassy to pick up our visa extensions. Two down, with one more to go in Hanoi. Arriving on time, we waited in a short queue on the sidewalk outside the official compound to all be let inside at 2:00 pm.

Most food items contain starches, sugar, and grains.

We didn’t wait long once inside. Singapore is known for short queues with little waiting time wherever one may go and we observed this as entirely true over these past few busy days.

Also, the traffic is light. The reason for fewer vehicles on the roads is due to  governmental regulations making car ownership beyond the financial realm of most residents.  

Of course, we stopped to eyeball the sweets. Tom didn’t order a thing. He’s always looking for donuts which few countries outside the US offer.

In order to limit vehicle ownership, the Singaporean government imposes fees and taxes in a successful attempt to keep their beautiful country clean, smog-free, and uncrowded on the roads. As a result, there’s little traffic even during peak hours.

Most residents and visitors use public transportation and reasonably priced taxis. Most of our trips to and from the embassies haven’t exceeded US $10, SGD $13.46. Tips aren’t expected and are refused when offered.

Taxi drivers have explained that only natural-born citizens of Singapore can acquire a license to drive a taxi and that the management of fares and services is strictly monitored by the government. 

Added to these realities is the uniform attention to detail, cleanliness, organization, and efficiency one can see in all areas of business. The citizens of Singapore are proud of their homeland and its evident in the smiles on their faces and their willingness to assist visitors in their pursuit of an extraordinary experience.

The displays with menu options are meant to whet the appetite.

Generally, we didn’t do much shopping but yesterday, we found ourselves at Chinatown Point, a relatively new indoor mall located in Chinatown. When we arrived, we expected there to be mostly tourists and visitors.

Instead, we found it filled with what appeared to be mostly local shoppers. Also, surprisingly, most of the shops in the huge mall were restaurants, bakeries, candy shops, and Asian health products shops with very few apparel shops as one would expect in a mall.

There are numerous malls packed with major brand and designer clothing, but Chinatown Point appears to be a mall specifically for the needs of the locals. We had a list of products we needed from a pharmacy and stopped to check out the grocery store to purchase some cheese and nuts for snacking.

There were a number of appealing sit down restaurants in Chinatown Point.

We were thrilled when we were able to find a shop similar to a traditional pharmacy (if there is such a thing) with over-the-counter products we needed, including such items as coconut oil, contact lens solutions, pro-biotics, Vitamin C, Vitamin b and such.

We found everything on our list, although the prices were twice as much as we’d paid in other countries. We walked out the door having spent US $200, SGD 269, not unlike we may have spent in the US, London or Paris.

Food, food, food, everywhere in Chinatown Point. Neither of us was hungry, so we decided to wait until dinner.

In the evening, we wandered the streets, enjoyed the scenery, and had dinner in a busy local Asian restaurant in Chinatown. Tom ordered sweet and sour pork with rice and I had steamed shrimp with veggies.  It was a good meal and reasonably priced.  We’ll continue to try different restaurants each day.

Many dishes are prepared with noodles.

This morning we had another fabulous breakfast at Tartufo Restaurant, next door to the hotel. As we write here now, we’re still stuffed and just may decide to just snack tonight on the nuts and cheese we purchased at the mall.

To our family and friends in the US, we pray you have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend. To everyone else, have a lovely few days off, if your schedule allows.

We’ll be flying to Hanoi in three days on to the next adventure!

Photo from one year ago today, July 3, 2015:

The flock of Cockatoos was busy foraging for food in Trinity Beach Australia. For more photos, please click here.