thefouramigosblog

We arrived in Hanoi in the early evening and greeted by our new tour guide Ang. As we drove to our hotel he pointed out various sites including the neon lighted bridge.

It changed colors as we drove over it giving a feel of Las Vegas rather than Hanoi. He also told us that Hanoi is the oldest city in Vietnam, dating from 1010.

We arrived at our hotel, the Intercontinental Westlake, which was very nice but a bit of a letdown after the Reverie in Saigon. However we did have a wonderful view from our balcony.

After breakfast the next morning, we headed out for some sightseeing. We rode through the streets in an electric cart, similar to a large golf cart. We rode through the ancient streets as Vietnamese families enjoyed Sunday breakfast at many of the local eateries.

The smells of exotic dishes as well as the spices emanating from the local apothecary filled the air. Unfortunately, we were on a schedule and didn’t have time to stop and explore these little shops. The idea of being on a tour by this time is wearing thin for me. I miss the ability to stop when I want and go where I want to go. Hmmm! I will have to see how we fare on the next segment of our World Tour.

After the electric car, we headed to the infamous Hanoi Hilton, with its dark history dating back to when the French controlled Vietnam. There was a lot about the I humane treatment of the Vietnamese people under their rule.

In the section on how they handled our soldiers as POWs, they still paint a pretty picture.

At least relations are healed and there is peace but it is always interesting to see the other sides perspective.

We had planned to go to Ho Chi Min’s mausoleum but there was a very long wait. We made a group decision to skip this.

Instead, we walked along the avenue where they have done mosaic tiling for over 4 kilometers. According to our guide, they have used over 30 artists and many laborers to do the work. Different companies sponsor different sections.

We had lunch at Koto, a non-profit that trains children in restaurant skills.

After lunch we visited a Temple.

The pagoda was very beautiful and there were many bonsai.

Our last stop was the Temple of Literature which is over 900 years old.

The temple is part of the Imperial Academy. The statue is the first president of the university in 1070.

Bruce and I were getting some good luck.

We relaxed by the pool late in the afternoon. I think Keith had a snooze.

Then Ang picked us up for the water puppet show.

We walked around in the area. It was alive with activity on Sunday night.

We had dinner at a restaurant with a view.

And again way too much food!

I’m so glad we made it to Hanoi. It is a lovely city. Tomorrow we are off to Halong Bay.

Out the window of our cabin, we could see the gathering of the ox carts for our morning excursion.

The ox carts were set up for two people and they put a pad across the wooden bottom to make it more comfortable for us.

It was a lot of fun but it would have been pretty difficult to go for an hour in one of these without any padding. As it was, we traveled about 20 minutes with the padded floorboard and it was quite bumpy. Some of our fellow travelers opted for a tuk tuk but Jan and Les went with the ox cart.

Along the way we saw many homes – some appeared to be for the well to do and some for the not so well off.

The countryside was lovely – lush and green.

Children waved at us from the sides of the road.

Our destination was to a local farm where we were going to be privy to their daily life. The mother was a gracious host and brought us around her home.

Their cow had a calf born the day before and the farmer also owned the bull.

Her grandchildren were playing in her kitchen, where the stove is and the pots and pans.

Cambodians’ kitchens are outside as well as their bathing and toilets. Their sleeping area is inside the dwelling. They spend most of their time outside.

This home as I believe most have little shrines inside the dwellings.

In Konpong Louang we walked through the town as children were leaving school for the day.

We visited a silversmith and learned about silver and silver plate.

The rest of the day we enjoyed cruising on the river where we saw a Mosque.

Life on the river for the fishermen.

Houses built on stilts to prevent flooding and to keep them cooler.

And wonderful sights and sounds all around.

In the evening, we had our last night on board the Avalon Saigon and had some fun and dancing with the Captain and crew.

What a wonderful 7 days on board ship!

Our morning excursion began with a bus ride up the mountain to Wat Hanchey, a hilltop temple overlooking the river.

Some of our fellow travelers chose to hike up but Bruce and I decided to take a nice air-conditioned bus. We feel at our age we don’t have anything to prove and I know we both could do the hike, but just didn’t want to. Plus it was a nice view on the way up.

On the way up we saw houses on stilts and other signs of rural life. Many of the village children play up at the temple.

The buildings were very colorful and ornate. It reminded me of Disney’s It’s a Small World.

We entered the temple for our water blessing. Quang, our guide said it was the longest blessing he has experienced. We sat cross-legged on the floor listening to chanting for quite some time.

After the blessing we could take pictures. Bruce loves to say he is a Buddhist.

We also were given Buddhist blessing bracelets.

The young Buddhist Monk in training who is 13 years old showed us how he wraps his garment.

We continued our tour through their group eating area.

Many children were following our group hoping we would buy something. Our guide told us not to give money because they don’t want the children to become beggars.

On our way out we saw two gibbons in a tree.

Some of our fellow travelers took the stairs to the ship. Bruce and I bussed it.

After lunch, we did a walking tour through the rural town of Angkor Ban. We pulled up to some arches where some young children were waiting for us.

Through the arches were the year of the animals similar to the Chinese culture. I think I am a rat.

But I really like monkeys. Again this was another colorful town.

We walked through the back roads and visited a traditional home.

Some beautiful children were playing and appearing very happy.

One beautiful young woman was working with bricks.

They dress with turtlenecks and long pants even though the heat to us Westerners is oppressive. Life is busy in this small village.

The weather started to look ominous. Dark clouds were rolling in.

We walked to a school where the children were learning English. We had the opportunity to interact with them. Bruce, ever the teacher, went to the whiteboard first.

I read a lesson with an 11-year-old girl.

While we were there the rains came. We had ponchos to brave the weather but they weren’t needed because it stopped just as we left the school.

We made it back to the ship without anyone slipping in the mud.

The fishermen were out working.

And we had a beautiful moon from our cabin that night.

Onto more Cambodian countryside tomorrow!

As was the day we visited the Vietnam War Museum in Ho Ch Min City, this too was a somber day looking back on the genocide that took place in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The Pol pot reign of terror began when the people thought he would bring Cambodia into an enlightened age. Instead he tortured and murdered millions of people. During this time 3 million people disappeared, some fled the country, others died from starvation but many ended up in camps such as the one we visited – now the Tuol Sieng Genocide Museum.

As we walked the grounds a Memorial Day celebration was taking place where several of the survivors were present. Actually only 7 people survived this camp because they had a skill valuable to the Khmer Rouge.

One barrack housed higher ranking people and they were tortured and killed in these rooms. We were not allowed to photograph the rooms but the floor tiles and walls were still darkened by the blood of these prisoners. The beds they were chained to were also in the room as well as a photograph of the deceased prisoner.

Another barrack had brick cells on the first floor and wooden cells on the second. The prisoners were taken out of the building to be tortured.

Barbed wire was placed in front of the buildings because one female prisoner committed suicide by jumping. They did not want anyone to commit suicide. They would let you know when it was your turn to die.

Pictures of prisoners both alive and deceased were displayed. It was heart wrenching and I think difficult for most of us to see.

After our tour of the genocide museum, we traveled to one of the killing fields. It was very moving to walk among the mass graves listening to the history of the place. The To avoid disruption of the grave sites during rainy season, a boardwalk was installed over the fields.

As we entered, there were placards describing what happened to the prisoners once they arrived at the killing fields.

They were blindfolded and brought off a truck and gave their names to a soldier. Then they proceeded to a holding room and one at a time executed by hitting them in the back of the neck. Sometimes they didn’t die and were buried alive.

Our guide said she was born in 1980, a year after the reign of Pol Pot.

As we walked over the killing fields, the reverent and solemn moment flowed through us touching all our hearts. When our guide spoke of the women raped and killed after seeing their babies murdered, I could not help my tears from escaping.

For many the graves have not been disturbed but are mounds throughout this field.

And a memorial housing many of the skulls and bones was erected at the site.

It is hard to phantom the inhumanity that human beings can inflict on other human beings. Seeing this is a reminder to be kinder, more tolerant, and to be aware.

Our afternoon was aboard ship. We had some lovely sites of river life.

And our chef did a vegetable carving demonstration.

There was a lovely sunset this evening

In the evening it was Terri’s birthday and she was surprised with a birthday cake from our cruise director.

Vietnam was the land of conical hats and vibrant colored clothing with small Sampan boats floating along the Mekong. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Cambodia but I wasn’t disappointed. Although the garb wasn’t quite as colorful as Vietnam, the buildings and Temples more than made up for it. We made our entrance in to Phnom Penh just after dawn while doing Tai Chi on the deck.

Along the waterway we could see Temples rising in the sky flashing sparkling gold over the waterways.

We pulled into the Titanic Pier which was relatively close to everything. There was a large boat like structure, obviously a restaurant at the pier.

For our first excursion we each rode our own private cyclo through the bustling city streets.

My driver thought he was in a race. I started out with Bruce near the back of the pack and ended up in fourth place.

Here’s a few of our shipboard friends getting ready to enjoy the ride.

The traffic was a bit dodgy, people driving every which way.

We drove past Temples, parks, street vendors and Buddhist Monks.

The Royal Palace was made up of several buildings, all very ornate with gold trimmings and carvings.

Inside one of the buildings bridal dresses were displayed. The colors of the dresses reflected the day of the week. If a bride was married on a Tuesday she would wear the Tuesday color. These dresses are very expensive and are one of the garments worn by the bride. A Cambodian wedding spans three days.

Bruce loves taking pictures of the little children. This little girl was so precious.

Inside the Royal Palace was a banyan tree also called a cannonball tree. Our guide told us that the juice in the cannonball is used to make birthing easier.

We also entered the silver pagoda where the floors were made of silver. There were many Buddha statues in the pagoda but photography was not allowed.

The tall gray pagoda is the urn for kings. Each king had his own pagoda.

After spending some time at the Royal Palace we rode the cycles to the National Museum. There we saw the statues and antiquities which seemed to be mostly from Angkor Wat.

After lunch Keith, Terri, Bruce and I took a tuk tuk tour of Phnom Penh. The streets have that pungent smell, a mixture of foods, exhaust and humans that is prevalent in most cities. The traffic is heavy but people seem polite. I never noticed anyone yelling at another motorist or being openly hostile.

We drove past many government buildings. The Cambodian flag stands tall with a picture of Angkor Wat in the Center. We also saw more Temples.

There was a tree that had what seemed like a thousand bats hanging from it. Our tuk tuk driver said they fly at night.

We ended our ride at a market and then walked back to the ship, stopping for refreshments on the way.

In the evening they had some young people from a local orphanage come and perform traditional Cambodian dance.

It was a wonderful evening of entertainment.

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We left our beautiful hotel at the Reverie Saigon and boarded our home away from home for the next 7 days, the Avalon Saigon.

Our cabin is lovely with floor to ceiling windows that open to let in air if we don’t want to have the a/c on.

Our cabin also had a beautiful live orchid.

Our day was spent cruising to Vinh Long. There were so many colorful boats on the river.

It’s quite crowded at points and at one stretch I thought we might run into a boat or two.

Breakfast and lunch on the Avalon Saigon is a buffet and dinner is seated dining. For dinner I had a shrimp dish.

Bruce had some sort of Vietnamese soup.

The sunset was beautiful but I missed it at its peak.

But I did manage to get a good shot of the full moon.

On our first full day aboard ship, we woke at 6:30 and I convinced Bruce to do a Tai Chi class. No one was an expert so it was a lot of fun.

We ate a small breakfast than headed out for our first shore excursion on a sampan where we were up close and personal with the river.

We visited a family owned business where they make rice paper, rice wine, and coconut candies. We were first shown the process of making rice paper.

They also make a snake wine which our fellow travelers said tasted like brandy. The snakes are put in the jug already dead.

They also made something that tasted like Rice Krispie treats. They used a very hot wok to cook the rice and then separate it.

The last but my favorite was coconut candy.

Than back in the Sampan and to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon we went to a village to see a boat builder.

The bridges in this community are called monkey bridge because the people had to climb like a monkey across the bridge to get to the other side.

We had a lovely guide but she did not speak any English.

The children were all so cute and happy to see us.

We rode in these carts pulled by motorbikes.

It was a fun ride and we stopped at a workshop where they made non-la hats or Vietnamese coned hats.

We drove on this little island called Cu Lao Gieng.

Our final stop was at Vietnam’s oldest Catholic Church.

Afterwards we headed back to our boat for dinner and a good nights rest.

A little girl contemplating life at the hat workshop.

Our sampan driver.

The Vietnamese think of their boats as living things so they should have eyes. That’s why so many of the boats appear to have eyes in the front.

And here are the four of us going out on the sampan.

And of course our tour guide Chung.

He was very knowledgeable about all that was Vietnamese.

Riding the carts through the jungle foliage. And of course one of the cart drivers.

The Cu Chi Tunnels always sounded so forbidding. Strangely linked tunnels carved mostly by hand networking underground where US military were constantly at risk of Vietcong rising out of them to make a quick attack and then disappear as rapidly as they appeared. I wasn’t sure what to expect on this trip to the infamous Tunnels.

We drove approximately 40 kilometers from Saigon, taking nearly two hours to arrive in the countryside. A US base once was located near here, but our guide, Quang, said that it’s still a military base and it is off limits. So our only visit was to the tourist part of the Cu Chi Tunnels. We walked through the jungle and there was evidence of bomb droppings.

The above mound was a ventilation shaft for the Tunnels. They were everywhere. In order for tourists to understand the complexity of the Tunnels, they excavated certain areas and put canopies over so we could get a glimpse inside.

This was a dining area although no one ate together in case a bomb fell on the site.

The guide showed us how they climbed in a tunnel.

They would go down in one area and pop up in another. Terri climbed in a tunnel to demonstrate.

We went through a tunnel that they had enlarged the entrance to make it easier for the tourists. The Vietcong were very small in stature and most of us would not have fit in the original hole.

That’s me coming up from the tunnel. They had mannequins dressed in Vietcong garb.

A soldier was busy making traditional sandals.

The Cu Chi Tunnels go three layers down but of course we were only allowed to explore one small section.

On our return to Saigon for our last afternoon, we walked the streets and alley ways.

Now we are off on the Avalon Saigon for a week on the Mekong River.

It’s a grueling journey to Southeast Asia but I have to admit, flying premium economy on EVA Airlines was a real joy.  The leg space was as much as we had on first class on Delta going to California.  A bottle of water, a pillow and a furry blanket were waiting for us in our seats.  EVA also gives you a cosmetic case with an eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste, and other incidentals.

We arrived in Ho Chi Min City on time as scheduled.  We found a cab that took us to our hotel, the Reverie Saigon.  It is probably the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in.  The lobby was colorful and orchids were everywhere.

And our room was a suite with a beautiful tub with tv and a heated toilet with a built in bidet.

We were on the 27th floor and had a beautiful view of the river.

After we settled in, we went for a walk down by the river where we had some refreshments and watched the boats go by.

We even went for a dip in the hot tub before going to dinner.

We met for a delicious breakfast in the hotel early the first morning.  They served many different types of fruit plus eggs, omelets and pancakes to order.

We had a briefing with our tour directorvthan met in the lobby for a walking tour of the city.  There were some very interesting buildings.  We walked past the opera house.

 

The traffic is horrific in Saigon.  By the way, many people still call the city Saigon even though it was changed to Ho Chi Min City but on official documents it is always Ho Chi Min City.  We also went by the post office.

This building is where the helicopters flew the last Americans out of Saigon in April 1975.

And we had some beverages at the rooftop bar at the Rex Hotel which once was referred to the place where they held the 5:00 follies which was the military briefings during the Vietnam conflict.

We visited the Vietnam War Museum which definitely had a different slant on the war than we had.

It was difficult to go through this museum and realize the effects our actions had on the Vietnamese people.  Although they portrayed this with a definite bias, I did not see any ill will towards Americans.

We attended a Vietnamese cooking school where we learned how to make summer rolls and another few tempting choices.

Keith ended up winning a prize for best summer roll and he let it go to his head.  Now we have to call him Chef Keith.

In the evening the group went to dinner at the Ly Club.  It was a lovely time although we had been quite full from lunch.

Saigon is a city steeped in history, not only theirs, but ours.  Fascinating.

 

It was time to say goodbye to the kids knowing next time we see little Lily, she will be a whole year older and a whole year wiser too. I had made reservations at another Embassy Suites near the airport and we were scheduled to meet up with our travel companions near Pier 39 at around dinner time.

We drove in over the Bay Bridge which was a lovely bridge although not quite as notable as the Golden Gate.

It was a beautiful afternoon however, and the ride across was quite scenic.

As we drove across I could see the Golden Gate in the distance.

Also we could see the Transamerica building as part of the skyline, which locals used to say were the people in the pyramid.

We returned our rental car and made it to the Embassy Suites by late afternoon. Our room had a lovely water view.

We met up with Keith and Terri ready for a seafood dinner which we had at Pier 39 restaurant. I had fried shrimp and Bruce had fried halibut. It was delicious. I forgot to take pictures of the food because I ran out to take pictures of the sea lions.

The fog was slowly coming in and some catamarans were going out.

Also the lighting was great on Alcatraz.

While I was photographing Alcatraz some pelicans were flying by.

What an interesting site. I almost forgot I had to go back to eat. Our food was delicious and rather reasonable for San Francisco.

I caught a little Michael Jackson impersonator who was actually very talented. He did an awesome moonwalk.

Of course we had to take a picture of the Fisherman’s Wharf sign.

Street artists are everywhere.

And of course the trolley car.

Today we woke early, had free breakfast at the hotel and then headed to Haight Ashbury.

I met a man named Scott Bogart, probably a homeless man but a nice fella. I bought him a cup of coffee and a pastry and he let me take his photograph.

Scott said he used to be a musics Ian who played a 12 string guitar. He was born a few miles from Haight Ashbury but has lived in many places including New York.

The place was pretty quiet when we arrived before 10 but as morning progressed, the storefronts opened and the streets started bustling. It was very colorful.

Afterwards we went to Chinatown to see what was happening there. I spent a lot of time in New York’s Chinatown so this was nothing new. Actually I like NYC Chinatown a little better because I know my favorite restaurants.

We rode a cable car – now this is where I get confused. What’s a cable car and what’s a trolley?

We made our way to Tartine’s Bakery which had a long, long line. But food was great.

Terri used the coed bathroom and while she waited watched them make the bread. Interesting to note they make bread right next to the toilet.

We all had this delicious fruit bread pudding and Bruce and I shared a pastrami sandwich.

Some pretty architecture on the street and Bruce liked this lovely colorful tree.

Now it’s going on midnight and Bruce, Keith, Terri and I are sitting in San Francisco International Airport waiting for our flight to Vietnam. A lot of anticipation but we know we will be exhausted. We arrive in Ho Chi Min City on Monday morning.

It seems as though I planned this trip ages ago, yet it popped up suddenly like I wasn’t half expecting it.  With our travels to Maine and a week with Kadyn, I didn’t spend much time packing or doing any last minute preparation.  Needless to say I only packed one long sleeve shirt and San Francisco is cold.

I did do a lot of planning with flights though and I found first class tickets on Delta for $5.60 and 30k miles.  In fact, most of our travel is with miles and I figure I saved nearly $10k on this trip using miles and points.  I also joined an online group that has brought my traveling with points to a whole new level.

Our trip on Delta went off without a hitch.  We were served beverages in glasses, provided with linen napkins and had a meal on our Atlanta to San Francisco flight.  I watched a movie and photographed clouds up there in the heavens.

We stayed at an Embassy Suites at the airport and picked up a car early the next day for our trip to visit Kami, Eric and our granddaughter Lily.   Our drive took us over the Golden Gate Bridge.

It was quite scenic on parts of the roads.

We finally made it to Truckee and to see little Lily again. Our first and only time meeting Lily was last year when she was two weeks old.

For dinner we went to a cool looking place called Cottonwood.  It’s a real busy time in the Tahoe area so we sat in the bar area because a table on the patio wouldn’t be available for at least 45 minutes.  I do t think that would have worked for Lily although she did have fun playing with the salt and pepper shakers.

In the morning, Lily slept until 8am.  She is an amazing little girl.  Eats like a trooper and sleeps like trooper.   And she already knows what she wants.  Today was to be hiking day , after we all had coffee and danish we went for a hike up Eagle Nest Trail.  It wasn’t a long trail but it was all uphill.

The elevation is high here, and I felt very thirsty during the hike.  I was very glad we had brought waters.

The views from the top were spectacular.  It was definitely worth the climb.

After our hike we headed for lunch.  Bruce and I shared fish tacos and ahi tuna.

We decided to head back home to regroup and once there, left Eric and Lily home, while Bruce, Kami and I went to explore the Donner Pass.

The views were exceptional.  This is such beautiful country.  There were people rock climbing on the granite.

There was an interesting bridge that Kami said they use in all the car commercials.

We did a small walk to a peak that was about 7200 feet.

We drove a little more taking in the incredible scenery and stopped here and there for some photo opportunities.

In the evening we went to Downtown Truckee for their Thursday night bash on the street.

It was a beautiful evening and the skies were glorious.

I even caught a piece of the moon.

What a fun way to spend Bruce’s birthday.

Tomorrow we are off to San Francisco!