Part 2…An inquiry from an old friend and long time reader…Artwork in Phuket house…

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This is my favorite piece of Thai art. It’s quite large placed above the TV in the living room.

In yesterday’s post we answered the first question posed by longtime friend and reader, Cathy in Minnesota as shown in a statement as below which she’d asked in a private message in Facebook.

With Cathy’s permission I posted her questions as follows:

Cathy wrote:
“So this is my question for you two. Honestly, have you ever gone someplace and after about a couple of weeks wish the stay was shorter? With your back hurting the way it does sometimes do you wish you were closer to a doctor. I just know how painful back problems are from experience.  I read your blog every day.”

As a result, yesterday’s post addressed the first question in detail, particularly as it applies in our current location: “Honestly, have you ever gone someplace and after about a couple of weeks wish the stay was shorter?”

Some of the art work is lopsided on the wall, but we didn’t want to straighten them for fear they’d fall off.

Today, we’re addressing the second question in Cathy’s inquiry: “With your back hurting the way it does sometimes do you wish you were closer to a doctor.”

We chose to break up these two questions, especially since this second question requires a certain amount of comment and reflection that we wanted to share with our readers, many of whom are in our age bracket subsequently more likely to require medical care.

Our reality when we began our travels was the fact that I have a serious spinal condition that is exacerbated by inflammation triggered by certain foods and chemicals. By changing my diet five years ago this month, within a period of three months I was pain free although I still have the condition.

Plus, I was pre-diabetic within months of requiring medication when I started this way of eating and now my blood sugar is normal with these dietary changes. Two major problems were solved by a change in diet. 

Many of these works of art consist of design and texture.

It was these massive improvements in my health that inspired us to travel the world, when prior to the change in diet, the possibility of travel was very limited when I couldn’t sit on a plane for two hours. In these past 46 months, we’ve experienced as much as a 34 hour travel period and though tired at the end as anyone would be, I did fine, pain free.

In the early part of June, slightly over two months ago, I injured my spine in the swimming pool in Bali while walking backwards in a particular exercise feeling fine and pain free. I was using the pool each day as a form of exercise with no health club in the area. 

In June, I accidentally walked into the sharp stone edge where the end of the steps meets the main part of the pool. The second I did this, I knew I was in trouble.  The impact hit me from my neck down to my tailbone. It felt as if I’d been in a car accident.

There is a pair of these, each slightly different.

At first I didn’t say anything to Tom hoping the pain would subside. I didn’t want to worry him. But, by the next day I knew was in big trouble when the pain was awful running from my neck down to my tailbone. 

Having heard stories of horrible medical treatment in the remote area of Bali, I decided to wait it out knowing it could be months until the injury would heal. My arms and legs were working fine convincing me I hadn’t injured my spinal cord itself. 

In time, the pain reminded me of when about eight years ago I had a compression fracture, compounding the pain I already had at the time. It took several months to heal. 

Recently with a lack of good medical care nearby, I made the assumption that again I had a compression fracture which is a very common condition for seniors, even those with less precarious vertebrae than mine.

This style of Buddhist statue is commonly seen in Thailand.

This statement is from a document at the following site from American Family Physicians :

“Vertebral compression fractures affect approximately 25 percent of all postmenopausal women in the United States. The prevalence of this condition steadily increases with advancing age, reaching 40 percent in women 80 years of age. Women diagnosed with a compression fracture of the vertebra have a 15 percent higher mortality rate than those who do not experience fractures. Although less common in older men, compression fractures also are a major health concern in this group. Because the age group of those older than 65 years is now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, the incidence of this age-specific fracture is likely to increase.”

Based on the fact that there was no need for surgery, I self treated doing the best I could. What would a doctor do, when only in very rare cases, there’s an impingement on the spinal column (which I didn’t seem to have) during which surgery may be required. 

Rest, hot and cold packs, limited movement with no bending, not spending days laying in bed and the fractures would eventually heal without further incident. Many times I had read that the pain could last for three months or longer in typical cases. I guess I’m a typical case. Had I not experienced this type of injury in the past, I may have been more intent on having x-rays, MRI or CAT scan.

Plus, I determined, that if the fracture was spotted in a scan, what would a doctor do anyway?  Prescribe narcotic pain meds? Not only did I not want to take narcotics for such an extended period I didn’t want to be hauling narcotic meds in our luggage as we travel in a variety of countries. 

This larger statue is located in the kitchen and dining area.

I had one old bottle of painkillers in my luggage with 30 pills (I’d never used any of them) in case of an emergency. During this two plus months I used 10 of the pills when I couldn’t seem to get the pain under control, especially when we were in Singapore and then on the Mekong River cruise, going out on tours. 

Tylenol, Paracetamol, Aleve, Motrin and aspirin haven’t helped at all, even after trying them for weeks. I take nothing now, instead finding a new way to sit, stand and rest using the ice and heat packs to relieve more painful periods. It’s getting better, now only painful during the second half of the day when I may have sat too long, bent over too much or walked too far. It’s a balancing act.

Back to Cathy’s question, “With your back hurting the way it does sometimes do you wish you were closer to a doctor.” 

My answer is clear.  Had we been living in the US I may have gone for an x-ray or MRI, but the ultimate treatment would have been the same except with the addition of pain relieving medications I’d surely have been prescribed of one sort or another. 

Interesting rendition.

Most likely physical therapy would have been prescribed once it healed, which is often postponed until after several months to avoid further injury. After years of experience with a variety of spine related physical therapy modalities, I feel confident once the pain is gone, I can begin walking more once again and incorporate light physical therapy type moves as I progress.

Once we arrived in Phuket I considered going to the local hospital for an x-ray but after reading many poor reviews about the local private hospitals, I decided against it. Finally, over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a subtle improvement each day and feel confident that it will continue over time. 

Since the injury, I’ve managed the following:
1.  The four to five hour harrowing drive from Sumbersari, Bali to Denpasar Airport
2.  The flight from Denpasar to Singapore with considerable walking at both terminals
3.  The week in Singapore with several trips to immigration offices to acquire  the two visas
4.  The flight to Hanoi, the flight to Siem Reap, 18 days total touring Cambodia and Vietnam, including rides on non-motorized tuk tuk, motorized tuk tuk and a rickshaw along with many tours requiring lots of walking and stairs.
5.  Flight from Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) with a layover in Bangkok, then another flight to Phuket.
6.  One hour van ride from Phuket Airport to vacation rental
7.  Lots of bouncing around in the less-than-stellar rental car over the past three weeks since our arrival.  Three weeks from today we depart Phuket.

This statue is located on the marble kitchen counter.

Over the next few months, we only have to get back to the airport in Phuket, with a layover in Singapore, then on to another flight back to Denpasar, an overnight in a hotel and then, the next day, the four to five hour harrowing drive to the villa. For sure, these next few months will be easier than the past two months.

I’m anticipating by the time we board the back-to-back cruise in Sydney, Australia after a seven hour flight from Denpasar (after one more four to five hour harrowing drive), on October 31st (our four year travel anniversary), I’ll be back to my “old self.” If not, we’ll carry on with our plans. I’ve proven to myself, I can do this.

Many people suffer with chronic conditions and maintain active and fulfilling lifestyles. Until such time as either of us cannot travel as such in the above listed points, we’ll continue to live life to the fullest, enjoying each and every day while dreaming and planning for the future.

May you do the same.

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

It seems we awaken every morning at 5 am.  Tom gets up and I read in bed until I fall back asleep, usually until 7:00 am. Up so early he has an opportunity to capture these amazing sunrises. For more photos, please click here.

Part 1…An inquiry from an old friend and long time reader…

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Tall three story house and a stone yard in the neighborhood.

When I visited Facebook this morning for a quick peek of what’s going on with family and friends, I noticed a private message from my dear friend Cathy in Minnesota. We’ve stayed in touch now and then as we have with many of our treasured friends so appreciating the occasional back and forth communication.

Cathy wrote:
“So this is my question for you two. Honestly have you ever gone someplace and after about a couple of weeks wish the stay was shorter? With your back hurting the way it does sometimes do you wish you were closer to a doctor. I just know how painful back problems are from experience.  I read your blog everyday.”

Single story apartment building in the neighborhood.

When I saw Cathy’s private message in Facebook it inspired me to write an answer to her questions in today’s and tomorrow’s posts as honestly and forthright as possible, never with the intention of complaining or diminishing the lovely property in which we’re staying. Today is about our response to the our current situation, not so much about the property itself.

In these many past posts I’ve been fully aware that every few days, I’ve whined about my condition for a few reasons; one, to explain why we aren’t out exploring and taking many photos; two, we promised early on we’d always “tell it like it is.” It bothered me to mention it as much as I have and I imagine some readers may have thought, “Enough already!” We understand this.

But, many thoughts come to mind when we’re telling it like it is, good or not-so-good, mainly prompted by my following statement.

Carved markers in a local cemetery.

Isn’t it disappointing when you thought you’ve been reading a memoir, only to find out later that the author embellished the story to make it appear to be more interesting? What about hearing that a favorite reality type show has scripted dialogue when at the time you enjoyed what appeared to be real and genuine conversation?

When we started these posts on March 15, 2012, never knowing how long we’d last, we decided to always tell it truthfully without embellishment or “fluff” to make it more interesting. Today’s post is #1474. Many have been mundane. Others have been exciting.

And even, during quiet times when our readership may decline for a period, we continue to stay on the path of our reality, as we see it, as we feel it, knowing that in times to come it will become more exciting and the readership kicks back up to exciting numbers.

Close up of markers at a local cemetery.

This is our lives. We don’t make it up as we go. We live it. We share it in as close to “real time” as possible, usually no more than one day later (except for posting lengthy tours over a period of days/weeks as we’d done for the recent Mekong River cruise).

We’ve often commented when we’ve noticed celebrities/politicians and public figures contradicting themselves, how it’s hard to remember falsehoods one has told. But, the truth is always easy to recall.

To quote Abraham Lincoln, “No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”So true.

Low tide on a local beach.

The dilemma we always face is never devaluing the quality of a property and the often phenomenal customer service and care we’ve received from property owners and managers, as is the case here in Phuket. 

The owner has been prompted in responding to any of our needs. The property is impeccably maintained, the amenities are of good quality and the twice weekly four-person cleaning staff has been a godsend. Even the WiFi has been exceptional, something we may appreciate more than others.

Thus, in response to my friend Cathy’s inquiry, we share a few facts we’ve brushed over in prior posts, mainly to keep the complaining under control. in response to the first part of her question; “Honestly, have you ever gone someplace and after about a couple of weeks wish the stay was shorter?”

Statues outside a gated property.

The answer is relatively easy in regard to our current situation, a resounding “yes.” But, this affirmative answer is totally predicated by my current health condition. We have lived in many locations with what many would consider unbearable heat and humidity with nary a complaint from either of us.

We spend three months each in Kenya and South Africa sitting outdoors all day in some of the worst heat and humidity of our lives never giving the weather conditions much of a thought other than when we had to go indoors during storms. It is very hot in Bali but there, too we spent most of our time outdoors until my injury. 

It was a scorcher in Dubai, at times in Italy, in Marrakech and the list goes on and on. Somehow, here in Phuket, being in pain has made the heat inside the house unbearable for me. 

Seating configuration since we moved the two side chairs to the bedroom in order to stay cool.

The air con in the living area, dining room and kitchen doesn’t work well due to the vaulted ceilings.  There’s no breeze this far from the sea. The limited number of outlets makes it difficult to property position the two floor fans. Extension cords aren’t used much in many countries as they are in the US. 

Yesterday, we gave up trying to spend our days in the living room where the heat is unbearable. Tom moved the two relatively comfortable side chairs from the living room to the bedroom. Adding lots of pillows to my chair has made it all the more comfortable. The ceiling in the master bedroom is lower. The air-con works great. 

When I become uncomfortable sitting, I walk around the house  for a bit or move to the bed for a few minutes to lay on my side to work out the kinks. At the moment this plan is a good work around. Before we leave Tom will return the furniture to its original location.  

Fishing on the shallow beach at low tide.

When the cleaning/house management staff arrived this morning while I was preparing this post, we inquired as to having the air con in the living room fixed so we won’t be trapped in the bedroom around the clock. Promptly Pon, the English speaking staff member, contacted the air con company who will come out today to see if it’s fixable. If so, we won’t be trapped in the bedroom for the next three weeks. This would be an ideal solution.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with what transpired with the air con repair and also the answer to the second part of Cathy’s question “With your back hurting the way it does sometimes do you wish you were closer to a doctor?”

Cathy, thanks for your thoughtful inquiry. We both appreciate your kindness and your friendship.

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

During our past visits, the kangaroos ran off.  On this particular occasion, they watched us for a while and then ran off. For more photos, please click here.

Another comment from a reader in the Southwest, USA…Wow!…How’d we get so lucky?

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A coconut stand. Neither of us care for the liquid, but the meat is delicious.

This morning at 3 am (when I often wake up for no reason whatsoever), I checked my phone as I often do hoping that reading will lull me back to sleep. With no cell contract or a SIM card for Thailand, I use the house’s WiFi connection to log on. 

This isn’t always possible at every vacation home, especially when the signal is poor, but here in Rawai, Phuket we have a relatively good signal with few interruptions. Posting each day has been so much easier than in Bali and, on the Mekong River cruise, which was by far the worst signal we’ve experienced on a ship to date.

As is the case in most tourist locations, there’s a variety of ethnic restaurants.

Most of us have a routine when we check our phones, don’t we? We take a peek at email, Facebook, news or any other active apps we may frequently use. Then, if we choose to stay online, we settle on an app where we may spend hours keeping us entertained and engaged. 

Gosh, I wonder what we did with our free time decades ago, before technology took over our lives to some extent. Don’t get me wrong, I have no qualms about being online during quiet times. 

What else would we do if we’ve already been out and about perusing the area having taken enough photos for the time being? It’s not as if I can spend half the day in the kitchen cooking a great meal for dinner guests. Nor, can Tom head down to the basement to work on his latest fix-it project.

Phuket consists of hundreds of islands, most unpopulated.

On Sundays, there’s no newspaper to read which used to occupy several hours of the day after making a big breakfast for us or for family stopping by. Is there an upcoming trip to Home Depot on the  day’s agenda to buy more flowers for the one remaining sparse garden in the yard?  Hardly.

As glamorous as many assume our lives may be, there are simple realities of living this life of travel that have included a tremendous amount of sacrifice. But, wouldn’t anyone desiring a expand their horizons to experience an alternate lifestyle find themselves making sacrifices of one sort or another? An athlete? A mountain climber? An app developer? 

We’re no different. We gave up some things to acquire others.As many of our loyal readers know, we have no regrets. We never question our decision, regardless of how hard it may become at times. 

A local resort, The Villa.

Perhaps, recently has been one of those hard times as I continue to slowly recover, seemingly one millimeter at a time. We just haven’t been able to get out to do much lately.

The combination of the bumpy roads in the less-than-stellar rental car, my difficulty of getting in and out of the very low-to-the-floor passenger seat and the continuing discomfort while riding simply makes getting out not much fun.

Instead, our days consist of posting here (easily keeping me busy for half a day), sitting at the kitchen table chopping and dicing (Tom brings everything to me and puts it all away helping to make the meal at dinnertime) and watching a movie and/or a few favorite shows on my laptop while staying cool in the bedroom. 

Modest living quarters in the area, nestled in the trees.

Frequently, I get up from a sitting position to move about, but at this point, I’m finding that resting while by alternating the ice and heat packs seems to be the most beneficial.

Oddly, we’re cheerful and optimistic as we could be under these restrictive circumstances. But, isn’t that how life is? Don’t we all have periods of time when we aren’t feeling 100%, or recovering from a surgery or illness where we aren’t quite able to conduct our preferred daily routines interspersed with a wide array of activities? 

Certainly, under these circumstances most of us carry on, hopeful for the future, diligent in our efforts to get back to “normal” (whatever normal may be) while striving to maintain a positive attitude. 

There are many gated houses in our area, as in the case for our villa.

Then, there’s those special moments that make us smile or laugh, whether its the action or words from a loved one, an unexpected windfall or as simple as a colorful bird landing on a branch outside the window. Day brighteners. Hope perpetrators. Fodder for happiness. 

To make a long story short, during the night when I saw this message on my phone posted as a comment at the end of yesterday’s post, my heart did a flip flop at 3:00 am as it had also done the prior day when a reader from Minnesota expressed the same interest in meeting us. It read:

“Jessica and Tom,
I am a loyal reader (every morning) who would love to meet up with you when you are in Nevada next year (we live in Arizona). I’ll keep reading if and when such a meeting is planned for your loyal readers in the Southwest. Sounds like your back continues to improve, and very happy to read that. All the best to you two for continued “happy trails.”

Small cabins for rent in the area.

As soon as Tom awoke this morning, I read the message to him, as I’d done the prior day and again, he too, felt the same as me, grateful, appreciative and lucky to have reader/friends all over the world who travel along with us, through the good times and adventures and through the mundane times, (such a now), where exciting activities are hardly on the agenda.

Not only are we humbled by the world around us as we travel. Not only are we in awe of the culture we experience in each country we visit. Not only do we feel fortunate for the fine people we are honored to meet along the way. But, we feel so lucky to have our readers travel with us on this journey and we look forward to meeting more of you soon.

In August, 2014 our dear friend/reader Liz from Bristol, England, whom we’d never met took a train for a three hour round trip to meet us in South Kensington. (For the story of Liz’s visit, please click here). It was a day we’ll both always treasure, a friendship we’ll never forget.

Life is good.  We hope yours is as well.

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

A mailman on a motorbike in Trinity Beach stopped to chat with us! For more photos, please click here.

Sharing an interesting email from a loyal reader in Minnesota, USA…

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A furniture store with a shrine in the parking lot.

In yesterday’s post we mentioned, we’d received an email from a long time reader in Minnesota.  Shortly after we left Minnesota, a local publication wrote a story about our upcoming travels: Please click here to read the article.

From the publication of that article in our home town of Chanhassen, Minnesota, we gleaned a number of new readers, many who’ve continued to follow us to this day often writing to say hello and sharing precious morsels of local news along with their own personal stories and tidbits of information. 

Whenever hearing from readers anywhere in the world, it means so much to us. When communicating with readers from our own former small town, it adds a layer of heartwarming memories we’ll always treasure as is the case when most of us are reminded of favorite places we’ve lived throughout our lives.

From what we’ve seen so far, Thai architecture isn’t as distinct in local shops and buildings, although prevalent in the temples.

Over these past years we’ve been contacted by book publishers and a variety of publications inquiring as to our interest in further promoting our story. At this point, we have no interest in becoming “celebrities,” working the book signing circuit, being on talk shows, etc. That would totally change the nature of our experiences.

Others traveling the world in a similar manner; having no worldly possessions, no home to return to, no storage facility with “stuff,” and no plans to settle anywhere in the near future is becoming more and more common in today’s world as more and more people retire.

At various times we’ve heard from other retired couples (one as recently as a week ago) who’d made a decision to leave everything behind to travel for a designated period of time, later to settle in a location they find appealing where they’ll buy, build or rent a home after they’ve fulfilled their dream of world travel. 

Mom and Pop type grocers are found on almost every block.

Often, for Americans, they may choose warm climates such as Arizona or Florida or prefer states with no income tax (Federal tax still applies) such as Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. 
 
We surely understand why others eventually lose interest in continuing to travel over the long haul.  It’s not easy, especially as people age, with more and more medical issues cropping up over time.   Plus, some may find the nuances of continually traveling cumbersome and difficult over an extended period.

Certainly, we’re not exempt from these realities and undoubtedly at some point, we’ll have to make big changes. We have no delusions about this fact and have emotionally and financially prepared ourselves for this eventuality. However, at this point, we’ve only enhanced our desire to continue on, health providing.

Thai massage is known throughout the world for its healing benefits.  Unfortunately, message hasn’t been beneficial to my current condition.

Anyway, after getting off track here, I return to the email we received from a loyal long time reader that joined us after reading the above mentioned newspaper article. Over these years, she’s written to us a few times much to our pleasure. 

With such communication, meaning so much to us, we easily remember hearing from her and her husband, as we do for most readers who’ve taken the time to contact us.

Preferring to be anonymous, we avoid mentioning her name as she requested. (Many readers who comment online prefer anonymity). Here’s what our loyal reader wrote a few days ago after which I requested and received her permission to post a portion of her email message:

Public building in the background.  We weren’t able to read the sign written in the Thai language.

“Today’s post (see this link) gave me a nudge to connect with you. Several weeks ago, my husband and I drove past Grizzly’s, the restaurant near where you will be staying when you visit Minnesota next year. It reminded me of your writings about abandoning the RV idea and securing a location to stay when you will be back in Minnesota. 

Ever since then I’ve been thinking about your upcoming stay. I know that you will be very busy with family and friends, but I’m wondering if you would have room in your schedule to set a time when area folks who have “followed you” might get a chance to meet you just to say hello.  Even though we’ve never met I feel like I know you having followed your great adventures since the beginning.

I smiled when you again referenced Garage Logic today.  I shared that my husband is also a huge fan of Joe and the gang and we have had many laughs while listening to the show and their topics of the day. One of the things we do each year on our visit to the State Fair is to get a comfortable spot at the Garage Logic broadcast booth and just hang out for a lengthy period of time listening and observing the goings on as they banter and put the show together. It is indeed great fun.”
We couldn’t stop smiling after reading her thoughtful email. We giggled with delight over the prospect of meeting some of our readers living in Minnesota who’d consider making the trip to get together with us as a group to share our mutual stories, experiences and dreams of world travel.
ATMs and Seven Eleven stores are commonly found along the highways.
What a marvelous idea! This had never entered our minds, but as the time approaches, we’ll certainly make several announcements here on our site with a date, time and location for the future get together.
We’d love to hear feedback from our readers as to any suggestions they may have as to a good central location in the Twin Cities.  Most likely, a Friday or Saturday evening at a local restaurant will be ideal for most, perhaps even the above mentioned Grizzly’s by our loyal reader whom we thank for her thoughtful suggestion.
Surely during the six week period we’ll spend in Minnesota, we’ll find an evening that works. We’ll be back in touch with a date for next June, 2017 since we’ll be leaving MN shortly after the US holiday, the “4th of July” to head to Nevada for the next visit with family.
After narrow two lane roads in Bali, these wider roads in Phuket are easier to maneuver, especially with less traffic than in Bali.
If any of our readers are living in and near Las Vegas or Henderson, Nevada we’d be thrilled to get together with those of you interested during our three week stint in the state from July 7 to August 1, 2017.
Of course, this applies to any of our readers living anywhere in the world we may be visiting at any given time.  How wonderful it would be to meet some of you!

That’s our story for today, dear readers. As we’ve said, please don’t hesitate to contact us to say hello, share a story or express a dream you may have of stepping outside the box for a new experience, whatever that may be.

Have a dreamy day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 8, 2015:

We could easily envision a croc coming up and over this hill from the ocean to Deadman’s Gully in Cairns, Australia. For details of such an incident, please click here.

Comments and email from our esteemed readers throughout the world…

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There are plenty of areas in Phuket with more modern homes, a lot occupied by expats and tourists.

We love hearing from our readers. The feedback we receive means the world to us. Many write personal email, not intended to be posted and some write at the end of any given post to express their views, comments or make a suggestion regarding the current or a recent post.

Agreeing with us or not, we enjoy each and every comment and appreciate the time and effort the reader took to stop to say hello. We invite any of our “lurkers” to write as well. 

Across and down the street from our villa, a woman was washing her face outside near the road.  We wondered if perhaps she didn’t have running water.

As a lurker myself, seldom commenting on any sites I peruse, I certainly understand the hesitancy toward commenting. I’ve analyzed why I don’t say a word after reading a particular site for possibly years and can only come to the following conclusion. I’m not confrontational enough to oppose a view publicly, nor am I inclined to let my opinions be heard without specific inquiry. 

Oh, you may disagree with me based on my constant spewing what I (we), think of this and that.  But, that’s comparable to voicing one’s opinions in one’s “own house” as opposed to doing so in a public venue. 

There are many rental cottages and cabins such as this in the area.

I suppose since we don’t have a home of our own, this site in its own way becomes our “home” with all of our loyal readers as occupants with whom we freely share our day to day mumblings, significant or not. In its own way we are a family of sorts for which I am merely the “documenter” of its daily “goings on.”

This is not to say I’m not a person of considerable opinions. I am. Tom listens to them daily in one form or another. Oh, and he’s opinionated far beyond me for which those of whom engage with him on Facebook are well aware.

Modest huts and homes are prevalent in the area.

As far as I’m concerned my opinions are best left unsaid in “this house” or even on Facebook where I seldom opine about anything other than that which I may consider an interesting travel photo or experience or an appreciation of the photos and stories of others with a “like” or an applauding-type comment.

It’s not as if others are waiting in anticipation for my opinions on politics, world affairs and entertainment gossip (although I must admit I still check out what celebrities are up to in Hollywood). 

This is a restaurant on a quiet street near our villa.

Bottom line? What others think is up to them. What’s happening in our home country and in the world impacts all of us in one way or another. Unfortunately, my personal opinion on any of it has no bearing whatsoever on the outcome. It’s not as if we’re in a position to effect change other than in small ways we choose along the way in our world travels.

Of course, if I’m asked for an opinion in a public arena such as with other passengers on a cruise ship, I can spew it out as vigorously as anyone else. But, not everyone agrees on most topics, and I vehemently avoid confrontation. “Overly bubbly” types prefer to avoid conflict. 

As we drove further away from our area, we were surprised to find rows and rows of shops, rentals and restaurants.  Its much more built up in Phuket than we’d anticipated.

I must confess, I thoroughly and selfishly enjoy hearing comments from our readers, regardless of the topics.  Often, such comments are warm fuzzies we embrace with happy hearts. Where else do we get positive feedback other than from one another?  

Other comments we receive are observations, suggestions, opinions and the sharing of personal experiences all of which we devour with enthusiasm and appreciation even if we don’t agree. On a rare occasion, we receive a “hateful” comment for which we decided long ago doesn’t deserve a response from us or our readers. 

Many shops are multi-use such as this beauty salon and motorbike rental.

So, we ask, with a bit of trepidation over our own hesitancy to comment on the sites of others, please don’t hesitate to write a comment at the end of any of our daily posts or, if you’d prefer send a private email, none of which we’ll post without your specific permission. (Please click the link on the top right side on any given day’s post to contact either of us by email).

Many homes are gated, such as ours, which also includes a security system with CCTV.

We received such an email yesterday and anxiously await permission from the loyal reader to allow us to post a portion of her message to share with all of you for an interesting idea she offered for our upcoming visit to the US. Hopefully, we’ll be back with that soon!

Be well.

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

One year ago, Tom was reading while soaking up the sun at the pool in Trinity Beach, Australia. For more photos, please click here.

Exploring the area on a sunny day…Humidity…Plans for Bali…

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Motorbikes parked at the beach.

It rains a lot in the tropics and there are plenty of cloudy days. Since our arrival in Phuket over two weeks ago, at least 75% of the days have been cloudy with rain no less than 40% of the days and nights.

Many years ago (around 30) BT (before Tom) I vacationed in Thailand, staying in Phuket at two different resorts, one week each and if I recall, it was cloudy and rainy many of those days as well.  When the sun is shining, its a scorcher. 

Its so hot, people often walk with umbrellas to protect themselves from the heat of the sun as opposed to using umbrellas in the rain. Yesterday, we compared weather conditions for both Phuket and Bali which overall are quite similar. 

Tourists dining under thatched roofs drinking cocktails with umbrellas and pineapple slices.

We don’t remember feeling this hot in Bali although it was hot each day with high humidity similar to Phuket.  Islands typically have high levels of humidity but after a little research we discovered many inland countries/cities have levels of humidity in excess of what may be the case on a tropical island.

Our old fashioned thinking seems to more readily relate to the readings for humidity and actual temperature (than for dew point )which this morning at 9:45 am is a paltry 85F, 29C with the humidity is 92%.  Needless to say it will be another uncomfortable day with a 70% likelihood of thunderstorms.
In Bali, we were situated directly on the ocean with nearly constant breezes to cool the moisture on our skin. Here, living in a residential neighborhood, a kilometer to the beach, we feel nary a breeze except when storms seem to come from nowhere and wild winds waft through the air.
Fruit and fruit drink stands are popular in Phuket.
As much as we find this house to fulfill our needs and certainly having the most amazing customer service from its owner and support staff, in an odd way, we’re both looking forward to returning to Bali. 
Perhaps, we miss the sea or the two Katuks cooking our meals or chatting with Gede or as mentioned over the past several days, the lack of English speaking news channels, avoiding the constant barrage of bad news unless we search for it online. 
We can’t help but look forward to dining at the big square table for eight staring out at the sea as the buffalo walk along the beach on their way to or from the neighboring river.
There are many restaurants located near the beaches.

The only apprehension we’ve had, particularly Tom, has been the prospect of the required three days of four hour round trip drives to Lovina, Bali to renew our visas toward the end of the first of our two-month stay. 

These three separate visits are a requirement of the Indonesian government and there’s no way around it when staying in the country over 30 days. The fact that we’re so far away from the immigration office in Lovina while living in Sumbersari only adds to the difficulty.
Many tourists use money exchange facilities such as this. We’ve found it’s more economical to use ATMs for local currency.
As many of our regular readers are aware we never had ample time to apply for the Indonesian visa extensions while in Singapore or Vietnam last month. We’d considered breaking our own rule and mailing in our passports to VisaHQ or CIBT in the US by overnight mail while they process it for us in Washington, DC at the Indonesian embassy. 
Conceivably, we could have the visa extensions back by overnight mail within seven to ten days.  But, with my recent injury, we decided that in the event of an emergency situation that required us leave the country in a hurry, we couldn’t take the risk. Not that we expect this to happen as I continue to improve a little each day.
Many hostels and “rooms for rent” are seen along the highway. Many young tourists come to Phuket for water activities and stay in lower cost facilities.
So, we were back to “square one,” the three days of driving to Lovina with the required one day  required by the immigration department. This results in starting on a Monday, returning on Wednesday and returning the third time on a Friday to collect the passports and visa extensions.
Yesterday, I had a thought that I ran by Tom. Why don’t we go to Lovina and stay in a hotel both Monday and Tuesday nights, going to the immigration office on both Monday and Wednesday? We’ll have Gede drop us off on Monday and pick us up on Wednesday after the second trip to immigration and then have Gede return to Lovina on Friday on our behalf to pick up our passports and visa extensions.

Last time we had to get the visa extensions, Gede made the third trip without us when we’d authorized him in writing to do this on our behalf.  his avoided us making the third four hour round trip drive. By staying in a hotel, we’ll have only two hours to get to Lovina and another two hours to return to Sumbersari on Wednesday afternoon having completed the second trip to the immigration office.  Tom liked this idea.

Taking photos through the car’s windows and windscreen in tricky with some sort of worn film is covering the glass.

In checking prices on hotels in Lovina, Bali, rated at least four star we can easily stay at a very nice location for an outrageously low price under US $75, IDR 984,225, THB  2,631 per night plus the cost of a few meals and low cost taxi. 

It’s a plan!  We’re relieved to have made this logical decision which ultimately turns what may have been a stressful situation into a fun “holiday” within the framework of our time in Bali.  The extra transportation cost by avoiding the one day’s drive will cover at least one night’s hotel bill.  Hope this all makes sense.
Yesterday, when the sun made an appearance for a few hours, we took off on another drive in the area.  We can’t go too far for two reasons; one, I can’t sit for too long in the low seats in the less-than-stellar rental car, especially on bumpy roads; and two, the less-than-stellar rental car is old and could easily break down. 
Road construction is prevalent in most countries, slowing down the flow of traffic.
The car’s windows have some type of darkening film on the windows that is severely distorted, making driving difficult in busy traffic. Tom, an excellent driver, who never complains about conditions, hesitates to do much driving for all these reasons. I concur. 
And yet, considering these obstacles we were still able to take some photos we happily share here each day while we continue to explore as we can during our remaining 26 days on the island. 

It can’t always be perfect. We don’t expect it to be. We accept the limitations we currently have in our midst while continuing to make the very best of each and every day. We laugh, we smile, we find ways to entertain ourselves and each other. What more could we ask for?  Not a thing. Not a single thing.

Enjoy your weekend!

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

Amazing sunrise over Trinity Beach, Australia, where we lived one year ago today. For more photos, please click here.

Creating our own good news…Planning for the future…

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A fishing boat tied to tree at the beach.

In yesterday’s post our heads read, “Bad news keeps coming and coming… How do we handle the risks?”

After rethinking this negative heading and after watching more bad news on TV, we turned off the news and started thinking positive thoughts as to how we can reframe our thinking during this difficult period in our country, in our world’s history?

It’s easy to get caught up in all the negative press much of which is often over reported, over dramatized and over exaggerated to enhance viewership. How easily we can become entrapped into this cycle!

The way out? Don’t let it get inside our heads! This is not easy, but it’s doable, just like everything else we choose in our lives. We can find joy within the framework of our lives or we can allow ourselves to let outside influences have a profound effect on our daily lives.

The ocean is extremely shallow in this area.

I suppose in part, I’ve become engrossed in the negative news since our arrival in Phuket two weeks ago when we discovered we had English speaking news the TV which we’ve had on all day while we’ve stayed indoors as I continue to recover. That’s easy to do when one is housebound after an illness, injury or surgery.

Although I remain somewhat housebound, in an attempt to avoid the outrageously bumpy roads we must travel to get to the highway, yesterday we had no choice but to get out when our food supply had dwindled down to a completely empty refrigerator.

Tom could probably grocery shop without me, but it’s important for me to get out and besides getting out is uplifting. I’d brought along the camera hoping to take a few photos, but again it was cloudy and rainy. I never took a single shot.

A fisherman looking for a possible catch.

Once inside the huge market, Tom pushes the trolley as we both become engrossed in the shopping mode ending up having a good time selecting from the array of fresh, organic, non GMO foods, free range eggs, grass fed meats and wild caught fish.

During this outing, I started thinking of the last place we lived where we grocery shopped on a regular basis which was the three months we spent in New Zealand living on the alpaca farm from January 19 to April 15, 2016.

We arrived in Bali on April 30th after a cruise.  One month later I was injured, somewhere around June 1st.  Here we are over two months later, while I’m still focusing on recovering. 

How we ever managed all the tours on the Mekong River cruise baffles me when now I gingerly maneuver through each day desperately avoiding bending, twisting and sitting too long. I continue to feel confident that my limited level of activity is contributing toward my attaining a full recovery in months to come.

Close to the shore, this fisherman may be looking for squid.  Fried calamari is a popular dish in Thailand, especially for tourists. These circles are fishing pools.

In time, light exercise and more walking will be appropriate but for now, easy movement combined with rest seems to be most effective. I suppose all the activity on the river cruise may have been detrimental to my condition when there were days that my Fitbit showed over 10,000 steps. 

For now, I stay under 3000 steps a day frequently getting up and down engaging in light household activities that don’t include any bending or lifting. It would be great to get outside to walk the neighborhood, but the ruts in the road are so many and so deep, even the most surefooted of walkers is taking a risk.  Falling would not be good.

Back to yesterday, when we returned from shopping Tom put all the refrigerator items away while I sat at the dining table cutting veggies for our salad and side dishes. 

Island across the bay where numerous boats stop to enjoy the sandy beach.

We purchased two roasted chickens, deliciously seasoned with cinnamon and lemon grass (a Thai thing), one for each of two nights. Adding a huge salad and two side vegetables, fresh green beans and asparagus, rounds out the meal. 

As I chopped, I was thinking about getting my thoughts outside of this news related state of mind.It was time to turn off the TV and start planning again.  Tom loaded his favorite radio podcast on his computer, Garage Logic (from KSTP 1500, Minneapolis, Minnesota), that often has us howling with laughter.

We were able to tune out the limited discussions of negative news to make a point of listening to the endless chatter that easily elicits rounds of hearty laughter from both of us. 

A short time later, sitting at my computer, (the day’s post was uploaded hours earlier) the research began and the first thing I tackled was booking tickets for the Sydney Opera House for March 19, 2017. It’s a good thing we’d booked tickets now. Based on leftover available dates there wouldn’t have been tickets remaining if we waited any longer.

The water is barely ankle deep at low tide.

The tickets and great seats we chose are for a Sunday at 5:00 pm. The day of the week was irrelevant to us. Us retirees find days of the week for activities less significant as when we were working when Fridays or Saturday nights were preferred for most social events. It doesn’t matter now.

Let’s face it, opera is not Tom’s first choice of entertainment although I’ve always been a  huge fan. However, the idea of spending a few hours at the famous opera house is an experience neither of us wanted to miss during the 40 days we’ll spend in Sydney from March 13 to April 22, 2017, while awaiting the 24-night cruise from Sydney to Seattle.

Its this very cruise on April 22, 2017, in exactly 8 months 17 days, that will take us back toward the US. After an Alaskan cruise ending on May 26, 2017 we” fly to Minnesota where we’ll stay seeing family and friends for six weeks. Later we’ll be heading to Nevada to see more family for another three weeks. Then, we’ll be off “for the world” once again!

Phuket consists of hundreds of smaller islands.  For more information, please click here.

The simple process of booking the tickets for the Sydney Opera House reminded me of how much the future holds, especially seeing family and friends for a total of nine weeks and then, the journey continues on.

We can choose to create positive news in our lives, news that can take us away if only for awhile to live life to the fullest in the best way we can.  

Now, we’re back to researching for the future! May you find ways to incorporate good news into your daily lives!

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

Boats docked at the marina in Port Douglas, Australia. For more photos, please click here.

Bad news keeps coming and coming…How do we handle the risks?

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Overall, the neighborhood in which we’re living has newer single family homes.  However, the area contains a number of modest living and working environments such as this we pass on the way to our villa.

It’s hard not to watch the news on TV when we have English speaking news here in Phuket. From terrorism to plane crashes to political hoopla, the negative keeps coming and coming.

One might think it’s easy to isolate ourselves from world affairs while living outside of our home country. But, even without TVs in many countries, we can’t get away from it when we have several news apps on our laptops that keep popping up the latest “horror of the day, week or month.”

One might also think, “shut it off” and live our lives of travel embracing our new surroundings from location to location. However, we weren’t oblivious back “then” (while living in the US) and we aren’t oblivious “now.”

Over the past few years, we’ve lived in close proximity to chickens and crowing roosters. Now, as we prepare today’s post, we can hear roosters crowing, a sound we’ve come to ignore, even while sleeping. The breed of chickens in Thailand is different than we’ve seen in the past.

In other words, one can “run but can’t hide” from the realities facing our world from one corner of the world to another. We won’t get into all the issues here and now. Most of our readers are savvy, not only reading our daily drivel, but also paying close attention to what’s happening in their homeland and throughout the world.  They know. We all know.

Over these past years we’ve raved about Emirates Airlines safety record and yet yesterday they had a frightening crash luckily handled by competent pilots saving the lives of 300 passengers but sadly with the loss of life of one firefighter. Nothing ever stays the same. Do we think twice about traveling on Emirates in the future?

Driving down the dirt road from our villa toward the highway.

Before we lock in any flights we check airline safety records at sites such as this and others.  No matter how often we check and how safe a record may be for any given airline, it only takes one disaster to end the lives of hundreds of passengers.  \There’s no guarantee.

It’s the same with terrorism. No place is exempt from an a devastating occurrence. Sure, many parts of the world aren’t safe at any time. But, those countries, cities, and small towns which may seem safe become just as vulnerable after a single incident. 

Once on the main highway, the roads are good with relatively light traffic during most times of the day.

One cannot predict where that may be although some locations are glaringly obvious at this time, those that we see on the news over and over again as more and more lives are lost. 

Can we avoid visiting those vulnerable locations? We try. Then again, we hear of natural disasters over which no one can predict the devastation often destroying hundreds of lives, families and homes. We have no means of determining where those locations may be.

Many old Thai style buildings line the highway.

Now, living on the island of Phuket, we’re remain aware of the 2004 tsunami, where hundreds of thousands of lives were lost in 14 countries as indicated below from this site:

“The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on 26 December with the epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The shock had a moment magnitude of 9.1–9.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The undersea megathrust earthquake was caused when the Indian Plate was subducted by the Burma Plate and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people in 14 countries, and inundating coastal communities with waves up to 30 metres (100 ft) high. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia was the hardest-hit country, followed by Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.”

Its been a full week since we grocery shopped. As soon as we upload today’s post, we’ll be heading back to this Costco-like store for the next week’s groceries. 

At the time on US and world news, we heard more about the loss of life in Phuket, Thailand which remained in our minds all these years, than we did about the other 13 countries. And yet, in four weeks from today, we head back to Indonesia to live directly on the ocean, a matter of meters from the sea to the veranda, a country that also fell prey to loss of thousands of lives. Do we worry?

We ask ourselves the question, “If we lived in a senior community in seemingly safe Arizona or Florida in the USA where many seniors move to escape cold weather, would we be any safer?” 

Buddhism is the primary religion in Thailand. Many shrines such as this are found at local businesses such as this at a gas station.

The answer is clear. No country, no state, no city and no small town or village in the world is safe. For us, the real question becomes, “Do we allow ourselves to be filled with fear and worry while living amid the most exciting and interesting times of our lives?”

Lots of exposed power lines along the highway in Phuket. We’ve been concerned we’d lose power here and have experienced a few surges but, so far so good.

We can allow the “bad news” orientated media to rule the quality of our lives or, we can chose to find fulfillment and joy within the framework of the lives we’ve chosen for ourselves. We opt for the later.

As we look to the future and the countries we plan to visit, we consider many factors.  Like Life itself, there’s no guarantee. We chose to live in the moment and for now, the moment is looking good. 

May all of your moments look good as well.

Photo from one year ago today, August 4, 2015:

St. Mary’s by the Sea in Port Douglas was originally a Catholic church, is now multi-denominational performing services for a variety religions. For more details, please click here.

Final post on Cambodia and Vietnam Viking Mekong River cruise and tour…Photos of us and more…Why did we choose this particular cruise?

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Camera in my hand while Tom carried our little insulated bag with chilled bottled water as we exited the boat for a tour.

Today is our final post on our recent tour of Cambodia and Vietnam by land and river over a period of 15 days to which we added an extra three days. Certainly, 18 total days in two countries is hardly enough time to gain the perspective we acquire when spending two to three months living in a country.

The first night aboard the river boat for a lecture by our cruise director Enrico, about the upcoming adventure.

With the number of tours we attended, the three cities in which we stayed; Hanoi, Vietnam, Siem Reap, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, we had an opportunity to experience a little understanding of life in these cities and two countries, both in today’s world and in the past.

Why did we choose this particular tour/cruise? During our past 13 ocean-going cruises we had opportunities to ask other cruisers as to their favorites. 

Visit to Ho Chi Minh Memorial in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Many mentioned this cruise as one of their favorites each offering their personal reasons which may have included; (for older citizens) vets having fought in Vietnam during the war; having lost a friend or loved one during the war; or having diligently followed the news of the war during its progression and later, or simply having an interest in war history.

For Tom, having lost his brother-in-law Ernie (brother of his ex-wife) whom was KIA in Vietnam in 1970, always felt visiting Vietnam was some sort of betrayal. 

Not quite clear (not our photo) at dinner aboard the river boat with some of the many new friends we made on the cruise/’tour.

But, after hearing from many US and Aussie vets we met on past cruises, who expressed that visiting Vietnam was cathartic and ultimately healing, he reconsidered with a little prodding from me.

My reasons were less profound. One, I wanted to see Tom find peace in the process and two, an immense curiosity after reading and hearing over a period of many years, of how both Cambodia and Vietnam as they’ve recovered from the war and decades of horror and strife, now welcome citizens of the US and others from around the world with open arms.

This day’s ride through Phnom Penh in a rickshaw proved to be very uncomfortable for me and I was thrilled when it was over. Otherwise, it would have been a fabulous outing in the busy city.

Neither of us were disappointed. From the moment we landed in Hanoi, Vietnam to the flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to the full day bus ride through the Cambodian countryside and then back to Saigon, each element of our travels left us with a new awareness and knowledge we’d never experienced had we not visited this part of the world.

Tom’s most meaningful experience of the entire period we spent in Cambodia and Vietnam was the visit to the Cu Chi Tunnel, which left him reeling over acquiring a better understanding of the perils of war and the challenges of life for the soldiers during these many years. Please click here for the first of our several links for Tom’s personal experiences in the Cu Chi Tunnel. Please see our archives for the remaining posts in this series, a few days later.

At the Kampong Cham Temple in Cambodia.

My most powerful experience was the eight hour bus ride (with stops along the way) through Cambodia. Staring out the window of the bus for hours, taking only a few photos along the way, I sat alone in the two seats toward the back of the bus, while Tom sat alone across the aisle. 

Not a big fan of “selfies” I took this one of us as we began the ride through the old French quarter in Hanoi, riding in what was referred to as an “electric car,” comparable to a six person golf cart.

This quiet time to myself was spent in its entirety in imagining life for the people of Cambodia, the Killing Fields, the loss of life of millions, and how since that horrifying period in their history, somehow they’ve managed to rebuild, to regrow and to heal. It had a profound effect on me, a memory I’ll always carry with me.

A beautiful young girl and adorable boy at the orphanage in Kampong Cham.

Traveling the world isn’t always about personal gratification and pleasure. Yes, at times, it is. But, for us, we try to embrace the significance of the power and meaning for others living in lands foreign to us. 

It’s not always about the popular tourist attraction and taking good photos to share. It’s about filling our hearts and minds with humility, awe and wonder of the world around us, its people, their culture and their way of life.

The reflection of Tom’s head in the plastic headliner in a taxi in Hanoi after purchasing his tennis shoes.  Its silly things like this that makes us laugh out loud.

We are eternally grateful for the time we spent in Cambodia and Vietnam and the wonderful people we met along the way; the gracious locals, our never faltering tour directors, Kong and Lee and of course, the many other passengers we met who, like us, had their own special reasons for embarking on this memorable journey.

May your life’s journey bring you joy and purpose.


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

We spotted this kilometer distance meter at a scenic overlook in Port Douglas, Australia which illustrates distances to various cities throughout the world.  For more photos, please click here.

More new Phuket photos…Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam…

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Tuk tuks come in all shapes, sizes and colors in Thailand and are commonly used by tourists and locals as opposed to a more expensive car or van taxis.

Some vacation homes don’t have items we may need for preparing meals. We fully understand this when most tourists stay less than a week seldom preparing meals other than a light breakfast or a sandwich and a bag of chips for lunch.

Colorful water toys with a variety of beach equipment and gear at a shop near the beach.

Today, I wrote to the owner asking if a staff member could deliver a can opener, making it possible for us to make homemade ketchup to use with tonight’s dinner of lettuce wrapped bacon cheeseburgers, salad and veggies. We just received a reply and a can opener will be delivered soon.

We have all the ingredients, but needed the opener for a can of tomato sauce used in making the ketchup. (Store bought brands of ketchup are loaded with sugar and our recipe is not). 

Pillars at entrance to the pier.

If it was affordable to eat out every day it wouldn’t be much fun in this heat and humidity to be getting dressed to head out for dinner each evening. At this point, we shower in the morning, put on our swimsuits which we wear all day through dinner, rinsing them out at night before going to bed. 

Many types of boats are moored in Chalong Bay.

This way, we have almost no laundry other than the sweaty tee shirts, shorts and underwear we’ve worn when heading out. The thought of getting changed into street clothes to go to dinner isn’t particularly appealing right now. 

High speed and luxury boats anchored at the shoreline.

Once a week, using a washer we found in an outdoor closet, we do a small load hanging it indoors to dry on the rack with most items taking a few days to dry in the humidity. The house cleaners replace all the bath towels, hand towels and bedding twice a week, so there’s no need for us to wash anything more than our few personal items.

View of Chalong Bay in Phuket.

Overall, living in this house in Rawai, Phuket is relatively easy. Surely, if I was fully recovered, it would be considerably easier. Not feeling 100% makes the hot and humid weather more noticeable and the simplest of household tasks more challenging. Also it’s had a huge impact on my desire to get out sightseeing. Hopefully, soon, this will change as I continue to recover.

Back view of the popular lighthouse from Chalong Beach in Phuket.

We’re now at a point where we’ve almost completed posting the photos and stories of the tours we attended during the cruise/tour to Cambodia and Vietnam from July 8, 2016, to July 22, 2016. 

The Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tomorrow, we’ll include some remaining photos not necessarily related to one another, but worthy of sharing with our readers who’d like one final peek at the amazing cruise/tour that included a total of seven nights in three luxury hotels and seven nights aboard the Viking Mekong. (In addition to the three nights we’d booked on our own in Hanoi before the cruise/tour began).

Meeting room in the palace.

Today, we’ve included photos of one of the final tours we attended in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City (either name is acceptable to use). On July 21st we boarded the bus for the tour of the former Presidential Palace, now known and the Reunification Palace. 

View from upper level of palace toward the congested street.

Had I been looking for sites to visit in Saigon, this venue may not have been on my radar. But once inside the huge building, we were both fascinated. Tom, of course, as a history buff, always seems to enjoy visiting historical buildings where my interest may lie in the opportunity to take photos when possible.

The ambassador’s/dignitary’s room (pre 1975).

The Reunification Palace provided such an opportunity and thus, we couldn’t resist posting this last round of photos from this historic site. From this site, we gleaned the following information where those of you interested can find more details:

Tourists gathered at each of the room’s entryways.

“The iconic Reunification Palace made its name in global history when in 1975 a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate – thus signifying the end of the Vietnam War.

View through second story decorative stone pillars to the gardens below.

The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975 with two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Originally the site of the Nordom Palace also known as the Governor’s Palace its first role was as a home and workplace for the then French Governor of Cochinchina.

The Reunification Palace is a landmark not to be missed by any tourist visiting Ho Chi Minh City.Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, the palace hides secret rooms, antique furniture and a command bunker within its eerie corridors. The Reunification Palace is still in use to host occasions including APEC summits and national events of significant importance.

Reunification Palace Highlights                

Desks in the lowest level bunker.

The Reunification Palace is a five-story building with the basement housing a warren of tunnels, a war room and telecommunications centre.The war command room still has maps on its walls and period telecommunications equipment on display, whilst adjoining basement rooms feature war propaganda materials.

 Other areas of interest are the third floor featuring a card playing room, a fourth floor which once had a casino and was used for entertaining guests and a rooftop terrace with a heliport.

Old computer systems in bunker.

The Reunification Palace entered the world history books in 1975 when a Vietnamese Air Force pilot (who was also a communist spy) flew an aircraft over the palace with an attempt to bomb it. Although no real damage was caused this was a significant step towards the fall of Saigon and the ending of the Vietnamese War.

Communication equipment in bunker.

On 30th April in 1975 at 10:45 a North Vietnamese Army Tank rammed the main gates and entered the palace grounds before hanging its flag on the balcony to declare victory for the communist party and thus ending the Vietnam War. 

More radio equipment in bunker.

Meanwhile staff escaped from the rooftop minutes before the palace was overrun, known as Operation Frequent Wind this was part of history’s biggest ever helicopter evacuation and included the departure of General Thieu.”

We’ll be back with more tomorrow. Please stop by! Have a great day!

Photo from one year ago today, August 2, 2015:

In Port Douglas, we visited the Four Mile Beach. For more photos, please click here.