Apr 1, 2018 - Yangon to Ho Chi Minh

Travel day today. 1st a flight to Bangkok (old airport) and then a flight to Ho Chi Minh City. We travelled via Don Mueang airport, Bangkok's 2nd airport, which is now used by the low cost airlines to help reduce traffic in the main airport. It is still very busy.

Mar 27, 2018 - Northern Vietnam -- SaPa, Ha Long Bay and Hanoi

Planes, trains and automobiles in one day! We had a short stopover in Hanoi after flying in from Hue before boarding our overnight Orient Express to SaPa in the north. We had the deluxe sleeper cabin for two. Sadly, it was NOT the luxurious and exotic Orient Express that you may be thinking of...this train was fairly rustic and shared toilet but at least it was private! We arrived into Loa Cai station at 6am, met our guide and driver then proceeded to drive 40 km uphill and harrowing switchback roads to SaPa. It was quite an investment in...

Mar 19, 2018 - Central Vietnam--Da Nang, Hoi An and Hue

Here we are now on the coast in Central Vietnam, in a stunning beach town called Da Nang. During the Vietnam War, the Americans used Da Nang as an airforce base. This was quite a strategic location because it was midway along the Ho Chi Minh trail which was the target of where the US dropped millions of tons of bombs. This was the main artery used by the Communist factions for transporting supplies and weapons from China and Russia down through Indochina. As well, it was a perfect place to transfer soldiers to when they were able to take a...

Mar 17, 2018 - Ho chi minh/Saigon

History: Founded as a small fishing village, Ho Chi Minh City is now Vietnam’s largest city. Though it is still commonly called Saigon, locals are as likely to simplify the name of their home town to HCMC. Pagodas blend with French colonial grandeur, all against a constant buzz of motor scooters and trill of bicycle bells. Let’s get it over with “Good Morning Vietnam” all I can say is motor bikes and karaoke, what an active city of 12 million. History, shopping and eating abound if you can get across the streets which do not have stop...

Mar 17, 2018 - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Temples, Palaces and the American War

Once again we are parked in the middle of nowhere or maybe it’s a concrete factory. Just dirt and cement port side except for our tour buses and the Lion show performers. Its sunny and blazing hot after the past week of cold and cool in China. The closest town is 20 miles away and Ho Chi Minh is 2.25 hours. We passed another docked cruise ship a while back as we came down the inlet. Maybe they got the better spot. At least, immigration was easy this time. We just had to pick up our stamped landing card and keep it with us. If we don’t hand...

Mar 17, 2018 - Robin # 5. Hanoi again

This morning we visited a different part of the city. We walked around Hoan Kiem Lake and the French Quarter. The lake is in a more upscale part of the city and is a widely used park. At 7:30 am the park was sprinkled with older people doing tai chi to wake their bodies up, small groups of friends visiting on benches and walking together, many people walking their dogs off lease; everyone enjoying the beautiful morning. In one area was an outdoor tai chi class, and in another was a group learning partner dancing to music! Apparently outdoor...

Mar 17, 2018 - Robin #4 Sapa, A Black Hmong Village and a long ride back to Hanoi

I am writing this tonight when I am hungry, tired, cranky and stiff after about 8 hours in a van. We woke up early, wrote and had a delicious buffet breakfast in beautiful surroundings. We took an hour ride in a car down the side of the mountain to Sapa. The road is only partially paved (an overly generous description) with deep ruts, rocky bumps and hairpin turns. We had to go very slowly, avoiding motor scooters, people walking on the side of the narrow road, animals grazing and hanging out. We pulled over frequently for vans going the...

Mar 16, 2018 - Steven Looking Backward

To my friends who haven't read our travel blogs before, I have to say I usually write better, and more, than I have so far. As I said in earlier posts, this has been a very disconcerting journey. Part of this is my current state of mind, having turned 65, with a commitment to continue working for awhile, but trying to conceive the next phase of my life, retiring within a couple of years but earning some more needed income. Part of me would love to return to clinical work, part of me would love to get a patron to support my writing and...

Mar 14, 2018 - Robin #3 Jungle walk and Topas Mountain Lodge

It is the middle of the night - or morning if we were home - and we are both up writing. Trying to chronically our activities and catch up with our thoughts. Today we woke to rumbling thunder followed by a downpour. I enjoyed being close to the storm; hearing, smelling and feeling it in a way you can only when you are in nature. Fortunately, it subsided in time for our hike through the valley to a waterfall. In the beginning all was in mist. As it slowly cleared terraced mountains, farms, storage shacks, thin waterfalls the length of the...

Mar 13, 2018 - Saigon, Vietnam

Good morning Vietnam! We are now in Saigon...a small city of approx. 10-12 million people and apparently, at least 5 million motorbikes! For many of you who have travelled through South East Asia, you've all seen how many people here have motorbikes versus cars. Complete families can fit on a motorbike and you can even call an UBER bike. Many reasons contribute to their wide use--cost, of course and also because the warm climate here allows year round use in a "controlled chaos" kind of way. It took almost 2 hours to clear immigration and...

Mar 13, 2018 - Robin # 2

Robin. #2. The Mountains A long 5 hr ride by van brought us well into the mountains to visit the Red Dao hill tribe. We transferred from van to car, then had to walk the last leg of the trip while our luggage was tied to the back seat of a motor scooter. We were to learn that pretty much anything can be transported in this fashion. The Nam Chang Riverside Lodge is a rustic remote jungle lodge in the village and is run by this hill tribe. It is beside a river and we crossed a suspension bridge to get there. Lunch was a few tasty fresh,...

Mar 13, 2018 - Steven Day Two/Three

I can call it day two even though this is Friday morning here because we have a printed itinerary and I have notes! The problems blogging while traveling like this – moving every other day, visiting daily life of a sort and sites of local value with local guides – are two: we are seeing and experiencing so much most of our time and energy goes into that and in our free time we're eating meals or talking or sleeping or finding the usual ways to relax (books, showers, sitting in peace on an outside bench), and (2) the great thing about...