thefouramigosblog

In 2016 Bruce and I stopped off at Malaga on a Celebrity Reflections Transatlantic Cruise. We adored it. It was a beautiful little city and fun to walk around.

That’s why when I started planning our around the world trip, I decided to spend four nights in Malaga. We rented a one bedroom apartment in the middle of everything.

On our arrival we walked through the cute little alleys until we came upon a plaza with several restaurants. Not feeling overly hungry, we split a sandwich and I had coffee.

On our first full day, we met our friend Adriana, who I know from Guatemala. She stays in Malaga usually for several months.

It was photo op time.

We went to the Cathedral de Malaga which was very beautiful. Mass was going on inside.

Afterwards we stopped for lunch. Adriana had carrot soup and salad.

Bruce and I had pizzas.

We walked some more and talked about our plans for the next day. We decided to rent a car and go to Ronda. By the way, this was at the objection of Bruce – he wanted to go by bus or do a tour but finally relented saying “whatever I want.” He is going to regret those words.

There were people in costumes making a living. All very light and breezy.

I didn’t mention but on my two flights I sat next to two very sick, sneezing feverish people. I was afraid I was going to get sick and by now my throat had begun to feel tight and sore. Darn. I thought I’d make it through an entire trip without a cold.

We woke up early and picked up the car. Adriana was waiting for us. Andy at the car rental place gave us directions and we were on our way.

Beautiful white buildings were everywhere. It was a scenic drive, rather lovely but I was in need of a cup of coffee. We followed MapsMe to what I thought was Mija a picturesque mountain town, only to end up by a gas station. Adriana sat in the back trying to give directions, but we couldn’t use her and the devise. That time we should have listened to her. I could tell Bruce was getting irritated, this being his worst nightmare, lost in some foreign city and not able to find his way out.

We followed MapsMe which got us totally lost. It said there was an on ramp where there wasn’t any. After driving back and forth looking for the ramp we all concurred no ramp. So we drove and took a wrong turn into this beautiful golf community that went up and up the mountainside. This wasn’t working out. Adriana, who speaks Spanish, asked this young man, he was a little pudgy with teeny tiny shorts, how to get out and find the highway. He spoke a little English so we both listened. It was hard to take him seriously. I think he was a sitcom character. But we did find our way out of the golf community but never saw the ALDI’s he kept mentioning. Still no luck with the highway.

We next stopped at a restaurant and got further instructions. The bartender only spoke Spanish so Adriana was on her own there but another fellow spoke a little English and he drew a map. Great. We thought we followed it but ended up in No Man’s Land.

At that point, Adriana asked a little old guy on a scooter how to get to the highway. He said for us to follow him. Ok that sounds like the best plan so far. We rode around the town, up streets and down streets. We were right next to the highway but he kept going. We followed. Then no more highway. He finally pointed and said, “Go there.” We did but found no highway.

As a last resort, Adriana jumped out of the car and ran to a police car. They said to follow them. The Spanish police were very helpful. They got us back on track after being lost for several hours.

It took us five hours to get to Ronda when it was a two hour drive. But it was quite spectacular. The drive up the mountain was quite scenic and twisty.

We found a parking spot relatively easy and walked to the area where you can see the bridge.

We sat and had a cup of coffee. Always the coffee. Cafe con leche. Bruce ordered an ice tea. What they brought him was hot tea and ice. He said it was good!

The town was kind of cute but Malaga is my town. We were ready to head back. It only took two hours to get back.

It looked stormy but we were lucky – no rain fell on us.

On our last full day unfortunately, I was feeling really punky so I slept in. We did our packing and met Adriana for dinner.

We found this great place, Nacalu, where Bruce and I shared a mixed paella.

Adriana had a delicious looking salad.

Our waiter, Ronald Antonio, was wonderful.

We said our goodbyes.

We are now on the train back to Madrid. We had a few laughs at the station while people lined their suitcases up to get on line to get the train. Then they were told they couldn’t do that so they took their bags back. Then slowly they put them back on line again. It was funny to watch.

We took the are fast train to Madrid and then a flight out on Thursday. I’m looking forward to getting home.

See you all soon!!

It’s funny how different cultures eat different foods, have different hygiene habits and basically live differently. In Cambodia we were told KFC was Khmer Fried Cricket. The Cambodians are known to eat all exotic insects including tarantulas. In Borneo, we never were served any form of bread during meals. Boy was I missing morning pastry. But there was fresh fruit with every meal. And of course rice and noodles.

In a market in Hanoi, food being sold by a vendor was very unappealing to my palette but I’m sure it was delicious for the Vietnamese.

While in Southeast Asia every bathroom had one of these of some sort or another. The first time I saw one, I thought I was supposed to use it to flush the toilet.

We finally adjusted to all the nuances of Eastern Life. It was all fascinating but I did still miss some foods, especially breads and pastries which I really don’t need. It does make me see why Westerners have more of a weight problem though. Our flight out of Borneo took us to Kuala Lumpur again for one night. We stayed at the Sama Sama Hotel at the airport. It was lovely and they gave us a discount since we didn’t get there until 10pm and had to check out at 7:30 am.

The next day we flew Qatar Airlines from KLIA to Hamid International Airport and then on to Madrid. We flew economy but the plane had great legroom even for Bruce, a vanity kit, and overall good comfort level.

We arrived in Madrid and stayed two nights at the Barcelo Imagine where we rated that hotel with the best pillow and sheets in all our travels. For our day in Madrid, we walked to the metro to take to the old city.

Everywhere we walked there were street musicians. These two young men were playing in the station and were playing Celtic music.

We popped up into a square where there was a beautiful fountain and grand statue.

We walked around admiring the architecture.

And more street musicians.

And they were singing Sweet Home Alabama

And of course we had tapas.

This statue I thought was actually a man but it turned out it was a statue.

And I loved these beautiful tiles on the walls.

And I can’t forget the meat museum.

And last but most important, the bakery.

For dinner we ate at Casa Narcisa near our hotel. It was very good and very interesting. We tried to go eat at 7 pm but the restaurant didn’t open until 8.

They brought us a bowl of huge green olives.

Then some sort of potato cheese appetizer along with delicious bread.

We both ordered fish.

And after dinner they brought us cordials but when we told them we don’t drink, they brought us non alcohol cordial.

It was a lovely end to our day in Madrid.

We woke really early for our morning river cruise hoping to spot an orangutan in the wild. Since Bruce and I retired, we generally sleep in until 8 am. This trip has not been a vacation in that sense. Rising at 5 am sometimes feels like pure torture. I wish I could say I like it but I don’t think after 66 years that’s going to change. However seeing an orangutan is worth a mild bit of torture. Plus maybe I can see a sunrise. And there it was, sort of!

Oh and I want to say I couldn’t have my prerequisite 3 cups of java since we would be out on a boat for two hours without a “happy” room. But our first sightings were watching the jungle wake up. That included a family of Probiscus monkeys.

The males remind of Jimmy Durante for those of you who remember the old character actor.

We caught a glimpse of a hornbill as well.

But the defining moment was when we saw the orangutan. Of course he was far away and way up high in a tree. We could see him well through binoculars but my lens was only a 200mm. It was the moment I regretted not having my 300. Some of our fellow travelers had great zooms but they needed tripods for the extensions. So I got what I got and it was better than nothing.

The orangutan moved around a bit in the tree but as you can see from the photos, you can see why they are so hard to find.

They do sleep in nests but don’t stay more than one night in a nest. The guide said they don’t like their own smell plus they hide from humans and other orangutans.

After lunch Bruce and I spent some time by the pool just chilling out for awhile before our afternoon adventure.

On our afternoon river cruise it started raining monsoon type rains. We all donned our rain gear and kept on going. Unfortunately no more orangutans. We saw some more pretty birds.

And some more probiscus monkeys.

And this cute little guy!

For dinner we dressed in the Bornean dress attire. We were supposed to do this the first night but it took some convincing.

On our third day we rose again at that unbelievably early hour. We almost decided to sleep in but were afraid to miss anything. As it turned out, we didn’t see any more orangutans. Just more birds.

In the afternoon we went to the Gomantong Caves. We saw a red leaf monkey on the boardwalk trail on our way to the cave.

The cave was pretty yucky. Bat poop everywhere. I prayed I wouldn’t slip and fall in it. It smelled pretty bad inside.

And there were millions of cockroaches everywhere.

And long legged centipedes. This was a place filled with creepy crawlers.

We saw the bats come out of the cave but since there were raptors, they did not stay in formation. Overall I would have passed on this but at least we saw the red leaf monkey.

Our last morning, we sat alone for breakfast by the river. All the people we had been grouped with had left before us.

We took the 2-1/2 hour boat ride back to Sandakan and had lunch with the few people on our boat. For our final afternoon, we went to the Rainforest Discovery Center and walked the canopy walkway.

It was in the heat of the day so not much wildlife to see.

Our last stop was Sandakan Memorial Park commemorating all the soldiers who died during WWII.

The park was lovely with beautiful foliage.

But the story was a very sad one.

Borneo was a wonderful place to visit. Borneo Eco Tours and Sukau Rainforest Lodge was great. We really enjoyed the trip. Bruce and I were the only ones in the final group who actually saw an orangutan in the wild. So I have to say it was a success!

Those who know me, know I have a fascination with primates. In fact, if I was younger and had time for yet another career, I would have loved to have been doing the work of Jane Goodall or Dian Fossi. Well I wouldn’t want to meet my demise in similar fashion to Ms. Fossi but would have loved to spend days studying the gentle giants in the wild. So having spent time in Uganda, I felt it only fitting that I spend a little time in Borneo visiting our orange relatives.

We flew from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan arriving mid afternoon on Sunday. We were staying at a nice hotel, Four Points Sheraton, which had a lovely infinity pool.

After spending sometime poolside, we decided to take a stroll around the town. We came across a group of young adults apparently in some kind of scouts.

After I took the picture, they all wanted their photos taken. And what we were finding is that so many people were speaking English. I found out that they start learning English in school at age 6.

A band was playing western music on the street and a small crowd gathered for that.

Whenever I’m in a new city we always look for a bakery. We found one, which actually turned out to be a chain. There seemed to be one on every street.

Bruce and I bought a cookie to share.

For the most part, Sandakan looked fairly impoverished. Buildings appeared quite run down and seemed to lack some basic conveniences.

We had an early dinner at the hotel and to bed early.

We were picked up at 8 am by Vincent to tour the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary where we saw young orangutans at play.

The volunteers work with the orangutans to keep them off the ground. Every time the volunteer came out and put this young juvenile back on the boards, as soon as he walked away, the youngster was back on the ground.

At feeding time, a ton of tourists converged on the viewing area but no orangutans showed up. I was a little disappointed but we had a few days to see one in the wild.

We walked the boardwalk and only saw a brown tree racer.

We visited the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center and learned about the work they do to protect the endangered sun bear.

While walking on the boardwalk our guide pointed out a green viper in the tree.

There also were some Macaques in the trees.

As we were walking out, I said to Bruce “what keeps the orangutans from coming over here?” With that, a commotion in a tree and loud noise made us go, I guess nothing. The ranger was very upset and he didn’t want us there. He tried to get us out but those of us with cameras wanted to take some pictures. Of course they came out with nothing but a dark blob in the shot. Oh well! It was exciting at that moment.

We had a nice lunch at one of the local resorts.

We took a 2-1/2 hour boat ride across the bay and up the river feeling like we were in a jungle all alone.

Every so often we came upon a village and our captain would slow down.

We finally arrived at the Sukau Rainforest Lodge, our home for the next three nights.

We had a lovely villa where we could hear the sounds of birds and other wildlife.

We went on our first river cruise at sunset and saw the probiscus monkey.

and a colorful kingfisher.

Our next two mornings we will need to be up by 5:30 to go for a river cruise to spot wildlife. In pursuit of the orangutan.

There were no direct flights from Hanoi to Sandaken so I figured it would be fun to spend two nights in Kuala Lumpur. It really was only one full day, since we arrived at 8:30pm on Friday night and were leaving 6am Sunday morning.

Getting through the airport was a feat in itself. It was a mall inside a mall. It took some time to figure out how to go to the taxi stand.

So our plan was to visit the Batu Caves and walk around the city and see the Petronas Towers.

Our hotel was about 45 minutes from the airport but it was very nice. It was under the Marriott Umbrella Autograph Series called a Hotel Stripes.

After we checked in, we went to the rooftop bar for something to eat and to check out the view and the pool.

In the morning we had breakfast at the hotel. They offered a combination of Eastern and Western foods. No rush today because we didn’t put a lot on our agenda.

We decided to take a cab rather than the train to the Batu Caves. I think our stamina is wearing thin and if we can do it the easier, softer way we will. If we didn’t need to change trains, I would have done it but our cab fare was only $5. We arrived at the Batu caves along with hundreds of other people.

I was one of the few women not wearing a hijab. However, I did need to wear clothes that covered my knees and shoulders.

The Batu Caves are limestone caves discovered and visited since the 1800’s. The Batu Caves are a Hindu shrine and there are 272 steps to climb to reach the temple cave. There are several other caves but they were closed the day we were there.

The large golden statue of Lord Murugan holds court above the plaza in front of the cave entrance.

Macaque monkeys patrol the staircase as well as the caves. They are everywhere and will grab things right out of your hands. Someone lost a bag of chips.

Someone didn’t hold onto their umbrella.

And another one grabbed more food.

I saw this monkey actually twist the cap off this water bottle and drink. They are very smart.

This poor little guy, I don’t know what happened to him.

It’s a bit of a hike up and you can take a break and different sections on the stairs, but remember the monkeys on your way up.

Up above the cave was quite massive.

Inside the entrance to the cave were vendors and little Hindu shrines.

We walked around the cave looking at all the Hindu Temples while fighting off all the monkeys running around the place.

We took the descent slowly and carefully since the steps were steep and I didn’t want to risk getting bitten by a monkey.

There were many vendors around the Batu Caves selling fruits and spices. It was fun looking at all the different types of foods they had.

The rest of the day we walked around the city, where there are so many skyscrapers.

We finally ended up at the Petronas Towers.

We found out it was the eve of their Independence Day and all kinds of activities were going on. We ate dinner in the courtyard at the towers at Chinoz on The Park. We had sushi and hummus and Pita.

They were getting ready for a concert in the park while we were eating.

As we walked away the towers were brightly lit and very festive.

The streets were lit up as well. It was really fun to walk through this city but we had to get to bed early because we had to catch a 6am flight to Borneo. Even the telecommunications tower was festively lit. I kept calling this their space needle.

one final shot!

Next stop Sandakan and onto Sukau Rainforest Lodge.

We took a leisurely trip back from Halong Bay. We first stopped at a little farm on the side of the road. They were growing green onions, basil, beans and a variety of other herbs that I did not know but have recently tasted.

Our next stop was a huge shop with very clean happy rooms. We have been in the habit of calling restrooms happy rooms ever since our tour guide, Quang, coined them happy rooms at the Saigon Reverie. The shop had some great sculptures outside. They were even available for shipping.

Once we arrived at Intercontinental Lakeview Hotel we said our goodbyes to Ang. We had a room with a lovely view again.

We sat by the pool for a little while and had some coffee and cake at the hotel. For dinner we went into Hanoi and ate in the same building we ate at last time, just a different restaurant.

After dinner we wandered through the streets, feeling free from the restraints of a tour guide.

It was a nice last night spending it with Terri and Keith. They are off to home and we are onto our next adventure in Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia.

When I was planning this trip to Vietnam, I knew I wanted to go to Halong Bay. I found the riverboat cruise company that offered a two day package out on the bay and we were set. Many of you have seen the iconic shots of pillars of rocks shooting out of the water surrounded by pristine aquamarine water. Well this is the place. Not Phuket, Thailand although they too have these amazing boulders but on a smaller scale or so our guide has told us.

Before we reached Halong Bay we made a stop at a Pearl processing center and learned a little about pearls and their shells.

It was interesting but we didn’t want to purchase a pearl necklace.

When we finally arrived at our ship, the Paradise Elegance, we found it befitting it’s name. Classic design with dark woods and glass. It reminded us of an Agatha Christie novel. I almost felt I should be wearing evening gowns to dinner at night especially when they served water in cobalt blue glasses.

Lunch was awaiting us in the dining room. It was a mixture of salads, sushi and Vietnamese cuisine. It was all very good and served buffet style.

After lunch we headed out for a hike in one of the large caves. We transferred to little boats to get there.

The climb into the cave was about 900 steps with stops to look at the view. They told us upfront that if you didn’t think you could do it, don’t go. There is no turning around.

When we reached the top the view was magnificent! I was awestruck.

One of the cave formations looked like two legs dangling off the side of the cliff.

Entering the cave itself brought tears to my eyes. I’m not sure why. I’ve been to Luray Caverns in Virginia and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico but something about these caverns provoked an intense feeling of wonderment in me.

One of the formations looked like a turtle and turtles are sacred. People left money by the turtle and you could rub its head for luck. Of course we all stopped for a quick rub!

After the cave we went kayaking. We were in two man kayaks but they didn’t have backs. Ouch!

I think our tour guide, Ang, really liked this gig. Beats working in a factory!

On the second day I wasn’t feeling too well so Bruce and I stayed on board while Terri and Keith did some kayaking. I spent most of the day photographing.

Wherever we stopped boat girls rowed out with beer, booze and pearls peddling their wares.

We stayed on deck trying to capture a sunset. In fact, I ran around the ship but to no avail. However, I did get some interesting photos.

We had a wonderful last dinner on board.

In the morning, we had breakfast and then headed back to Hanoi for our last night in Vietnam.

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!