Phu Quoc

Took a short 45 min. flight to Phu Quoc Island.  This is the very south of Vietnam.  After arriving at our resort we discover this is a very basic resort.  We have a charming bungalow but no air conditioning and its 30 degrees!  We can do this!  We have two fans and are assured that the breeze will come in off the ocean.  We settled in on two lounge chairs at the beach and two local beer.

A quick swim in the clear warm water and we are rejuvenated!  Went to dinner at a place called Spices just down the beach. Great food and they even had a good wine!  Thunder and lightening tonight.  We have booked a boat trip to go snorkelling day after tomorrow.

Ho Chi Minh aka Saigon

We arrived in Saigon Friday morning and were met by our guide 'Tony' and driver 'Seven'.  Staying at Tan Hai Long 3 hotel which is a fairly new 3 star hotel.  Thank heaven we are already familiar with this crazy traffic.  We ended up in a new, high end mall with many brand name stores.  Prices are more expensive than at home!  Go figure!  I don't know how people afford it here.  It's definitely for the elite!  We bought some wine, cheese, crackers and yogurt and decided to have a lazy night in the hotel.  3 hours of the Voice and we were ready for bed.  Felt good to watch TV and slug out.
The next day we are picked up and we're off touring.  It's all about the war and its getting to be a bit much.  We go to China Town and the large market and after only 10 mins. we've had it!  Very hot and crowded and if one more person says "Madame, you buy something from me?" I'm likely to go ballistic!
The fellow at the hotel suggested a great restaurant which we walked to.  Turned out it's owned by the same people as the great restaurant that Diu took us to in Hanoi.  Great food, great prices!  Dinner costs us just under 400,000 dong which sounds huge but it works out to less than $10 each and that's with a beer!
Then the next day we went to the Mekong Delta.  Cruised down the Mekong visiting the floating market.  We visit an island where they demonstrate making family products such as coconut candy, rice popcorn, etc.  I have bought some to take home but I highly doubt it's going to make it.
Today we travelled north west to the Cao Dai region to view the Cu Chi tunnels.  Very creepy but interesting.  Those Vietcong were very ingenious and I couldn't imagine being an American soldier in that area.
We're back at the hotel having another layed back evening catching up on local news.  Leaving for Phu Quoc Island tomorrow morning.

Day at the beach

Today we had a day on our own.  We're glad to not have to be viewing temples or pagodas for a day. We picked up our clothes that we had made and then caught a cab to the beach.  The beach is only 15 minutes away but it's too hot to walk.  This beach is beautiful and the water is so warm. It's absolutely beautiful!  Several large resorts are on this strip of beach and I'm sure in the next few years this will be a very popular destination.  After walking the beach we picked a couple of lounge chairs under an umbrella and ordered a couple of beers.  Wonderful breeze.  Just perfect.  Temperature was high 20's possibly 30.
 Came back to town to try a new restaurant on the river.  Had iced latte and a pastry.  Putting on the pounds!
Back to the hotel and then off to the masseuse.  I went to get my legs waxed.  Not a great experience!  Finished off with a body massage so that helped make up for the leg waxing.
Getting picked up at 7:30 am to go to the airport in Da Nang for our flight to Ho Chi Minh.  Hoi An has been so lovely we're really not looking forward to another huge bustling city but I'm sure it will be interesting.

Hoi An - Best place for shopping!

Today we went to a place called My Son.  This is a place where they discovered several temples built by the Cham people.  These temples date back 1700 years ago and are quite amazing.  Unfortunately during the war the U.S. bombed the site and half were destroyed.  Very tropical in this area.  It was very hot and humid.  We got back to Hoi An in time for lunch and Hai (our guide) took us to a restaurant called Miss Ly Cafe.  Very famous and after eating there I now know why.  We are hooked. Best food ever!  The owner is from New York but has been in Vietnam for several years.  He married Miss Ly and they run the business together.  As far as I am concerned this is the place to eat in Hoi An!
Had a walking tour after lunch to view a few places in Hoi An.  One is called the Japanese Bridge.  Back when this town was a bustling seaport half the town was Japanese and the other Chinese.  They did business together but lived separately with the Japanese bridge connecting the two areas.  When the harbor became too shallow for the large ships to enter the seaport closed and the Japanese left.  Now the town relies on tourism.
We then went to our tailor and tried on our clothes that we ordered.  Minor adjustments needed which they will do and then we will pick up tomorrow morning.  I am very pleased with my suit.  We ended up ordering night wear in a beautiful royal blue silk.  Can't wait to see how that feels!
Back to our hotel for a dip in the pool.  A large tour of Australians and New Zealanders are here.  What a fun group.
We went back to Miss Ly for dinner since it was so good.  Splurged and had a bottle of Pinot Grigio, prawns done in garlic and onion, pork fried rice and fried wonton as our appetizer.  Finished it off with frozen yogurt with chocolate and peanut sauce.  Excellent!  This came to a cool 910,000 dong.  Scary counting out 10 - 100,000 notes.  That's one million dong.  Works out to $50 which was an expensive meal.  Considering the wine was $30 all that food was only $20.  What a deal.
We headed on back to the hotel and just on the other side of the bridge we decided to go for a massage.  We had talked to this young girl previously and told her we would come for massage.  With the wine to give us courage we decided to indulge.  30 minutes each for 100 dong.  That's $20 or $10 each and what a great massage!  Back tomorrow for waxing and hot stone massage after we travel to the beach for the day!  What a life!

Hue to Hoi An

We arrived in Hue late Sunday evening. Met by our guide Hai and taken to our hotel..it's so nice to not have to worry about how to get from one place to another.  The next day we explore  two tombs, cruise the Perfume River and see the Old Thien Mu Pagoda.  It's very hot and humid today and we're feeling it!  We visited the Citadel but unfortunately most of it was destroyed during the war so most has been reconstructed which to me doesn't mean as much.
We arrive back at the hotel a little wilted and take advantage of the pool. This hotel is okay but so far our hotel in Hanoi is the best.
Tuesday we are picked up for the drive to Da Nang.  The drive was amazing as we wind our way through Hai Van Pass.  Beautiful scenery and we stop at the summit to explore an American base left from the war.  In Da Nang we explore the Cham Museum which has some excellent sculptures from the 2nd century to the 14th century.  We stop for lunch then head to Marble Mountain.  Looking at some of the marble statues from this area is amazing.  The color in the marble is beautiful. We go up the mountain in a elevator but then continue to climb stairs.  Takes us to this most amazing cave with a gigantic statue of a Buddha carved out of the inside.
Drive on to Hoi An where our driver recommends a shop where we can get clothing made.  I decide to order a jacket, pants and blouse.  The jacket and pants are Japanese silk and apparently wears well.  We will go try on our garments tomorrow so any adjustments can be made before we leave Hoi An for Ho Chi Minh.

Halong Bay

On Saturday we headed north east out of Hanoi to Halong Bay.  Took approx. 4 hrs. by car which is a very stressful drive.  Driving in this area is just crazy and you wouldn't believe it unless you were here.  We boarded our boat the Viking Star and were quickly assigned to our cabin.  Very nice.  Lovely shower.  Little balcony with two chairs.  There are about 40 people on board and we were served a great lunch. After lunch we boarded the tender and went to an island where they loaded us into small boats holding 4 people and the fellow doing the rowing. He rowed us around the floating village which consisted of quite a few very rustic "houseboats". They even had a school!  The weather cleared up so it was beautiful out.  Back on board we got ready for supper which was a nice meal of seafood (prawns, fish, mussels).  Marlene and I decided to share a bottle of white wine but I think after several attempts I will wait until I get home to drink wine. $35 for the cheapest wine and it wasn't very good.  The local beer is good though and a whole lot cheaper.

Sitting out on deck in the evening was wonderful. Had torrential rain through the night and when Marlene and I woke up we didn't think we'd be going anywhere. It cleared up though and we were tendered to another island to explore this huge cave. As folklore has it the dragon lived in this cave. It was amazing but lots of steps in and out.  Checked out and were picked up by our driver and guide for the 4 hr.  drive to the airport for our flight to Hue.  Hue is a smaller town and shouldn't be as crazy as Hanoi (let's hope!).

Mai Chau

Yesterday we left Hanoi for Mai Chau. The drive was approx. 4 hrs. but it was nice to leave the crazy traffic in Hanoi and enjoy the peacefulness of this beautiful area.
Mai Chau is north east of Hanoi.  When we arrived at the Mai Chau Lodge we went for a lovely lunch then met our guide Ban for a walk to one of the villages near by.  The people here are the White Thai and the Black Thai.  We stopped at a kindergarten on our walk and the children were so cute and well behaved.

  After our walk we returned to the lodge for dinner.  We decided to take advantage of the Spa facilities so booked a full body massage.  First we had a refreshing swim and then met two young men who gave us both a great massage.  Poured ourselves into bed and had a great sleep. The next morning after breakfast we went on a bicycle tour of the area.  This was a hi light of our trip so far.  Riding through the rice paddies and taking lots of pictures.  One lady invited us into her home which was great.  These people are very poor but happy.  They were harvesting the rice so it was good timing on our part.  The stay was too short and we left Mai Chau at noon.  Stopped at the Ho Chi Minh Trail Museum on the way back to Hanoi.  A bit intimidating as we watched a 20 min. film which was full of propaganda. The driver accidentally locked the keys in the car so we had to wait over an hour for him to go home in rush hour traffic to get the extra set.  By the time we got back to Hanoi the traffic was unbelievable and we were both so stressed.  Had dinner in the hotel because we couldn't face the chaotic streets one more time. Being picked up at 8 am tomorrow for another 4 hr. drive to Halong Bay.  I hope the weather is good. Forecast is thunder"

The Hanoi Hilton

Marlene and I went and saw the famous "Hanoi Hilton" and I don't mean the hotel. This is a famous prison called Maison Central that housed American pilots that were shot down in Vietnam during the second world war and before that prisoners of the revolution.  Pretty grim accommodation but interesting.

We usually head to the lake in the morning which is only a ten minute crazy walk from our hotel. From there we can walk to lots of interesting things to see.  Our hotel is located in the old quarter and you live on the edge when crossing the street.

 Really no rules.  Just walk slowly, make eye contact and the motorbikes and cars will go around you!  Pretty big leap of faith!
Today we went to see the museum of Ethnology which was really interesting.  There are 65 provinces in Vietnam with 54 different ethnic groups.. How diverse!  Tomorrow we head off to an area where we will meet one of these ethnic groups.
Today we went with our tour guide Ban to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where he lived and worked.  We also saw the Presidential Palace.  I've seen several pagodas and temples already. Yesterday we went outside of Hanoi to a place called the Perfume Pagoda. Most famous Pagoda in all of Vietnam. Took a gondola part of the way up the mountain and then we hiked back down. That was quite a trek and my knees are still telling me about it!
Went to the Water Puppet Show this evening.  I actually think its over rated.  Picked up a couple of beers and had pizza in the hotel room cause we're knackered.
Going to talk to my travel agent's boss tomorrow as he has an I Pad and seems to understand my problem with posting pictures and thought he might be able to help. I hope so.

Update on Hanoi

Well I had done a lovely post and even managed to attach a photo and then it was deleted!  This has been more of a challenge than I anticipated and could definately benefit from a workshop or two on my I Pad.

Marlene and I had a good flight from Vancouver to Tokyo.

While waiting in Tokyo for 4 hrs. for our flight to Hanoi we experienced quite a strong tremor!  Thought it was a train going by except there wasn't a train in sight!  Rather scary.  Slept a wee bit on the flight and arrived in Hanoi at 9:30 pm their time. We were pretty jet lagged but obtained our Visa at the airport without too much trouble and met our tour guide Mr. Ban who took us to our car where we met Vu (our driver). So glad we didn't have to find our way on our own.  The airport was a zoo and it was quite hot and humid.  Our hotel is quite nice and the staff are very helpful and friendly.

Settled in okay but set the alarm off on our safe three times while trying to set the code!  I'm sure our neighbors couldn't have been happy with us. Next morning had a great breakfast and decided to start exploring. The streets are crazy here!  It's a free for all.  We are in the Old Quarter which has tons of little shops. Hanoi is 1000 years old so lots of history here.

I really want to post pictures as I blog but haven't been able to do that. Went to several "Apple" stores here which is a bit of a joke to see if someone could help me. After they fiddled with my I Pad a bit I discovered that now my Google is in Vietnamese!  Now I really can't figure it out.

We are meeting our travel agent Diu for dinner tonight. She is taking us for authentic Vietnamese cuisine and then after we will be going to the night market.  Tomorrow we have a tour booked to the Perfume Pagoda.

Working sharing the Blog!

Well as I'm preparing to leave for Asia on Thursday and I am trying to understand my blog and get it going.  Right now I would like to limit it to people I know so I am working on how to do that and get my blog address added to my email signature so that people I email can click on the link and go straight to my blog.  Not happening yet but hopefully soon!  Am posting this as I believe changes I make do not become active until I blog....here goes!

Here I go...the beginning of my retirement.  Officially retired Sept. 1/12 but haven't got around to starting my blog...true to what everyone says "You'll be busier than when you worked".  It's true but the difference is it's things I want to do and it's at my pace, not someone else's.

Enjoyed lazy mornings, savored my coffee!  It wasn't all roses which I thought it would be.  I actually felt a little stressed and anxious as my retirement date neared.  Did I make the right decision?  Was I going to be okay financially?  Was I going to miss everyone at work?  What was I doing!  These questions all went through my mind.

Even though I loved my job I wanted the freedom to do what I wanted when I wanted.  To be able to travel and stay longer and further away.  This is all happening now.

Spending time with my grandson has been awesome.  He's growing so quickly and I am able to go and take him for walks while his mom is working with her students.  It gives me one on one time and I think he is starting to know me.  It's wonderful.

The weather has been exceptional and that has been a definite perk this year.  Lots of walks and time outdoors.

I've always wanted to blog.  I usually journal when I travel and have had some requests from friends and coworkers to be able to follow me in my travels.  My house sitting/pet sitting has always been interesting and has allowed me to live in different parts of the city but always had to be within traveling distance to work.  This year since retirement I've had a house sit in Summerland for friends of mine and it was wonderful.

Powell Beach, Summerland

I have now secured a house sit in the south of France in Vence which is just outside of Nice for 6 months!  This is my dream come true to do house sitting internationally and it's coming true!  I leave for Vence on Jan. 2/13 and will be blogging about it.

In the meantime I am off on a trip to Asia.  This is a trip that my friend and I were waiting to do once I retired as we wanted to go for a longer period of time.  We leave on Oct. 11th and won't be home until Dec. 7th.  2 months!  We'll be touring Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.  We fly to Hanoi to start and I hope to block and post pictures as we go.



So life is busy!  I am worried about being away from family for so long.  Haven't done this before but as my mantra chants "you won't know until you try it".  Believe!  Go for it!  Life is short.....stay tuned!