tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57478137883077566922024-03-13T21:20:22.634-07:00Sailing Vessel LindaThis is the cruising log of Linda and Steve Maggarts/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.comBlogger216125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-36131788005318751932015-05-26T14:17:00.001-07:002015-05-26T14:17:37.587-07:00Emailing: 2015 fishing license for Linda.pdfYou might want to save this pdf to your file folders/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-65632135643069809342011-08-11T19:12:00.000-07:002011-08-11T20:05:21.502-07:00Final Blog of sv LindaAugust 11, 2011—At last I sat down to write my final blog. I have been putting it off but finally <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eroPwQ4Wx5o/TkSMb0YuCxI/AAAAAAAACAw/ia2c_xTKLqs/s1600/IMG_5573.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639787042921384722" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eroPwQ4Wx5o/TkSMb0YuCxI/AAAAAAAACAw/ia2c_xTKLqs/s200/IMG_5573.JPG" /></a>realized that it is time.
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<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tiEF-OoGL7E/TkSMQL9WO7I/AAAAAAAACAo/zXCPwjFsRUM/s1600/IMG_3513.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 153px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639786843090598834" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tiEF-OoGL7E/TkSMQL9WO7I/AAAAAAAACAo/zXCPwjFsRUM/s200/IMG_3513.JPG" /></a>We have been very busy since we returned to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We have enjoyed seeing family--Steve's mom Zelda, James (left), and Tim (right), as well as our friends. Steve has already been busy working on our home, and we have done some traveling too. We are happy to be back in New Mexico with all its wonderful food and the great climate. We are excited to be here for the fall, which is our favorite time of year, especially when the Hatch green chili harvest arrives.
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<br />We hope during the coming year to visit some of the wonderful cruising friends that we met along our journey. We often talk about our experiences during the seven years that we were on sv Linda and the one thing that was constant was the cruising community and how special it was. Without exception cruisers were always ready to assist in any way necessary to help someone in need. They unselfishly shared spare parts, knowledge, and moral support.
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<br />Some of the cruisers that we met are continuing on, and some, like us, have decided not to. To those who are continuing on we wish you safe sailing and many more fascinating experiences. The countries we visited and the local people that we met were always so inspiring. Where ever we went, we were greeted with big smiles and a request to have a picture taken with us. The people were so gracious and generous, and we always felt welcome. To those who are now landlubbers like us, we wish you the best.
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<br />A few days before we left Malaysia, we hoisted all our cruising and yacht club flags and took our last pictures of our lovely old boat. We thought that you might enjoy seeing them.
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<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xEC1LdZG_8/TkSMgIsPS1I/AAAAAAAACA4/TsD_-BQ87bk/s1600/IMG_5557.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639787117091441490" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6xEC1LdZG_8/TkSMgIsPS1I/AAAAAAAACA4/TsD_-BQ87bk/s200/IMG_5557.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1jbzisvFVE/TkSMqv49oDI/AAAAAAAACBA/UGQVDxXnB24/s1600/IMG_5572.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639787299412484146" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m1jbzisvFVE/TkSMqv49oDI/AAAAAAAACBA/UGQVDxXnB24/s200/IMG_5572.JPG" /></a>
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<br />s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-8526372402705056982011-07-26T19:38:00.000-07:002011-07-28T19:17:22.449-07:00Settling in back in Albuquerque<div><div><div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DdcG6o5nmVc/TjILoZqlq3I/AAAAAAAAB-o/tUUZPMOya_c/s1600/Megan%2527s%2BWedding%2B2.png"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; height: 150px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634578872506100594" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DdcG6o5nmVc/TjILoZqlq3I/AAAAAAAAB-o/tUUZPMOya_c/s200/Megan%2527s%2BWedding%2B2.png" /></a>July 28, 2011--We have been pretty busy since we returned home on July 7. My Goddaughter Megan and her husband Greg were married on July 9. Brie, Riley, and Drue flew in for the ceremony, and it was a treat to see the girls together again as they have known one another since they were born.The ceremony was beautiful, and everything went perfectly, and we were were very happy to be home for this special occasion. Megan's sister Alissa is on the left, then Drue, Brie, Riley, and Megan. </div><div> </div><div></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-00ll4TOEoJ4/TjISE7fvg6I/AAAAAAAAB-4/0qXTWGHfwkU/s1600/Vanessa.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 146px; height: 200px; float: left; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634585959693517730" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-00ll4TOEoJ4/TjISE7fvg6I/AAAAAAAAB-4/0qXTWGHfwkU/s200/Vanessa.JPG" /></a>On July 14 I met Vanessa, who babysat for me when my girls were very young, for lunch. She had seen my blog and recognized me so she left me a message. I have not seen her in a long time, but we picked up as though it were only yesterday. She is a beautiful young woman who is married with two children of her own, and it was such a special treat to see her again. We promised to keep in touch and see each other more often.</div><div><br /></div><div>Steve's nephew Jonathan and his wife Erin were married in Easton, Maryland, on July 17. Steve, his mom, and I flew to Maryland on Friday and were able to enjoy dinner with Jon and Erin at a restaurant situated on the waters of Chesapeake Bay.<br /><br />We enjoyed an afternoon visit to St. Michael's, which is a small community by the water. There were wonderful shops and restaurants with great food. Crab is plentiful in the area so we enjoyed crab sandwiches for lunch. We walked around for awhile and did our part to support the local community. In the evening we enjoyed meeting the wedding party and family members at the rehearsal dinner.</div><div> </div><div>On Sunday we drove to Oxford, which was an even smaller community. As it was Sunday, most shops were closed, but we still enjoyed driving around and looking at the lovely homes. We also found two boat yards, one of which was a yard that built Hinkley sailboats. At lunch time, we stopped at a restaurant on the water with a lovely deck. The sea breeze felt nice, and we enjoyed watching the sailboats leaving the marinas for an afternoon sail. It did make us a bit nostalgi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4cIbh3lkUY/TjINYe_LBLI/AAAAAAAAB-w/W7-P1oMYARc/s1600/Wedding%2B%252826%2529.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; width: 200px; height: 150px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634580798079960242" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y4cIbh3lkUY/TjINYe_LBLI/AAAAAAAAB-w/W7-P1oMYARc/s200/Wedding%2B%252826%2529.JPG" /></a>c.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday afternoon the wedding was held at The Oaks, which is a beautiful old home that is now used for private functions. An arbor was set up very close to the water on a large area of grass, and there were large trees so the setting was really lovely. The ceremony was beautiful and Jon and Erin make a lovely couple. We were again so happy to be able to share in such a special event.</div><div><br /> </div><div>We have gotten right back into life on shore as we each have a car and a cell phone. Right now we are busy working on our home, which we plan to completely renovate. First, we need to rebuild a shed in the back yard so that Steve can have a woodworking shop, and we also have quite a bit of landscaping work to do. That should keep us busy for awile. </div></div><div> </div><div>I will travel with our younger daughter Drue to southern Michigan the first week of August where she will get settled in and ready to begin medical school at Michigan State--that will be exciting. the next big event will be in December when our older daughter Brie is expecting a boy, and we will go to San Diego to help Brie, Tim, and our precious Riley welcome a new member of the family.</div><div> </div><div><div><br />I will post my last blog next week, and that will be a very difficult one to write.<br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-15405052204169857092011-07-10T19:04:00.000-07:002011-07-11T15:00:54.822-07:00Long Trip HomeJuly 10, 2011--Our trip home was a challenge, to say the least. We repacked our bags the night of July 5 for the last time. We had to fit some clothes and other personal items that we had been using. This meant, of course, that we ended up having to shift some weight from some bags to other bags. We spent another three hours rearranging items until each of our NINE bags weighed no more than 50 pounds. Thank heavens for the scale that Wendy and Gary lent us. We thought that we would be bored our last day in Malaysia, but that was not the case.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>The next day we got ready to leave, and then James picked us up at noon to take us to lunch along with Gary and Wendy. We ate at Lido's Restaurant where we enjoyed delicious fish, steamed potato leaves, pork, and rice. We had heard so much about this restaurant and how good the food was--it was the truth.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>After lunch James dropped us off at the Star Shuttle Company, and we drug our nine bags plus four carry-on bags into the lobby. The people working at the counter could not believe how much baggage we had. Luckily, they did not charge us any extra for excess baggage. Our bus was about 30 minutes late in departing; however, the bus driver made excellent time so we arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport around seven that evening. We had to get two trolleys in order to move all the baggage and finding an empty elevator became quite a feat, but we finally managed to nab an empty one that had enough room for the two of us.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>We had to stand in line for about an hour before we could check in, and unloading our nine bags<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-keNJcRL2bfc/ThttQS4IgLI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/_XLRySOH4eg/s1600/July%2B2011%2B004.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628212286042177714" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-keNJcRL2bfc/ThttQS4IgLI/AAAAAAAAB-Y/_XLRySOH4eg/s200/July%2B2011%2B004.jpg" /></a> at the counter became another interesting exercise. We had to pile all nine bags on the scale at the same time in order to weight them, so we had a very large pile sitting on the conveyor belt. When the agent finally figured out the charge for our excess baggage, it came to $750--ouch, that hurt!</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>After that ordeal we walked to Burger King where we enjoyed a Whopper with fries. It tasted so good and would help to hold us over until our next meal. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>We went to the gate and tried to relax until our flight, which left at 10:50 p.m. We boarded on time and found our seats. We were carrying Steve's guitar so I had to ask the flight attendant if I could put it in a safer place than the overhead compartment. She was very helpful and placed it in the closet with the flight crew's jackets. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>Our flight from KLIA to Tokyo took about seven hours. We had two seats together so it was not too bad, and the flight was not very full either. When we arrived in Tokyo, however, we were still pretty stiff from sitting for so long. Our first stop was to find the day room that we had booked for seven hours. We checked in and found the room to be very clean with two beds and a bathroom including a shower. We immediately climbed into bed and slept for the next four hours. </div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZvZGwmCbAQ/ThttseKOXCI/AAAAAAAAB-g/hpsCSyNY6uY/s1600/July%2B2011%2B009.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628212770107186210" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QZvZGwmCbAQ/ThttseKOXCI/AAAAAAAAB-g/hpsCSyNY6uY/s200/July%2B2011%2B009.jpg" /></a>Around noon we got up and left to find some lunch. We found a bar that had food so we decided to have teriyaki chicken with noodles and rice. The food was delicious, and the cold beer tasted very good. We were a bit surprised by the cost of $40. It was good, but not that good. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Our next stop was at the American Airlines counter to see if we could get an isle seat for the leg from Tokyo to Dallas. The seats we had were the two center seats in a row of four, and we hoped to get one on the isle. We had no luck with that; however, the agent advised us that we could upgrade to business class. The amount was more than we wanted to spend, but Steve and I decided that it would be worth it for the 11-hour flight to DFW. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>Knowing that we would be able to sleep on the next flight, we returned to our room, showered, and got dressed. We checked out two hours early and went to the Admiral's Club to enjoy WIFI, some food, and a drink.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>At 5:30 p.m. we boarded the plane and settled into our wonderfully comfortable and wide seats. We spent the next 11 hours enjoying movies, a great dinner, and a glass of wine. We were able to sleep for several hours, and that made all the difference in the world. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>We arrived in Dallas at 3:50 p.m. on July 7 and had just two hours before our flight left for Albuquerque. We went through Immigrations with no problems and proceeded to baggage claim to get our bags. We grabbed two trolley; however, they were smaller than the ones at KLIA, so we were worried about getting all nine bags on them. It took quite awhile for us to collect all of the bags, but they did fit, and as soon as we had them all, we went to Customs. We expected questions about so many bags so I had typed up a list of the contents of the bags in case the agent asked us. The Customs agent we got was very pleasant. We explained why we were returning to the states and why we had so many bags. All he asked was if we had any food. When we told him that we did not, he let us continue on. Thank goodness we didn't have to unload any of the bags. We never would have been able to repack them the same way.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>We quickly rechecked our bags and headed for Terminal A to catch our flight. We had to wait just 30 minutes before we started boarding. There was a contingent of soldiers from Fort Hood, and I asked one of them if they were leaving or returning home. He told me that they were going to Albuquerque for some training and would then head to Afghanistan for another tour. When he told me that, I thanked him for his service.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>Our last flight was just over an hour, and when we landed in Albuquerque, we were very ready to be done. We went out to the curb with our carry-on bags to wait for James and Zelda to pick us up. Steve then proceeded to pick up the bags two at a tiime and bring them out to the curb. Just as he finished with the last bags, James drove up in our truck, and we loaded all the bags into the back. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>It felt so good to be home again. The mountains were beautiful as the sunset shone on them, and there were big thunder clouds all around. The weather was warm but not uncomfortable, and we enjoyed the ride home and caught up on the latest happenings.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>We have spent the past few days trying to get over our jet lag and to adjust to being back in the states. We are waking up at four in the morning and can hardly stay awake by the afternoon, but things will improve over the next few days.</div><br /><br /><br /><div>I plan to post one or two more blogs during the next few weeks, so keep checking in with us. </div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-44864912776552453612011-07-05T19:38:00.000-07:002011-07-05T19:41:36.472-07:00Sale of sv LindaJuly 6, 2011--On July 3, 2011, we finalized the sale of sv Linda. We fly out of Malaysia tonight and will arrive home on Thursday, July 7. I will post one or two more blogs with details of our last few weeks here at Pangkor Island.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-63585010926561243662011-06-23T00:17:00.000-07:002011-06-24T00:12:03.862-07:00Offer on sv Linda<div><br /><div><br /><div>June 22, 2011--The latest news is that we have received, and have accepted, an offer on sv Linda. Now we are waiting for the sea trial and survey to be done on July 2 and 3. We have spent our time taking care of a few last minute small jobs; but, other than that, she is in fine shape. </div><br /><div><br />Last week James’ wife Ling drove four of us ladies to town to get a <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4cn9GXwfCh4/TgQ2sdQce3I/AAAAAAAAB-A/o4WrtKaSYHY/s1600/IMG_3305.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621678372260969330" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4cn9GXwfCh4/TgQ2sdQce3I/AAAAAAAAB-A/o4WrtKaSYHY/s200/IMG_3305.JPG" /></a>shampoo and cut. The salon turned out to very nice, and the man who cut my hair did a fine job. All of us were a bit surprised, however, at the price. My cut (no shampoo) was 22 RM—that amounts to about $9. Now that may sound like a bargain, but for this part of the world it is a bit pricey. </div><br /><div><br />We continue to go to lunch every few days with Gary, Wendy, and James. We have found a bakery that has amazing baguettes, egg tarts, blueberry cheese tarts, and rolls; but, actually, we are trying not to go there too often as all the good food is beginning to take a toll. We also found a great restaurant called Foos Steak House that has wonderful steak sandwiches on homemade bread.<br /></div><br /><div>We took the ferry across to Pangkor Island with Gary and Wendy for lunch one day, only to find that our favorite restaurant was closed. We decided to eat at another one of the local eateries, and we enjoyed soup, chicken and rice, noodles, and barbecued pork. The food was very good, and we were pleased until we received the bill. The total was 58 RM, which is about $18. We questioned the bill, and, luckily, the woman had written the amounts down on a piece of cardboard. Instead of 4.50 RM for the chicken and rice, she wrote 45 RM. We pointed out the mistake, saying that it was the most expensive chicken and rice we had had in Malaysia. All the people working in the restaurant laughed, and the one man who spoke English said that it was a mistake. We knew that it wasn’t, but we just smiled, paid our bill, and left. </div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cBqw0q5d7Uw/TgQ3E0sdSOI/AAAAAAAAB-I/VXaW8wOm2ks/s1600/IMG_5503.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621678790869338338" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cBqw0q5d7Uw/TgQ3E0sdSOI/AAAAAAAAB-I/VXaW8wOm2ks/s200/IMG_5503.JPG" /></a>We have cleaned out and packed up most of our belongings tha<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXoi2XHhUjg/TgQ3-sNbWTI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/xx9pz_Qml_o/s1600/IMG_5506.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621679785024117042" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CXoi2XHhUjg/TgQ3-sNbWTI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/xx9pz_Qml_o/s200/IMG_5506.JPG" /></a>t will go home with us. James has been gracious enough to let us store our bags—all eight of them—in a room in the office. The only problem with packing things up is that no sooner have we cleared it out than Steve needs a tool or something else to finish up a chore. The two ladies in the office, Akina and Azira, are very good natured about our coming in to get something out of a bag and then returning it to the bag the next day. The three dock workers, Shar, Adam, and Bear, are also very helpful with anything we might need.</div><br /><div><br />Now we will just wait until the first weekend of July. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly, and then we will fly home on July 7.</div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-73660424848411122702011-06-11T20:06:00.000-07:002011-06-12T17:16:46.585-07:00Good Fishing in MalaysiaJune 12, 2011—It has been busy for the past few weeks. As we work on the boat, we keep finding little things that need some work. The temperature has become even warmer so we are even more grateful to have the air conditioner. Any outside work, such as putting Cetol on the caprail or cleaning the decks, is done before nine o’clock. After that the surface of the caprail or the deck becomes too hot to work on.<br /><br />We have unloaded all the aft lockers, and then Steve cleaned them and put on a new coat of paint so now they look very nice. We also took out all the sails and mad<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AkAV69dwLOw/TfQ8o3YbwlI/AAAAAAAAB9o/hQW1j29EDMs/s1600/IMG_3289.JPG"></a>e sure that they were clean and had no mold on them. We then neatly repacked each locker. We also spent some time cleaning out the bilge, which had become a bit dirty.<br /><br />I have spent quite a bit of time packing items that we will be taking home into suitcases. James, the marina manager, has been kind enough to let us store the bags in a locked room at the office. This has allowed us to move any unnecessary items from the boat to reduce the clutter. Before we leave, we will have to weigh the bags, as they have to be less than 50 pounds, and redistribute items as necessary.<br /><br />One day about a week ago, James asked Steve if he would like to go fishing, which he did. Steve, Gary, Daniel, and Daniel’s oldest son all hopped on board. They left around 5:30 in the evening and returned around 9 o’clock. Steve had caught a lovely Queen fish, which is a nice, white meat fish. All together the guys caught 40 small tuna. We immediately set up a barbeque to cook the fish. Wendy brought some salad, I contributed some bread, and we all enjoyed a lovely meal. Some of the tuna became sushi, which as excellent. Daniel’s wife Hiro brought seaweed to wrap the rice in, and when you added some tuna, it was excellent.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZzPgDkaP9I/TfQ6hq46FHI/AAAAAAAAB9A/5nfiZGJ8yDw/s1600/IMG_5426.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 184px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 133px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617178985360921714" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2ZzPgDkaP9I/TfQ6hq46FHI/AAAAAAAAB9A/5nfiZGJ8yDw/s200/IMG_5426.JPG" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LZsw9KO1REs/TfQ-duOFJYI/AAAAAAAAB94/Q_lAcoI54U4/s1600/IMG_5466.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 155px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 114px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617183315582068098" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LZsw9KO1REs/TfQ-duOFJYI/AAAAAAAAB94/Q_lAcoI54U4/s200/IMG_5466.JPG" /></a><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 181px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617176808396421170" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VV-freCDUq4/TfQ4i9EH-DI/AAAAAAAAB8g/I2uxj921mQs/s200/IMG_5442.JPG" /><br /><br />On June 5, all the cruisers on the dock were invited by Mr. Ding, a part owner in the marina, to <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eeN3U7B4PrI/TfQ8otVtpYI/AAAAAAAAB9g/ghnKCr34Psc/s1600/IMG_3290.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617181305300952450" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eeN3U7B4PrI/TfQ8otVtpYI/AAAAAAAAB9g/ghnKCr34Psc/s200/IMG_3290.JPG" /></a>his grandson’s first birthday party. We first met Mr. Ding at the Methodist church on Easter Sunday when we learned that his son’s wife had passed away recently leaving his son with a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old boy. The son and his children live with Mr. Ding and his wife, and they seem to be a very close family.<br /><br />Mr. Ding had arranged the dinner party at the Bar Restaurant, which is on the second floor of the main building and overlooks the ocean. We have seen some beautiful sunsets from there, and that evening was lovely as <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JNlBibUxbv4/TfQ9jvN3IoI/AAAAAAAAB9w/VSVn5f47FyU/s1600/IMG_3289.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 176px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 147px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5617182319417172610" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JNlBibUxbv4/TfQ9jvN3IoI/AAAAAAAAB9w/VSVn5f47FyU/s200/IMG_3289.JPG" /></a>well. We enjoyed the traditional food of fried rice, fried noodles, prawns, fried chicken strips, small hot dogs, watermelon, and pineapple. Mr. Ding also brought some other wonderful fruit, of which I cannot begin to remember the names, to our table for us to enjoy. To finish it all off, we enjoyed a cream cheese birthday cake.<br /><br />A couple of days ago we joined Gary, Wendy, and James and went to Fat Man’s Curry Restaurant. Now the name would imply that it has Indian food, but, actually, it is a Chinese restaurant that is owned by a large Chinese man and his wife. We enjoyed wild boar in red wine sauce, bok choy, and a tofu dish, along with rice and a local beer. It was all very good, and we were especially surprised at how good the boar was.<br /><br />It is overcast today, which helps a bit with the heat, but the humidity is definitely higher. The night before last we had quite a bit of thunder and lightning during the evening, but, luckily, the wind never blew very hard. Last night we again had a bit of rain, but nothing very significant.<br /><br />We plan to return to the states the first week of July, and we will just wait to see if anything happens with the boat. We may take a quick trip somewhere, but it all depends on the schedule with the boat. Things are pretty low key right now, but I guess that it won’t kill us to take it easy for awhile.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-25627298095705729952011-05-24T20:22:00.001-07:002011-05-26T03:51:58.959-07:00Out and About in MalaysiaMay 24, 2011--I can’t believe that it is already May 24, and that I haven’t written a blog since May 11.<br /><br />On Mother’s Day we went up to The Bar Restaurant and were surprised to see that they were offering a Set Meal that included pumpkin soup, a quarter roasted chicken with potato wedges and mixed vegetables, watermelon for dessert, and a fruit drink. We paid a total of 30 RM or $15 USD, and the meal was delicious, plus we were able to enjoy a lovely sunset from our outdoor table.<br /><br />On Friday, May 13 we decided to take the ferry from Marina Island to Lumut for lunch. We boarded the ferry at 11 a.m. and arrived at Pangkor Island just in time to get on the ferry to <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0v1PxcbaEE/Tdx_liqAJ1I/AAAAAAAAB7s/IzlN-s8a4WY/s1600/Monitor.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 166px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 110px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610499518731659090" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z0v1PxcbaEE/Tdx_liqAJ1I/AAAAAAAAB7s/IzlN-s8a4WY/s200/Monitor.jpg" /></a>Lumut. Before we left, we looked out the window and saw this monitor lizard swimming up to the boat. As we pulled away from the dock, Steve said that he watched the lizard actually running across the water trying to catch a bird. The whole trip took us about 30 minutes. We left the ferry terminal and walked to Jook’s Bar (the yachties call it Duke’s) where we enjoyed a steak sandwich on a baguette roll, French fries, and a cold beer. We had planned to spend the afternoon in Lumut, but it was so hot that we gave up after two hours and returned to the ferry to head back to the boat and the air-conditioning.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hL2_kn58M-I/TdyJi2tP6UI/AAAAAAAAB70/V6Ua2Q_bIHg/s1600/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%25283%2529.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 171px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 132px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610510467690654018" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hL2_kn58M-I/TdyJi2tP6UI/AAAAAAAAB70/V6Ua2Q_bIHg/s200/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%25283%2529.JPG" /></a>On May 20 we decided to go to Penang for our belated anniversary gift. We left the boat and took a taxi into Lumut where we caught the Internasional bus up to Butterworth. It was a three-hour ride that turned into a five-hour ride because the air-conditioner fan belt broke, so we had to wait in Kuala Kangsar for the mechanic to replace the belt. We took advantage of the time to eat some lunch at one of the stalls, and the food was quite good. We had chicken and pineapple in curry sauce over rice.<br /><br />We arrived in Butterworth and walked from the bus station to the ferry station that was right <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uGyM9obasjk/TdyL-siTqsI/AAAAAAAAB8M/W9pGP41UjGk/s1600/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%25286%2529.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 165px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 110px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610513145020000962" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uGyM9obasjk/TdyL-siTqsI/AAAAAAAAB8M/W9pGP41UjGk/s200/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%25286%2529.JPG" /></a>next door, and we were able to get on the ferry immediately and enjoyed the ride across the channel to Penang. We have sailed in this channel twice on our boat and have had to dodge these ferries both times. In the picture I took on board the ferry a bird flew through the passenger level just as I clicked the shutter.<br /><br />We arrived in Penang and walked to the taxi stop where we were immediately hussled into a waiting taxi and driven to the Traders Hotel Resort. As this was our anniversary celebration, we decided <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n1Bdq4zYVx4/TdyKO1T7rkI/AAAAAAAAB78/kofH17VLhAE/s1600/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%252817%2529.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 163px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 127px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610511223230279234" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n1Bdq4zYVx4/TdyKO1T7rkI/AAAAAAAAB78/kofH17VLhAE/s200/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%252817%2529.JPG" /></a>that a stay in a five-star resort would be nice. The hotel was beautiful, and we were pleased with our room. The pool was lovely, and we spent each afternoon relaxing there and reading our books.<br /><br />We had seen much of Penang on our way through in November, so we just enjoyed a relaxing weekend. We went back to our favorite r<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g4V87ByC0to/TdyKlTuHx-I/AAAAAAAAB8E/wJuTSVckf1Q/s1600/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%252812%2529.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5610511609350309858" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g4V87ByC0to/TdyKlTuHx-I/AAAAAAAAB8E/wJuTSVckf1Q/s200/Trip%2Bto%2BPenang%2B%252812%2529.JPG" /></a>estaurant—Restauran Kapitan—each day for lunch because the Indian food there is exceptional. We enjoyed Chicken Tikka Masala, Butter Chicken Curry, and Kabobs with assorted meat on them. They also serve Naan, which is a type of flat bread that is wonderful, and you can order it plain, with butter and garlic, or one of seven other flavors.<br /><br />One evening we went to the Hawkers Stalls just up the street where we enjoyed roast duck and rice with a cold beer. There were so many stalls offering so many different dishes that it was hard to choose. The area was filled with locals and tourists who were enjoying their evening meals.<br /><br />On Sunday night we went to the eight-story mall next door and saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It cost us 28 RM or $9 USD, and we got to sit in a “couples” seat. We had arrived a little early so we went into a room where people were sitting on couches watching previews until their movie was scheduled to start. We thought that was a novel idea.<br /><br />On Monday we took the ferry back over to Butterworth and caught our bus back down to Lumut. We grabbed dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken and took the taxi back to Marina Island. It was nice to get away for a few days, but it was also nice to return home.<br /><br />We have a few additional jobs that we need to address on the boat, and we want to finish them during the next two weeks. After that, all the work that we feel needs to be done will be finished, and we can relax a bit.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-77076469873386202162011-05-11T20:25:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:41:50.084-07:00sv Linda Brokerage ListingMay 11, 2011--The web page that lists Linda for sale is now online. I have included the link at the bottom right-hand side. Our listing can be found with the 40-foot yachts, and there are great pictures as well as information regarding her inventories. The listing is at<br /><br /><a href="http://yachtbroker-charters.com/YBC%20monos%20page.htm">http://yachtbroker-charters.com/YBC%20monos%20page.htm</a>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-48346609857405795122011-05-04T00:52:00.000-07:002011-05-07T06:26:46.439-07:00Preparing the Boat in Pangkor, MalaysiaMay 7, 2011--We have spent the past three weeks working hard on the boat. We spent several days preping and then repainting the non-skid on the decks and coach roof. We also washed all the exterior canvas, cleaned out closets and cabinets, buffed the interior teak, and did a lot of general cleaning. Steve spent a whole day rewiring the engine, because after 13 years in the marine environment, it was needed.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-16WgVaOaZxg/TcVDvdjjFkI/AAAAAAAAB7k/lyzTIJvBcR4/s1600/IMG_3185.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603959793999091266" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-16WgVaOaZxg/TcVDvdjjFkI/AAAAAAAAB7k/lyzTIJvBcR4/s200/IMG_3185.JPG" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603959202747494914" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-71Sk2FFphvs/TcVDNC-LsgI/AAAAAAAAB7U/C2HRXv2lQIo/s200/IMG_3179.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /><br /><br />James, who is the marina manager here, has been very helpful. If we need any supplies or groceries, he always volunteers to drive us to town. Also, Gary and Wendy on sv Spirit of Sabraon are right across the dock from us, and they kept an eye on the boat while we were in the states. They are well acquainted with the town and often <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qkjPzm2kVMg/TcUaXCNn3QI/AAAAAAAAB6M/HtGqQIzUD2M/s1600/IMG_3192.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603914294365773058" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qkjPzm2kVMg/TcUaXCNn3QI/AAAAAAAAB6M/HtGqQIzUD2M/s200/IMG_3192.JPG" /></a>will use James’ car to drive us <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpVBH9do6FE/TcUaxClly2I/AAAAAAAAB6U/SrF--_4umXU/s1600/IMG_3194.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603914741142899554" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpVBH9do6FE/TcUaxClly2I/AAAAAAAAB6U/SrF--_4umXU/s200/IMG_3194.JPG" /></a>around. Often we all go to lunch together and have been to some excellent local restaurants. It is much better when James is along because he orders the best dishes for us to try. The last lunch included some “drinks” that quite interesting. One was made from peanuts, another from tapioca, and another from squash. They were all room temperature, and most were pretty good just not cold enough. We had a variety of noodle dishes and one curry dish. They were all very good. Wendy and Gary added two herbal teas. The whole lunch cost 29 RM or $10 USD.</p>The Eastern Sail Malaysia Rally came through last week, but it was a much smaller rally with only about 15 boats. They were here for several days and then left to head for Singapore. From there they will sail along the eastern coast of Malaysia and then across to Brunei. We knew a few of the boats from the Indonesia Rally and the Western Sail Malaysia Rally.<br /><br />There are only four boats here at the moment. The rainy season is setting in and the temperatures are hotter. Luckily, we got our painting done on some dry days. Of course, our air-conditioner is on all the time. We usually work outside in the mornings and then work inside during the heat of the day in the afternoons or just relax and do some reading. The evenings are not too bad, and there is always a sea breeze that helps to keep things a bit cooler.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCvPSqvrTXQ/TcVA4vb3dhI/AAAAAAAAB68/tBzZxI14pCc/s1600/IMG_3212.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 124px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603956654882649618" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JCvPSqvrTXQ/TcVA4vb3dhI/AAAAAAAAB68/tBzZxI14pCc/s200/IMG_3212.JPG" /></a>We contacted Paul, who is a boat broker here in Malaysia, and he told us that he might have a prospective buyer for the boat. We called him when we had finished the major projects, and this past Friday he came to Pangkor to take pictures <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ81ast4iek/TcU-TdtRTMI/AAAAAAAAB60/BnrwdTMMXok/s1600/IMG_3196.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603953815445392578" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QQ81ast4iek/TcU-TdtRTMI/AAAAAAAAB60/BnrwdTMMXok/s200/IMG_3196.JPG" /></a>for the ad that will be on h<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rUNigDDros0/TcU-OJEugoI/AAAAAAAAB6s/B5bcWJhhmpU/s1600/IMG_3213.JPG"></a>is web site and on Yacht World. His photographer Sue took quite a few pictures, and Steve showed them the workings of the boat. Keith and Kay, a couple from Australia, came down with Paul and came aboard to see the boat. They were very positive about her, and we were grateful for the feedback. Paul also felt that she would show well.<br /><br />We had taken the air-conditioner off for the pictures and had unloaded more items that we plan to take home. We also had to remove the sun shade from the boat for the pictures. Naturally, the air-conditioner was the first thing to go back on after everyone left. We got the boat organized again, ate a small dinner, showered in our swimsuits on the dock, and went to bed. It had been a long day.<br /><br />Today we went to Duke's Bar in town with Gary and Wendy and Jerry and Joanie from sv Lotus. Duke's has delicious steak sandwiches and cold beer. After that we made a quick trip to Tesco for some groceries, including rotissery chicken, and then we returned to the boat to put everything away.<br /><br />As soon as the listing is posted, I will put a link to them so that you can see the pictures if you are interested. We plan to do a few additional smaller projects in the time that we are still here. We still do now know exactly when we will fly home; however, I will continue to write blogs as long as we are here.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-19910250350480403322011-04-21T05:37:00.000-07:002011-04-21T05:43:47.045-07:00Back in Pangkor, MalaysiaApril 21, 2011—Our flight home on March 27 began with a five-hour bus ride to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. We arrived at approximately 7:30 p.m. and waited half an hour to check our bags. We then decided to get a small bite to eat and wait for our flight at 11:50.<br /><br />Our flight to Tokyo left on time, and we were surprised that it was only half full. We were flying on Japan Airlines, and everything went well. Our flight took about six hours, and when we got off the plane, we went to the first coffee shop we could find. We were sitting on comfortable chairs enjoying a hot cup of coffee when I felt the floor shaking. Not being exposed to earthquakes before, I thought that perhaps some construction was going on close by. After just a few seconds, I told Steve that I thought it was an earthquake. He agreed and told me that the painting on the wall behind me was shaking. The shaking lasted for about five minutes and then stopped. When we were able to get Internet a little later, we saw that a 6.5 aftershock had occurred up north. It was an amazing experience, and I could only imagine what the original quake must have felt like.<br />About six hours later our flight on American Airlines left Tokyo headed for Dallas. We settled in for a very long flight and spent our time either trying to sleep or watching movies. The good news was that the tailwind made it possible for the plane to arrive an hour early—the bad news was that we flew over Albuquerque on our way to Dallas.<br /><br />We had a two-hour layover in Dallas, which gave us time to eat lunch and walk around a bit. Our two-hour flight to Albuquerque was uneventful, and after almost forty hours of travel we were very happy to be back in the states. Tim and Zelda picked us up and took us to Zelda’s house.<br /><br />The next few days were very busy. Steve and his mom finalized the arrangements for his brother’s services, and we helped Zelda with some projects around the house. David’s service was on April 5. The next day the three of us, along with our friend Dwight, spent a night up at the cabin in Chama in order to get Zelda’s room put back together after everything had been moved out because of a water leak in the roof.<br /><br />Steve stayed in town to help his mom, and I left for San Diego on April 7 to see the girls and Riley. Southwest was still a mess because of the metal fatigue concerns, so I decided to carry on my luggage. My flight out of Albuquerque and the one out of Phoenix were both delayed because of weather in Chicago. I spoke with the attendant at the gate, and luckily I was able to get on the direct flight that would get me in at my regular time—good thing I hadn’t checked my bag.<br /><br />Brie’s husband Tim was in Phoenix on business so it was just us girls. I had a delightful time catching up with Brie and Drue, and I had a chance to babysit Riley and spend some one-on-one time with her. It was over way too soon as I had to return to Albuquerque on Sunday.<br /><br />We left on Monday at 7:50 p.m. to fly to Los Angeles and from there we flew on Cathay Pacific Airliines to Hong Kong. We found the seats on that flight to be quite uncomfortable. Also, we had paid extra for the exit row seats; however, because they were by the toilet, people were around us all night, and some stepped on our toes. Unfortunately, we were bucking a head wind all the way to Hong Kong, so the flight took us 15 hours. We were more than happy to arrive in Hong Kong and get off the plane for awhile. We had about three hours before our flight to Kuala Lumpur, so we ate lunch and walked around a bit to stretch our legs.<br /><br />The final leg of our trip took four hours. On that Cathay Pacific flight, the seats were more comfortable, and we were able to watch some more movies, so we are now somewhat caught up on recent movies. We arrived just a half hour late for the bus back to Pangkor, so we enjoyed a Burger King hamburger with fries and waited two hours for the next bus.<br /><br />The bus ride back took only four and a half hours, and we were so tired that we slept part of the way. When we arrived at seven o’clock, Gary and Wendy, who are our neighbors on the dock, picked us up and took us to dinner. We enjoyed a nice meal at a local restaurant and then headed back to the boat. It took us only a few minutes to drop our bags below, get ready for bed, and crash.<br /><br />The trip was long and tiring; however, it was also good to be home. We found out that our daughter Brie is pregnant again. Our daughter Drue found out in March that she was accepted to medical school at Michigan State University and is on the alternate list at The University of New Mexico so she will start school in August. It will be a busy year. Our boys James and Tim were a great help to Zelda until we could get home and then to us during our stay.<br /><br />I have found this a difficult blog to write and have put it off for a week now. For several reasons Steve and I have decided that it is time for us to return home. We have contacted a broker to list the boat for sale and have spent the past ten days working to get her ready. I have been cleaning out closets and cupboards of all the unnecessary items and have given away food that we can’t possibly eat before we return home. Steve has been working on the topsides.<br /><br />Depending on how long it takes us to get our work done, we will haul the boat out of the water and put her on the hard at Pangkor Island Marina in the next month or two, and then return home. It will be very hard to leave her. As we were walking to the marina office the other day, I turned to look at her tied at the dock. She has such lovely lines and has performed so well for us for 25,000 miles. She is truly a classic beauty!<br /><br />I will update the blog again in a week or two.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-17562614811040808222011-03-26T03:00:00.000-07:002011-03-26T03:10:52.145-07:00Langkawi to PangkorMarch 26, 2011—Our trip from Langkawi to Penang went fairly well. We left Rebak Marina around 11 o’clock on March 22 and motored just a few miles to the Fjord anchorage. We dropped the hook in the small bay and were thrilled to see that we had it all to ourselves.<br /><br />We took the time in the afternoon to just relax and made our last weather checks. We decided to leave at 6 a.m. in order to have enough time to make it to Pangkor before dark. We pulled the anchor and discovered that the wash down pump was not working so Steve and I had to clean the chain by hand as it came up, and it was not fun because there was heavy mud on it. It was still dark when we left, but the moon gave us enough light to see by, and we had to dodge only a few fishing boats.<br /><br />We motored most of the way; however, in the afternoon the wind picked up enough that we were making very good time. We had one heavy rain for about 20 minutes, but we had no high winds associated with it. As we approached the entrance to the channel at Penang, the waves had built and were rolling by us just off the beam. It was making the ride a bit uncomfortable; however, when we got in the lee of the island, the waves calmed right down, the current pushed us nicely along, and the ride through the channel was quite enjoyable. Our only stressful moment was when we had four ferries all crossing the channel at the same time but from four directions.<br /><br />We entered Jerejak Anchorage at about 5 p.m. and looked for our anchorage spot. We saw a fishing net in front of us, so we turned and went further south to drop our anchor. After getting the anchor down and everything secure on the bow, we looked up and saw the same net coming at the boat. It was a drift net so it was moving with the current. It was too late for us to pull our anchor so the net went on both sides of our boat. We tried pulling it from one side to the other; however, the net was deep, and we could not budge it. We decided to give up and hoped that the owner would see what had happened and come out.<br /><br />He did see, and he did come out with two men, and he was not happy. He started yelling at us about his net and told us to pull the anchor. Steve responded that if we did we would tear his net. The owner then was yelling at us for not seeing the net, so Steve told him that we anchored in a designated anchorage and the net drifted onto us. After much grumbling and posturing, they took one end and pulled it across our bow so that we were free. We agreed to move to the side of the anchorage so we pulled the anchor and moved.<br /><br />The holding was good, and the anchor set well when I was backing down with the engine in <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBvZp0-Wr_U/TY26yx_84uI/AAAAAAAAB6E/P0uFMJgVjJc/s1600/IMG_3110.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5588328094214447842" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBvZp0-Wr_U/TY26yx_84uI/AAAAAAAAB6E/P0uFMJgVjJc/s200/IMG_3110.JPG" /></a>reverse. Just when we finished, the throttle cable broke. This meant disassembling the pedestal to get at the cable. It was an hour before dark, so Steve started right in on the project. Once we had the top off, we could see that the set screw holding the cable in place had come out, so all we had to do was replace the screw. This was, of course, more difficult that it sounds. Steve had to remove a small center section of the pedestal, and the screws were tough to get loose. Then he had to remove a long bolt that was very hard to get a grip on. Working together we were able to get the set screw in and began to reassemble the whole thing. Just when we thought we were there, the bolt dropped out of the hole. Luckily, Steve had a replacement bolt, so we kept working and finished the job just as it got dark.<br /><br />We slept well that night and woke at 6:30 to leave. We needed more light to leave this anchorage because a bridge is being constructed, and the waterway is filled with barges and other ships. Steve did a quick download of email and weather only to learn that his brother had passed away that morning. Steve was able to call his mom to get the details, and she asked if he could come home so we told her that we would leave as soon as we could get a flight.<br /><br />We decided that we would continue to Pangkor and leave from there. The weather was nice, but the current was not being helpful. We spent most of the day in calm seas but had another major rain shower, again with no wind. The fishing boats were out in force, so we played “dodge the fleet” for most of the day. About mid-afternoon the wind picked up just enough to increase our speed so that we were able to make it through the channel and into the marina by 7 p.m.<br />We were greeted at the dock by James and his crew, who got us all tied up. Glen and Marilyn from sv Tin Soldier were there as well. They are putting the boat on the hard and going back to Canada in a few days. We had a quick reunion and then called it a night.<br /><br />The next morning Steve began a search for flights home. Since it was short notice, he had to work at it, but we did manage to book one that worked. We spent the day getting things out to be packed to go home and preparing the boat. The sv Spirit of Sobraon with Gary and Wendy aboard are also here, and they told us there would be a pot luck on the dock at 7 p.m. so I decided to make spaghetti and garlic bread. At 7:30 Tin Soldier had been pulled out and was on the hard, so the crew from the marina joined us, as well as couples from some of the other boats on the hard. There was plenty of food, and everyone seemed to have a good time. We called it quits at 10 o’clock and returned to the boat.<br /><br />It rained most of the night and into the morning so we just stayed below and worked on chores. It is quite hot so it doesn’t take much effort before one is sweating and hot. We have to pace ourselves with frequent breaks, but we managed to get things done. We will leave tomorrow night from Kuala Lumpur and be in Albuquerque in the afternoon on March 28. We will have two weeks at home before we return to Malaysia and continue down the coast.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-50657740357132056962011-03-21T16:10:00.000-07:002011-03-21T16:14:34.245-07:00Leaving LangkawiMarch 21, 2011—We have spent the past week preparing the boat to leave Langkawi. I did all the laundry from our trip and cleaned the boat, while Steve checked the systems to make sure that we were ready to go. Yesterday we spent the day in Kuah buying provisions, sailing guides, plumbing, etc. We also met sv September for one last lunch, and last night we enjoyed dinner with Melinda and Dave on sv Sassoon, who just returned from Australia yesterday.<br /><br />It is quite hot here now so the air-conditioner has really helped. We worked slowly for most of the day, but in the afternoon we usually went to the pool for an hour or so to cool off and discuss the sailing situation in the Red Sea with other cruisers. Several boats from the Indonesia Rally have changed plans and will be heading to South Africa instead, either this year or next.<br /><br />We will move down to Pangkor where we will say goodbye to Tin Soldier as they are returning to Canada for awhile. Then we will take several days move down the Melacca Strait and return to Danga Bay so that we can have some canvas work done.<br /><br />The weather has been unsettled with rain squalls and some thunderstorms; however, it looks pretty good for the next few days. We will keep our fingers crossed.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-90132560599863528282011-03-13T06:24:00.000-07:002011-03-16T06:26:18.989-07:00Siem Reap, Cambodia, and the AngkorTemplesMarch 16, 2011—We left the Silver River Hotel in Phnom Penh, thanking the staff for a wonderful stay. They were so helpful and<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rcL7kroLL54/TXzG1Zo83vI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/7IOjiQbRTWk/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2B002.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583556258750586610" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rcL7kroLL54/TXzG1Zo83vI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/7IOjiQbRTWk/s200/Siem%2BReap%2B002.jpg" /></a> the facility was very nice. We loaded our bags in the minivan and drove to the central bus station. Our bus to Siem Reap was there so we transferred our bags and climbed on board. The bus left on time, and we headed northwest to Siem Reap. We had read that the road was excellent, but I think excellent is an operative word. They are in the process of improving the road; however, it was a two-lane road that was quite rough. We stopped after two hours for a bathroom stop, and we stopped one more time for a quick lunch. The trip took us seven hours, and by the time we arrived, we were more than happy to be there. <div><div><div><br />As soon as our bus pulled into the parking lot, the tuk-tuk and taxi drivers came over to it, holding signs up stating their fees. Women also came running over with food or other items to sell. It was a bit overwhelming. The bus company asked us to wait in the bus while the local Cambodians got off the bus, and then they took our bags and assigned us to a tuk-tuk driver. He drove us to the Frangapini Hotel and carried our bags inside. We were checked in and shown to our room, which was quite nice. After we put our things away, we cooled off for awhile, and then we went downstairs to take a swim in the pool. It felt so good to be in the cool water. We went back to the room and got dressed for dinner at the hotel. </div><div><br />We got up the next morning and got ready for a day of touring. Va, our driver, picked us up at 9 a.m., and we drove out to the temples. We stopped to pay our and $40 fee for the day and receive our picture identification card. We decided to see the major temples started with the South Gate of Angkor Thom and then Central Angkor Tom (late 12th century). </div><div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UNypgRW6gYA/TXzHddaCpsI/AAAAAAAAB3g/gmRQwYZ7EHk/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B021.jpg"></a></div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ppCemOcGub4/TXzLq7ue_HI/AAAAAAAAB4A/m7ugYH2BNLo/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B244.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583561576480177266" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ppCemOcGub4/TXzLq7ue_HI/AAAAAAAAB4A/m7ugYH2BNLo/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B244.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Td2jJ_HKM5w/TXzHKD2CbFI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/RaVRNgVBkn4/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B010.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583556613677149266" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Td2jJ_HKM5w/TXzHKD2CbFI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/RaVRNgVBkn4/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B010.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583560090805561058" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S9YlaF8giu0/TXzKUdKDZuI/AAAAAAAAB3o/PM_5NaYHExU/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B035.jpg" /><br /><div><div><div>From there we continued on to Bayon (late 12th century), Phimeanakas (late 10th century), Terrace of Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King (both late 12th century), and, finally, Taprohm (mid-12th century). </div></div></div><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ppCemOcGub4/TXzLq7ue_HI/AAAAAAAAB4A/m7ugYH2BNLo/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B244.jpg"></a></div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dMWm5woi0mY/TXzKsp0VRII/AAAAAAAAB3w/NnpJKgQ7j-k/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B041.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583560506520978562" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dMWm5woi0mY/TXzKsp0VRII/AAAAAAAAB3w/NnpJKgQ7j-k/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B041.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>By now it was 12:30 and hot, so we decided to stop by the lake for a nice lunch. While we were eating we met a father, a Canadian, with his daughter who lives in Oregon. We enjoyed talking with them for a few minutes. After lunch Va advised us to see Angkor Wat because most people take a break until four o’clock, but first we stopped at Banteay Kdei (early 13th century).<br /></div><br /><div>After walking through Banteay Kdei, he dropped us off at the bridge that crosses the largest moat we have ever seen that surrounds Angkor Wat. This wat was constructed in the mid-12th century by Suryavarman II in the form of a massive “temple-mountain” dedicated to the Hindu god, Vishnu, and it served as his state temple. The reliefs on the walls of the long hallways were spectacular, and most were still in very good shape. </div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VkN5xNHTr1M/TXzNF2K8oDI/AAAAAAAAB4I/8_fNn3Fb2O4/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B319.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583563138357043250" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VkN5xNHTr1M/TXzNF2K8oDI/AAAAAAAAB4I/8_fNn3Fb2O4/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B319.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rwEstRaETXU/TXzPBsrZNBI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/67zgiGVdHwU/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B361.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583565266112558098" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rwEstRaETXU/TXzPBsrZNBI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/67zgiGVdHwU/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B361.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583564862402497858" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LTuZ4oI75SI/TXzOqMvajUI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/Ty_7JoQaKEM/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BTemples%2B2%2B371.jpg" /> <div>We finished walking through Angkor Wat around 3:30 so we asked Va to drive us back to town. We stopped at a few shops, the Central Market, and the ATM. We then returned to our hotel and agreed to meet him at 9 o’clock in the morning for another day of sightseeing. We were both pretty hot and tired so we just returned to our room to cool off and relax. </div><br /><div>We got a good night sleep and met Va at 9 o’clock for our second day of sightseeing. We drove out about 10 miles to Chong Khneas, a floating village at the edge of the lake closest to <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQqNvSro7dk/TXzQyYvyhnI/AAAAAAAAB4g/7qtBkZ-MTbs/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BFloating%2BVillage%2B%252871%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583567202087503474" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQqNvSro7dk/TXzQyYvyhnI/AAAAAAAAB4g/7qtBkZ-MTbs/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BFloating%2BVillage%2B%252871%2529.jpg" /></a>Siem Reap. Houses, the school, the medical clinic, shops—everything is floating in this village. Today the government representative was announcing a shot clinic for the children under five. </div><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div>We watched people moving up and down the rive<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWKsUIdDcZI/TXzRpm3-FMI/AAAAAAAAB4o/WMJ-ZtmQ0gM/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BFloating%2BVillage%2B%252838%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583568150772716738" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWKsUIdDcZI/TXzRpm3-FMI/AAAAAAAAB4o/WMJ-ZtmQ0gM/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BFloating%2BVillage%2B%252838%2529.jpg" /></a>r in different styles of boats, most of which had engines. They use car engines, and the propeller shaft in the back must have been eight feet long. Also, the prop sits just below the water because there is a plant that grows in the water, and the prop would get fouled if it was set any deeper. We are at the end of the dry season, which means that the water level is pretty low, and we actually got stuck in the mud at one point. </div><br /><div>The tour was very interesting and better than we had expected. When we returned to the shore and stepped off the boat, three hard-sell girls who had plates with Siem Reap written <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6L3OdCFXy2U/TXzR67HE_GI/AAAAAAAAB4w/JrUMBEZ4iA0/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BFloating%2BVillage%2B%252883%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583568448262569058" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6L3OdCFXy2U/TXzR67HE_GI/AAAAAAAAB4w/JrUMBEZ4iA0/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BFloating%2BVillage%2B%252883%2529.jpg" /></a>on them and our pictures in the centers. One of them had taken a picture of each of us when we arrived, but we had no idea why. Now we know. We really didn’t want them; however, we decided to buy them. They wanted $3 each so we offered two for $5. The oldest girl gave me the biggest smile and rejected my offer—she held fast. They were so enjoyable that we actually enjoyed being separated from our money. </div><br /><br /><br /><div>Our next stop was the Silk Worm Farm. We thought this would be an interesting tour since we had been look at silk products. A guide met us when we approached and welcomed us. We began the tour at the mulberry tree grove where they harvest leaves to feed the silk worms. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EcLbuM-yPvk/TXzUYiR5_wI/AAAAAAAAB5A/y6cgvflVkkg/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BSilk%2BFarm%2B%252810%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583571156016430850" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EcLbuM-yPvk/TXzUYiR5_wI/AAAAAAAAB5A/y6cgvflVkkg/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BSilk%2BFarm%2B%252810%2529.jpg" /></a> </div><div>Inside a building we were shown the cocoons that lines ringed shallow baskets. When the worm is mature, they kill them by putting the baskets in the sun or by boiling them. Next <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NLBx7FfhIRY/TXzT4yGZBpI/AAAAAAAAB44/6BmeBngxC0Y/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BSilk%2BFarm%2B%252838%2529.jpg"></a>they remove the worm (and sometimes fry them and eat them) and then separate the silk thread from the cocoon. Once the thread is gently pulled from the cocoon, the spinning begins. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><div>We learned the difference between raw silk <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXCzUUhR6jM/TXzUzou0PYI/AAAAAAAAB5I/6AbKbCSHXFE/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BSilk%2BFarm%2B%252838%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583571621604769154" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXCzUUhR6jM/TXzUzou0PYI/AAAAAAAAB5I/6AbKbCSHXFE/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BSilk%2BFarm%2B%252838%2529.jpg" /></a>and fine silk. We were also shown how they bleach and then dye the silk, mostly using natural plants to achieve the colors but sometimes using dyes. After that the thread is wound onto spools. Our last stop on the tour took us to the weaving building where women were weaving several different patterns in different colors. It was so interesting and informative, and we now have a better appreciation for this beautiful material. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_LbmhrAr0/TXzVU8Elg3I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/D1qykgQ_8Qs/s1600/Siem%2BReap%2BSilk%2BFarm%2B%252824%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583572193732035442" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_LbmhrAr0/TXzVU8Elg3I/AAAAAAAAB5Q/D1qykgQ_8Qs/s200/Siem%2BReap%2BSilk%2BFarm%2B%252824%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />It was now almost one o’clock so we stopped for lunch, followed by a stop at the bakery for our breakfast. Lastly, we enjoyed a one-hour massage for $15 each. We returned to our hotel tired but quite relaxed. We have to pack tonight for our flight back to Langkawi in the morning. </div><br /><div>We have been gone for five weeks, and we are ready to get back, but we have enjoyed our time in Southeast Asia, and the countries we have visited have been well worth the time and effort. Monday morning Va came to pick us up at 6:15. We drove to the airport, watching a spectacular sun rise as we went, and unloaded our bags. Va did such a good job for us that we were sad to say our goodbyes. Our flight out of Siem Reap was delayed; however, we made it to Kuala Lumpur in time to catch our flight to Langkawi.</div><br /><div></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uaZ2vRkCdIg/TYC2wMe9Y_I/AAAAAAAAB5Y/Q_Vpe3mryvc/s1600/SteveandVa.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584664477040468978" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uaZ2vRkCdIg/TYC2wMe9Y_I/AAAAAAAAB5Y/Q_Vpe3mryvc/s200/SteveandVa.jpg" /></a> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 122px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584666635942191986" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-835Pm-1y0/TYC4t3BPY3I/AAAAAAAAB5o/Ss8guY31BHE/s200/card.jpg" /><br /><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>We are back on the boat and are preparing to leave on Monday, weather permitting. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-60093748168682180112011-03-10T06:42:00.000-08:002011-03-10T07:22:43.910-08:00Phnom Penh, CambodiaMarch 10, 2011—Our bus trip to Phnom Penh started out on a little rocky. The front desk at our hotel told us to be down at 6:30 a.m. for our taxi ride to the bus. We decided that it was safer to be there earlier so we went at 6:10. We checked out and waited for our taxi, but about ten minutes later we found out that they had not called the taxi, so they took us outside and hailed a taxi for us. The driver took us to the pick-up point and dropped us off. Unfortunately, he dropped us at another bus stop, but we didn’t know it at the time. When we showed our receipt for the Phnom Penh-Sorya Transport Company to the guy at the bus, he said that he didn’t know the company but offered to sell us tickets on his bus. We started to, but then Steve refused. We started to walk away when a local told us that the place we wanted was just down the street. We thanked her and walked that direction. Everything was closed so we were a bit confused until another local guided us to the<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xJKaQlKUq8/TXjlAKHxpyI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/WOLQtVhY7s8/s1600/Saigon%2B%25287%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582463529005459234" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xJKaQlKUq8/TXjlAKHxpyI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/WOLQtVhY7s8/s200/Saigon%2B%25287%2529.jpg" /></a> right spot. Neither of these two people asked us for a thing, which was really nice. We were finally at the right spot so the man gave us our tickets, and we climbed in the van. We were now sure that the guy back down the street knew exactly where we needed to be—amazing.<br /><br />It was now 6:40, and our bus was supposed to leave at 6:45 so we were a bit stressed. We tried to relax when the driver told Steve that the bus would wait. We finally got everyone picked up and drove to the bus, where we all piled on and took off. We were pleased to see that this bus was much nicer than the last one. The drive to get out <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uBfFL9sXxkA/TXjlUzPpVfI/AAAAAAAAB1g/9VsE5pANlrU/s1600/Phnom%2BPenh%2B062.jpg"></a>of Saigon took us almost an hour because of the horrible traffic. Also, at one point a power line had come down so our bus had to cross traffic to the left lane and VERY slowly creep under another part of the power line. A little further down the road, we could hear the overhead power lines scraping against the bus. It was all a little unnerving.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VWeYS9YW3yA/TXjlu_EY8gI/AAAAAAAAB1o/NGQKyKnKZes/s1600/Saigon%2B%25284%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582464333492318722" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VWeYS9YW3yA/TXjlu_EY8gI/AAAAAAAAB1o/NGQKyKnKZes/s200/Saigon%2B%25284%2529.jpg" /></a>The rest of the Vietnam drive was through the usual countryside filled with beautiful, green rice paddies for mile after mile. When we reached the border, we stopped and had to take our luggage in to be scanned. Our guide had collected all the passports in order to expedite the process at the border so we stood in line to wait until they called our names, and then we picked up our passports, gave them back to our guide, and got<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rpFmgPHZyHM/TXjmCZ1BumI/AAAAAAAAB1w/1qGCgENUQig/s1600/Phnom%2BPenh%2B042.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582464667093154402" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rpFmgPHZyHM/TXjmCZ1BumI/AAAAAAAAB1w/1qGCgENUQig/s200/Phnom%2BPenh%2B042.jpg" /></a> back on the bus. We drove a few hundred yards to the Cambodian processing center and again got out of the bus, without luggage this time. We went into the center and had a seat. We had also paid our guide $50 for our visas for Cambodia so he took care of everything. All we had to do was sign the visa application and then pass through Immigration and Customs. It was all very well coordinated and took very little time, and it was the first time in Vietnam that we felt we got what we paid for.<br /><br />A few minutes later we stopped for a quick lunch; however, Steve and I were short on cash. Thankfully, we had eaten something for breakfast so we could wait. The last part of the drive took about three hours. At one point we had to cross the Mekong River on a ferry. The driver took the bus down an uneven road and pulled it onto the ferry, along with two other large tour buses and a truck. One family in the truck beside us had so many people crowded in that we took a picture.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FIGmdDbuTl8/TXjmsFWTZqI/AAAAAAAAB14/iGRnBHHONvQ/s1600/Phnom%2BPenh%2B081.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582465383150085794" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FIGmdDbuTl8/TXjmsFWTZqI/AAAAAAAAB14/iGRnBHHONvQ/s200/Phnom%2BPenh%2B081.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582465583873632898" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fe91FSZYAkI/TXjm3xGhqoI/AAAAAAAAB2A/XwGMiVNlhr4/s200/Phnom%2BPenh%2B098.jpg" /> <div>When we arrived in Phnom Penh the bus pulled into the central bus station, which was a pretty busy place. We grabbed our bags and began to walk. It didn’t take five seconds before a taxi driver asked if we needed a ride so we told him no and said that we already had one. He actually followed us to see if we did. At one point we thought that we had lost him, but he then appeared from another side. We just kept walking until we found an ATM where we got some money, and we were surprised that it was U.S. currency. There was a hamburger place next door so we went in to eat lunch. </div><div><br />We finished lunch and grabbed a remorque-moto, which is a trailer hitched to a motorcycle, and went to the Silver River Hotel¸ where we checked in and went up to our room. The room was small but very nice, and we again have a balcony that will be great in the afternoons. We took a break and then went down to schedule our <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aVj11s8YliA/TXjnbCMMF5I/AAAAAAAAB2Q/nfA4H_vFW1E/s1600/Royal%2BPalace%2B2%2B%25283%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582466189756209042" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aVj11s8YliA/TXjnbCMMF5I/AAAAAAAAB2Q/nfA4H_vFW1E/s200/Royal%2BPalace%2B2%2B%25283%2529.jpg" /></a>bus to Siem Reap on Friday. </div><div><br />Today we left with our guide Mr. Thay for a day of sightseeing in his Tuk-Tuk. Our first stop was at the Royal Palace. The grounds were beautiful with flowering trees and shrubs, and the buildings were spectacular. Unfortunately, we were limited to just two areas, but it was well worth the time to walk around and to see all the artifacts from the royal families. </div><div><br />After the Royal Palace Mr. Thay drove us to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly known as Security Prison 21. This facility was Tuol Svay Prey High School before it was transformed into a security prison by the Khmer Rouge where political prisoners were interrogated and tortured. We walked through the cells and through rooms filled with photographs of the many prisoners who were tortured and murdered. It was a very moving experience, and everyone there was very somber. We are pleased that they have created a museum to memorialize the victims. </div><div> </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fBSqm4MNsL0/TXjok_dICGI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/vlsqlDA6VxE/s1600/Genocide%2BMuseum%2B%252818%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582467460332259426" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fBSqm4MNsL0/TXjok_dICGI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/vlsqlDA6VxE/s200/Genocide%2BMuseum%2B%252818%2529.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582467562810653682" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xyfuL3TPDAg/TXjoq9N4O_I/AAAAAAAAB2g/olrSx_r9rnA/s200/Genocide%2BMuseum%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /> <br />After the museum we felt that we needed a break so we asked Mr. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lr6SaTalYlU/TXjpfVIhlcI/AAAAAAAAB2o/oUwA1vJ_YX0/s1600/Phnom%2BPenh%2B195-1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 189px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 141px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582468462583846338" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lr6SaTalYlU/TXjpfVIhlcI/AAAAAAAAB2o/oUwA1vJ_YX0/s200/Phnom%2BPenh%2B195-1.jpg" /></a>Thay to take us to a restaurant for lunch, where we enjoyed a sandwich and a Caesar salad. Next we drove through Phnom Penh and headed for the Killing Fields. The drive provided us with a great view of the people and how they live and work in Cambodia. We love riding in the Tuk-Tuks because we can see all around us, which is not the case in a taxi. It was about 10 miles so we just relaxed and enjoyed the view. The best part of the ride was when a man on a motorscooter passed us with two pigs strapped on the back of his cycle--and Steve got the picture.<br /><br />We arrived at the Killings Fields of Choeung Ek. Rising above the 129 mass graves is a beautiful white stupa or religious monument that serves as a memorial to the some 17,000 men, women, and children who were killed here. Encased inside the stupa are almost 9,000 human skulls found during excavations in 1980. It was overwhelming. </div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wzMseu86U_Q/TXjpyJzqmqI/AAAAAAAAB2w/DSAgw4TJ2HA/s1600/Killing%2BFields%2B2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582468785961081506" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wzMseu86U_Q/TXjpyJzqmqI/AAAAAAAAB2w/DSAgw4TJ2HA/s200/Killing%2BFields%2B2.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582468889817126290" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YS8rD0mToeo/TXjp4Ms4FZI/AAAAAAAAB24/-LRxlRzq4Hw/s200/Killing%2BFields%2B2%2B%25285%2529.jpg" /> <div> </div><div>From the stupa we walked through the fields where large craters remain from the excavations. Every now and then we could see pieces of clothing or bone coming through the dirt. It is so hard to fathom what happened here, and we left feeling sad.<br /><br />We returned to Phnom Penh and made a quick stop at the Russian Market, which is much like the Central Market. We picked up a few items, including some “Panasonic” batteries. We did not want to pack our recharger for batteries, so we figured that we would just buy them along the way. Well, we bought eight batteries yesterday, and when Steve used them today, four batterie<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z3asIC4Lsg0/TXjqq7fwRvI/AAAAAAAAB3A/vRRJicRDbWQ/s1600/Phnom%2BPenh%2B230.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582469761372014322" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z3asIC4Lsg0/TXjqq7fwRvI/AAAAAAAAB3A/vRRJicRDbWQ/s200/Phnom%2BPenh%2B230.jpg" /></a>s were good for about 10 pictures—then nothing. Thankfully, we have the small camera that we can charge, but we are still going to buy a lot of “Panasonic” batteries for the next two days. </div><div><br />We were tired and hot, so we had Mr. Thai take us back to our hotel. We thanked him and shook his hand, and then we paid him his fee plus a tip because he was an excellent driver and a very nice man. </div><div> </div><div>Now it was time to cool off since it had become quite warm in the afternoon. We relaxed in the room for awhile and then left to walk <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kxjqDAcUuNo/TXjrEGABqbI/AAAAAAAAB3I/-iJWVwRs7iI/s1600/Phnom%2BPenh%2B250.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582470193688455602" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kxjqDAcUuNo/TXjrEGABqbI/AAAAAAAAB3I/-iJWVwRs7iI/s200/Phnom%2BPenh%2B250.jpg" /></a>to the river. On the way we passed the National Museum, which is spectacular building. Unfortunately, it was closing in 30 minutes, so we continued on to the river where there is a very nice river walk. </div><div><br />Tonight we will pack up so that we will be ready to leave early tomorrow for Siem Reap—another glorious bus ride. This ride will be with the same company as the last bus trip, so it should be fine. Also, it will give us a chance to see more of the Cambodian countryside. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-75273186816486619882011-03-08T05:11:00.000-08:002011-03-08T05:35:58.033-08:00Saigon, VietnamMarch 8, 2011—Ngoc Huyen, our tailor, delivered our clothes to our hotel at 12:30 and showed us all the items. They were all very nicely done so we thanked her and paid her the balance. We ate some lunch and then waited for our driver, who picked us up at 3 o’clock. We had to drive back to Da Nang, which took about 30 minutes. Da Nang is an international airport, and we saw a<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdjpgozvqqg/TXYrbSPHMSI/AAAAAAAAB0g/8_J8F8aWPP8/s1600/Saigon%2B008.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581696535923994914" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sdjpgozvqqg/TXYrbSPHMSI/AAAAAAAAB0g/8_J8F8aWPP8/s200/Saigon%2B008.jpg" /></a> new airport being built adjacent to the old one.<br /><br />We checked in for our flight and had to wait about an hour before we could board our flight. The plastic seats in the boarding area were not exactly comfortable, but it was, as always, interesting to watch all the people. The boarding attendant called our flight so we gave her our ticket and boarded a bus, which then transported us to our plane. The plane was a nice new Airbus 330. We boarded the plane and got comfortable in our seats with plenty of leg room this time.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yfad4Ia0Ms8/TXYsfXqRwAI/AAAAAAAAB0o/NuSUNXLp9n4/s1600/Saigon%2B026.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581697705611214850" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yfad4Ia0Ms8/TXYsfXqRwAI/AAAAAAAAB0o/NuSUNXLp9n4/s200/Saigon%2B026.jpg" /></a>We took off on time and headed south to Saigon. We were on the right side of the plane, and we could see a very large and very dark thundercloud off to our right. The pilot was making a slight turn to the left in order to go around the thunderhead. As we traveled along, we enjoyed an absolutely stunning sunset behind the dark clouds. Along the way we also saw lightening in the clouds, which made me wonder if this leg of our trip through Vietnam would also have an element of excitement. Alas, nothing happened, and we landed safely at the Ho Chi Ming City airport.<br /><br />We had asked our hotel, the Blue Diamond, to send a car to pick us up, but when we exited the baggage claim area, no one was there with a sign for us. We found the hotel number and called them, but they just suggested that we get a cab. We had read that the taxis here were difficult to deal with, but we walked up to the taxi warden and told him where we needed to go. He signaled a taxi for us and off we drove—at the slowest pace imaginable. Usually these taxis are flying by, and here we are in the slowest one I have ever seen. Later we discussed that we had read something about the traffic being so congested that they now meter on time instead of distance, which might have been why he was driving so slowly.<br /><br />We finally arrived at the Blue Diamond Hotel so we paid the taxi driver, who tried to get more money from us, but we held firm on the meter price. We checked in, and they informed us that they were overbooked so we would be put in the VIP suite for the evening and then moved to our reserved room the next day. Wow! Now things were looking up. The room was on the top floor and very spacious. We quickly changed clothes and headed out to dinner as it was now 8:30 p.m., and we had not eaten any dinner. We walked around the block but saw nothing that caught our interest so we decided to return to the hotel and just order room service instead. We ordered sea bass and baby-back ribs and waited for about 30 minutes. Finally, our food arrived, and we sat down to eat it. Unfortunately, the food had cooled off, but the bass and the ribs were excellent. We relaxed for the rest of the evening in our luxurious surroundings.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tJt3K0GM5HE/TXYtKEJ53RI/AAAAAAAAB0w/AUFzJRRX1CU/s1600/Saigon%2B034.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 132px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581698439109532946" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tJt3K0GM5HE/TXYtKEJ53RI/AAAAAAAAB0w/AUFzJRRX1CU/s200/Saigon%2B034.jpg" /></a><br />This morning we decided walk to the bank to exchange some money because we need U.S. dollars at the Cambodian border; however, the bank would not give us U.S. dollars. Next we went to the post office to mail a postcard, and we were amazed to see the post office filled with souvenirs for tourists to buy. Across the street was the Notre Dame Cathedral. We walked over to look at the cathedral but did not go inside. We have read that the government is taking a more relaxed position on religion in the country.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u3ssC71SPuE/TXYueVCam_I/AAAAAAAAB04/5bhe9Qrn6bw/s1600/Saigon%2B062.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581699886750538738" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u3ssC71SPuE/TXYueVCam_I/AAAAAAAAB04/5bhe9Qrn6bw/s200/Saigon%2B062.jpg" /></a>Our next stop was the Independence Palace. Formerly South Vietnam’s Presidential Palace, the war ended on April 30, 1975, when tank #843 crashed through the gate. A replica of the tank is now parked on the lawn outside. The building has been restored; however, everything else is original vintage 1960s—the furnishings, the radios, the phones, the kitchen, etc. There were many photos, and also the requisite educational film. We left about 2 <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_DC86WXyQ2o/TXYuvGPD-AI/AAAAAAAAB1A/ijaj-PIMGEg/s1600/Saigon%2B053.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581700174834825218" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_DC86WXyQ2o/TXYuvGPD-AI/AAAAAAAAB1A/ijaj-PIMGEg/s200/Saigon%2B053.jpg" /></a>minutes into the showing.<br /><br />We returned to our hotel to move our things to our new room; however, it was not ready. They said it would be just a few minutes so we decided to cool off and relax for a bit. At one o’clock we gave up and went down stairs. We asked when our room would be ready and if was a deluxe room, which we had booked. The young lady said that since we had the VIP room last night, we would get only a superior. We took issue with this as they had overbooked their rooms and upgraded us without our asking. We said that we expected a deluxe room, and the young lady said that she would speak to the manager.<br /><br />We left to have some lunch and walked around the block several times before deciding on a restaurant. We noticed that several shops had generators outside their doors, and while we were having lunch, we found out why—the power went out. It took just 15 minutes before the restaurant was stuffy and hot.<br /><br />Afterward we walked to the Ben Thanh Market to look for some s<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-56TV63hnzmA/TXYvH7c3KQI/AAAAAAAAB1I/f6KKKOUbr_o/s1600/Saigon%2B063.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581700601436645634" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-56TV63hnzmA/TXYvH7c3KQI/AAAAAAAAB1I/f6KKKOUbr_o/s200/Saigon%2B063.jpg" /></a>ouvenirs as we are always the tourists. The market was filled with fruit, vegetables, meat, clothing, and, of course, the usual souvenir trinkets. It was a huge market, and we could only stay for a short while before the shop keepers got to be too much. Steve said that this market was not any different than any of the other markets we have been to—too much stuff and most it is made in China.<br /><br />We retreated to our hotel and finally got into our new room. It was quite hot this afternoon, and we are trying to pace ourselves in order to get to Cambodia. Steve still has a cold, and my foot is still on the mend. We decided to go to dinner at the Barbeque Garden Restaurant so we walked the three blocks to find it without any <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHBsTpnEvyU/TXYvflsG2AI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/boHNuvYJN0M/s1600/Barbecue%2BGarden%2BRestaurant%2B%25285%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581701007911868418" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHBsTpnEvyU/TXYvflsG2AI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/boHNuvYJN0M/s200/Barbecue%2BGarden%2BRestaurant%2B%25285%2529.jpg" /></a>problems. We ordered our skewers of meat, and then we cooked the skewers on the grill at our table. It was really delicious, and the place had a very nice atmosphere.<br /><br />We decided to stay just one day in Saigon. Obviously, we could spend many days here; however, we need to finish up the travels so tomorrow we leave by bus for Phnom Penh, Cambodia.s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-91209103523009108342011-03-06T05:47:00.000-08:002011-03-06T07:01:57.196-08:00Hoi An, VietnamMarch 6, 2011—Our bus trip to Hoi An began at 8:15 on Saturday, <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9q_V3Sa8Nns/TXORANG58xI/AAAAAAAABzg/GfkNm5SECWw/s1600/Drive%2Bto%2BHoi%2BAn%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580963795946828562" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9q_V3Sa8Nns/TXORANG58xI/AAAAAAAABzg/GfkNm5SECWw/s200/Drive%2Bto%2BHoi%2BAn%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>March 5. The bus arrived on time, and we loaded our bags and climbed aboard. The bus looked fairly good on the outside, but the inside was well worn, and the seats were very close together, which left very little leg room for Steve. We moved to about four different seats trying to find a good one for the four-hour drive. We finally settled in about three rows from the back on the left side.<br /><br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vJ6NDeEb0fk/TXORNncvsKI/AAAAAAAABzo/3tDKNTey7Q0/s1600/Drive%2Bto%2BHoi%2BAn%2B%25285%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580964026356052130" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vJ6NDeEb0fk/TXORNncvsKI/AAAAAAAABzo/3tDKNTey7Q0/s200/Drive%2Bto%2BHoi%2BAn%2B%25285%2529.jpg" /></a>It then took us another hour to pick up all the passengers who were scattered in about five hotels. Riding in the full-size bus down the narrow streets with cars and motorcycles everywhere was quite interesting. Finally, an hour later we were on our way with a completely full bus. There was an assortment of nationalities on board—Australian, German, French, and Russian. The air-conditioning system was not working, but it was a cool and overcast day, so opening the windows worked fine and the rain made everything look so clean and very green. </div><div><br />About two hours into the trip, the driver made a right turn, and we entered a small town. Now this is where things get interesting. Our bus suddenly swerved hard to the left, and a young <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgrY4LqvNdw/TXORwfO8crI/AAAAAAAABzw/WvYL-7xLNTs/s1600/Bus%2Baccident%2B%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580964625446105778" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KgrY4LqvNdw/TXORwfO8crI/AAAAAAAABzw/WvYL-7xLNTs/s200/Bus%2Baccident%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a>Australian lady sitting on the high back seat let loose with an expletive. Ahead of us we saw trees approaching the front windshield of the bus, and then we came to a stop. The young lady told us that when we swerved to the left, a truck in the oncoming lane was headed right for us. At that time, someone said that we had hit a pedestrian. There was an EMT with the Australian group, so he ran out to see if he could help. The local man was carried across the street, and the EMT examined him. When he returned to the bus, the EMT said that he appeared to have a broken ankle. Someone loaded him up and drove him to the hospital. We think that the bus just missed hitting him but did hit his foot.</div><br /><div>Now the police arrived, and all the passengers got off the bus. A few of us walked across the street to use the restroom, and then we waited. About an hour later, the police were finished so we got back onto the bus and resumed our trip. I swear that not five minutes had passed when, once again, the driver swerved the wheel. The young lady in the back told us that a car in the on-coming lane was passing, and our driver had to swerve to give the car room. At this point I was hoping that our life insurance premiums were up to date. Everyone on the bus was now a bit edgy.</div><br /><div>We stopped for lunch at a small restaurant where we had just 30 minutes so Steve and I ate an ice cream and a small baguette—what a nutritious meal. We were back on the road, and now the bus was climbing a two-lane mountain road. We were approaching a hair-pin turn, and Steve and I looked up at the road above us. We saw a medium-size truck that was transporting pigs coming down toward the turn. At that point another truck of about the same size passed the transport truck, which meant that right at the hair-pin in the curve, there were three of us spread across two lanes. There was complete silence on the bus as we all held our breaths. Everyone made it through the turn, but now I had truly had enough. Unfortunately, we really didn’t have any options so we just hung on and prayed. </div><br /><div>We passed through Da Nang, which was the area of China Beach during the war. We were amazed at the number of five-star resorts that are built or are being built all along this stretch. We arrived at Hoi An around 1:30, and as soon as the bus stopped, we got off and caught a taxi to our hotel to check in and eat a decent meal. We have a large corner room with a balcony, and we enjoyed the afternoon sitting on the balcony. Steve told me that he thought he was getting a cold and didn’t feel well, so we ordered a pizza to be delivered to the room and just took it easy. My foot was still sore so the rest helped it feel better. </div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFUWdIE9Ppw/TXOT79DdE3I/AAAAAAAABz4/NLAwl0E4Szk/s1600/Hoi%2BAn%2B018.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 151px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 121px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580967021452792690" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFUWdIE9Ppw/TXOT79DdE3I/AAAAAAAABz4/NLAwl0E4Szk/s200/Hoi%2BAn%2B018.jpg" /></a>This morning we ate breakfast at the hotel and then left on a<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Gy9qv-e_Pc/TXOUyBVvGII/AAAAAAAAB0I/MiCCS9F46DY/s1600/Hoi%2BAn%2B020.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 146px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 118px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580967950316148866" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9Gy9qv-e_Pc/TXOUyBVvGII/AAAAAAAAB0I/MiCCS9F46DY/s200/Hoi%2BAn%2B020.jpg" /></a> motor scooter that we had rented. The drive through the streets was challenging but not nearly as bad as in Hanoi or Hue. We drove down to the Central Market and parked on the sidewalk. A woman was sitting in front of her shop and asked us to look at her designs. We agreed, and the next thing we knew, I had bought a pants outfit and Steve had bought a shirt. When we were done, we walked around for awhile, and we stopped to see a temple since we had not seen one in Vietnam. </div><div></div><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jh0z1Ad2v_E/TXOUbGRmcTI/AAAAAAAAB0A/iWC4jXEvS6A/s1600/Hoi%2BAn%2B073.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 180px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 128px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580967556503990578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jh0z1Ad2v_E/TXOUbGRmcTI/AAAAAAAAB0A/iWC4jXEvS6A/s200/Hoi%2BAn%2B073.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Next we decided to drive out to the beach to have lunch. We found a lovely restaurant right on the beach where we enjoyed a meal of prawns and cold beer. There was a cool breeze coming in from the water, and it was so relaxing and beautiful. </div><br /><div></div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9cutlzUyDA/TXOguRyiZqI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/EvQkNIqygYo/s1600/Hoi%2BAn%2BBeach%2B%252813%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 132px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580981080151975586" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g9cutlzUyDA/TXOguRyiZqI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/EvQkNIqygYo/s200/Hoi%2BAn%2BBeach%2B%252813%2529.jpg" /></a>It is interesting here because people use round boats, actually large baskets sealed with tar, to fish. One man brought in jellyfish and was cleaning them.</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>We decided to drive a little further out of town to enjoy the country side. Hoi An is a lovely town on the shores of the South China Sea. The area seems to be handling growth much better than the other cities we have visited, and we really liked it here. </div><div><br />We returned to the hotel for awhile and then went back to the tailor shop to check on our order. We tried on our clothes and they needed only minor adjustments. Steve was so pleased with his shirt that he ordered two more. She promised to deliver the clothes to us tomorrow before we fly to Saigon in the afternoon.</div><div><br />We are glad that we stopped here in Hoi An. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-66649586178079799532011-03-04T06:32:00.000-08:002011-03-05T05:05:49.016-08:00Hue, VietnamMarch 4, 2011—Our train boarded on time, and we found our berth in Car 7, Berths 19 and 20. We were traveling in “hard sleeper,” which <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dsfzu3F_qgQ/TXIt9ahBb7I/AAAAAAAABzQ/1B68Xi7tS0c/s1600/Train%2BHanoi%2Bto%2BHue%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580573421378564018" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dsfzu3F_qgQ/TXIt9ahBb7I/AAAAAAAABzQ/1B68Xi7tS0c/s200/Train%2BHanoi%2Bto%2BHue%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>meant six berths, three on each side. Our berth mates were three Vietnamese women, but, luckily, our berths were on the bottom so it was easy for me to get in and out. We put our bags away and waited to leave. Since there were only bunks in the berth, we had to lie down all the time. Our train left Hanoi at 7 p.m.; unfortunately, it was too dark to see any of the countryside.<br /><br />We went to tried to go to sleep early, since there was nothing to do, but our berth mates were having too much fun talking until late in the evening. Our sleep was marginal that night, and at 6 a.m. our ladies decided that it was time to get up, so we had no real choice in the matter.<br /><br />We decided to go to the Dining Car for some coffee. We had to go through about five cars, but the reward was a place for us to sit down for awhile. We ordered coffee, Vietnamese coffee that is made from a syrup, and enjoyed the very green and lush countryside. It had rained the night before so everything looked nice and clean.<br /><br />We returned to our car to find that the ladies had put up the two middle bunks, so it was possible for us to sit, almost. One of the women picked up their plastic coffee cups, so we were happy to see that they were conscious of trash, but that came to an end when she dropped them out the window. That was disappointing because we knew there were trash bins on the train. Then the oldest woman started asking us question such as where we had come from and where we were going. When we answered her, she gave us a hard time about our pronunciation and continued to do so throughout our conversation. We just kept smiling and even gave them “Albuquerque” to pronounce, which was quite interesting. If we had it to do over again, we would not take this train.<br /><br />We arrived in Hue at 8 a.m. and found a taxi to the Romance <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lq1B9STUj0M/TXIp7e6YfQI/AAAAAAAAByo/vuk1fM6wYHE/s1600/Hue%2BTrain%2BStation.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 181px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 128px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580568990152424706" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lq1B9STUj0M/TXIp7e6YfQI/AAAAAAAAByo/vuk1fM6wYHE/s200/Hue%2BTrain%2BStation.jpg" /></a>Hotel. It is a new hotel, and the room was very nice. Yen, the front office manager, welcomed us and gave us tour information. We booked a tour of the DMZ for the next day, and then we went to the room so that I could rest my foot.<br /><br />In the afternoon we walked around the block looking for a place to have lunch, and we found a small, local restaurant that served hamburgers. After lunch, my foot was becoming sore so we headed back. We relaxed during the afternoon and then ate dinner at the hotel restaurant on the top floor. Our server was the most delightful young woman named Pha. Her English was quite good, and she was very happy to talk with us. The next morning she was back at work so we chatted again during breakfast.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ds6YAh_ULhM/TXIpmVDxVhI/AAAAAAAAByg/-gnfT8RUVGk/s1600/Hue%2B066.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580568626730194450" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ds6YAh_ULhM/TXIpmVDxVhI/AAAAAAAAByg/-gnfT8RUVGk/s200/Hue%2B066.jpg" /></a>When we booked our tour of the DMZ, we decided to take a private tour, mainly because of my foot. The public tour could have included up to 50 people and would last 12 hours. I couldn’t see climbing up and down the bus steps all day long. Our driver Tien picked us up at 8:30, and we began our two-hour drive to the DMZ. We drove through small towns and a country side full of rice paddies. When we arrived at Dong Ha, our guide Mr. Tahm joined us. He is 57 years old so he was 15 in 1968, and he shared some stories about the area with us.<br /><br />On our way to the tunnels, we stopped at a monument to the couriers during the war. There was also a statue dedicated to the women in the south waiting for their husbands to come home.<br />We drove to the Hien Luong Bridge on the Ben Hai River. This bridge divided the north and south from 1954 to 1956, when reunification was to take place. This did not happen and, for a number of reasons, America was eventually drawn into the war after the withdrawal of the French.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-asLWsQ3lYvM/TXImJla92OI/AAAAAAAABxg/cNONf_M3Kuc/s1600/Hue%2B012.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580564834371360994" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-asLWsQ3lYvM/TXImJla92OI/AAAAAAAABxg/cNONf_M3Kuc/s200/Hue%2B012.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsYP2sZ0xhc/TXImn-7DCJI/AAAAAAAABxo/3jqyv9GxOg0/s1600/Hue%2B014.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580565356612880530" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gsYP2sZ0xhc/TXImn-7DCJI/AAAAAAAABxo/3jqyv9GxOg0/s200/Hue%2B014.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580574928218601938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JdJI4fntbVc/TXIvVH7rudI/AAAAAAAABzY/seb4DtcpX7E/s200/Hue%2B019.jpg" /><br /><div><br />Our next stop was the Vinh Moc Tunnels. We had to drive quite a distance on a dirt road <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TRbdIRalm6M/TXIm-CI5wKI/AAAAAAAABxw/sx73CqI556c/s1600/Hue%2B037.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580565735433420962" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TRbdIRalm6M/TXIm-CI5wKI/AAAAAAAABxw/sx73CqI556c/s200/Hue%2B037.jpg" /></a>through the country side. Mr. Tahm took us to the museum on the site, and then we walked to one of the entrances. The tunnel went down about 36 to 40 feet. We saw alcoves off the main tunnel where families lived. The alcoves were about 5 feet high, 4 feet wide, and 10 feet deep. There was a maternity alcove about the same size. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ab2wxgnVxE/TXInSfbOL_I/AAAAAAAABx4/EQ92M12vVPY/s1600/Hue%2B039.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580566086892269554" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Ab2wxgnVxE/TXInSfbOL_I/AAAAAAAABx4/EQ92M12vVPY/s200/Hue%2B039.jpg" /></a>There was also a hospital, a nursery, and a kindergarten. The tunnels were on the shore of the Gulf of Tonkin so they had fresh air coming from the sea that funneled through the tunnels. We went down to the second level, which was about 47 feet. The tunnels were dark but illuminated by lights every now and then. The tour was very interesting; however, I was happy when we exited the tunnels. </div></div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HPmLE_Wn6g/TXIneqnXEII/AAAAAAAAByA/86jwUZSVl3k/s1600/Hue%2B041.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 137px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 184px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580566296054403202" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5HPmLE_Wn6g/TXIneqnXEII/AAAAAAAAByA/86jwUZSVl3k/s200/Hue%2B041.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580566676841097170" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-grDIfny2Ka0/TXIn01J-59I/AAAAAAAAByI/UfyhFRUsxgc/s200/Hue%2B046.jpg" /><br /><br /><div>After the tunnels, our tour seemed to fall apart. Mr. Tahm and our driver drove us by the beach on the Gulf of Tonkin and then back to Dong Ha where we ate lunch at a nice restaurant. After that Mr. Tahm said that he needed to leave, and our driver would take us back to Hue. Tien <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8HaSo4aw__E/TXIoit788GI/AAAAAAAAByQ/s28apthIP-E/s1600/Hue%2B061.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580567465177182306" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8HaSo4aw__E/TXIoit788GI/AAAAAAAAByQ/s28apthIP-E/s200/Hue%2B061.jpg" /></a>drove us back by another road so at least we had a chance to see new scenery. We did get caught in traffic when we came upon a traffic accident. Tien just drove past the backed-up trucks until he pulled up right at the wreck. Then it was only a few minutes before we were able <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOvVAOI92To/TXIo_aRPmKI/AAAAAAAAByY/Uyu67DPNZrk/s1600/Hue%2B062.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580567958113982626" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOvVAOI92To/TXIo_aRPmKI/AAAAAAAAByY/Uyu67DPNZrk/s200/Hue%2B062.jpg" /></a>to squeeze on the side of the road to get past the wreck. </div><div><br />We returned to Hue around 3:15 and Tien dropped us off at our hotel. We were very disappointed in our tour and regretted booking the private tour. We felt that Mr. Tahm and Tien were rushing us through so that they would be done early. We continue to learn as we go. </div><div><br /></div><div>Today we went out on our own and <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IsiSCxSWDXY/TXIqvQfVCTI/AAAAAAAAByw/6uhVdGE5b-8/s1600/The%2BCitadel%2B%25287%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580569879634053426" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IsiSCxSWDXY/TXIqvQfVCTI/AAAAAAAAByw/6uhVdGE5b-8/s200/The%2BCitadel%2B%25287%2529.jpg" /></a>walked across the river to the Citadel, which houses the Forbidden Purple City. The construction started in1805 under the reign of Emperor Gia Long and was completed in 1832 under the reign of Emperor Ming Mang. We saw a model in the palace that showed the complete layout. It was square in shape, was almost 7 miles in circumference, and included around 140 buildings. We enjoyed <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2SfdQ8p8OI8/TXItJ7MqY5I/AAAAAAAABzA/4LFL5DHjTxI/s1600/The%2BCitadel%2B%252820%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580572536798339986" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2SfdQ8p8OI8/TXItJ7MqY5I/AAAAAAAABzA/4LFL5DHjTxI/s200/The%2BCitadel%2B%252820%2529.jpg" /></a>walking around the grounds and looking at the remnants of different buildings, some in better shape than others. This was well worth our time. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>We walked back over the river and ended up eating lunch at the Hot Tuna Restaurant, which was just average. My foot was beginning to ache so we returned to our room. Later we enjoyed dinner at Little Italy Restaurant where we had ravioli and lasagna.<br />We leave in the morning on the bus to Hoi An. It is supposed to be a 4- to 5-hour bus ride—we shall see. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-78460160728526322262011-03-01T00:42:00.000-08:002011-03-03T02:22:55.475-08:00Hanoi, VietnamMarch 1, 2011—We took off from Vientiane right on time. This time we flew in a bigger, newer turboprop plane. We even received a nice little snack and a drink on the way. We landed at Hanoi Airport and were transported in a bus to Immigration where we turned in our letter authorizing a 30-day visa. One is not allowed into Vietnam without either a previously applied for visa or a letter authorizing a visa. It took only a few minutes and our visas were ready. We paid our $50, received our passports, and headed to our baggage claim.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLiEp8MM-Yc/TWy-XsuEqPI/AAAAAAAABxQ/R71gGTu39kA/s1600/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252814%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 187px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 131px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579043352755874034" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLiEp8MM-Yc/TWy-XsuEqPI/AAAAAAAABxQ/R71gGTu39kA/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252814%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xY4sSnKzYpc/TWyyHm6ZO7I/AAAAAAAABv4/mHYKn4AoIZA/s1600/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252811%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 168px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 111px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579029882179500978" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xY4sSnKzYpc/TWyyHm6ZO7I/AAAAAAAABv4/mHYKn4AoIZA/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252811%2529.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 162px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 109px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579030243482745458" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vqfr68bcrww/TWyyco3zOnI/AAAAAAAABwA/5GV8cZIQySs/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252813%2529.jpg" /></div><br /><div>As we left with our bags, we met our driver, who took us to his car. As we pulled out of the parking lot, we were amazed at the traffic. There were cars and motor scooters everywhere. We <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OtUuAk_Nic8/TWyy_saVPgI/AAAAAAAABwI/iH3g2ODE0Co/s1600/Vientiane%2B116.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579030845728308738" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OtUuAk_Nic8/TWyy_saVPgI/AAAAAAAABwI/iH3g2ODE0Co/s200/Vientiane%2B116.jpg" /></a>drove for about an hour to get to our hotel. The most amazing site on our drive was a man on a scooter with a small cow on the back of the seat. The cow was alive and hogtied with its back against the driver, and its legs were hanging off the back. Steve tried to <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iC0SOvp5RLI/TWyzaET6GuI/AAAAAAAABwY/z4YFEqtJomc/s1600/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252824%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579031298820414178" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iC0SOvp5RLI/TWyzaET6GuI/AAAAAAAABwY/z4YFEqtJomc/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252824%2529.jpg" /></a>get a picture, but our kamikaze driver was going too fast. We did, at one point, get a picture of this man with a tree on his cycle, and a family of four sharing their scooter. If we thought that Thailand was bad, Hanoi is even worse. </div><div><br />He stopped on the street, and Sun, from our Especen Hotel, met us. He helped Steve with our bags, and then we followed him down an alley, made a left into another alley, and there we were at the Especen Hotel. We checked in and were shown to our room—on the fifth floor, which meant climbing 80 stairs because there was no elevator. The room was large was pretty basic. It was clean so it was fine. </div><div><br />We put our things away, relaxed for a little while, and then headed<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aTuy19imFeo/TWy-Aja9V-I/AAAAAAAABxI/S7AOvb-IFAM/s1600/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252860%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579042955122792418" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aTuy19imFeo/TWy-Aja9V-I/AAAAAAAABxI/S7AOvb-IFAM/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252860%2529.jpg" /></a> out for dinner. We found a nice restaurant in our alley and enjoyed a delicious meal. The city at night is vibrant. There was still traffic going in all directions. Red lights apply <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WW1lzSyH-nc/TWyzx08iUFI/AAAAAAAABwg/NmnXGP8DkT8/s1600/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252851%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579031707012714578" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WW1lzSyH-nc/TWyzx08iUFI/AAAAAAAABwg/NmnXGP8DkT8/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252851%2529.jpg" /></a>only to cars, usually. Motor scooters don’t seem to pay attention to them. We walked along just enjoying the sights and watching the people. People were out on the sidewalks eating or just enjoying a drink. They sat on child-size stools sitting at child-size tables. </div><div><br /></div><div>We walked along for quite awhile and went into several shops to browse. We stopped at a bakery and bought some tiramisu for dessert. The people were not as friendly as in Thailand and Laos, but they were not unfriendly either. They were just a bit standoffish. After about three hours, we decided to call it a night and returned to our hotel. </div><div><br />The next day had to spend some time dealing with hotel and airline reservations for our trip to Hoi An. We then walked a few blocks where we found a nice coffee bar so that we could get a caffeine fix. The coffee here is quite strong so I usually need to add some water. Steve, on the other hand, loves it. </div><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L6yvezt8fqk/TWy0ZgsklHI/AAAAAAAABww/eFEXngILHHA/s1600/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252862%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579032388771812466" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L6yvezt8fqk/TWy0ZgsklHI/AAAAAAAABww/eFEXngILHHA/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252862%2529.jpg" /></a>We continued down the street to the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, better known as the “Hanoi <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oll1fZxxHMM/TWy0SZoviWI/AAAAAAAABwo/oQcj1zHEGJA/s1600/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252866%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579032266617620834" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oll1fZxxHMM/TWy0SZoviWI/AAAAAAAABwo/oQcj1zHEGJA/s200/Hanoi%2B002%2B%252866%2529.jpg" /></a>Hilton.” We walked through the museum. The French built the prison during the 1880s but was used in the 1930s to imprison the Vietnamese revolutionaries led by Ho Chi Minh. There was a section on the American POWs with pictures and written documents, and we found that part quite biased. The pictures of the POWs eating Christmas dinner, decorating a Christmas tree, playing basketball, and shooting pool were hard to take. We had read about the bias, so we thought that we were prepared; however, it bothered us more than we expected. It did, however, cause us both to feel a tremendous amount of pride in and respect for the Americans who were held here. </div><div><br />We left in a somber mood and decided that we should eat some lunch. We ended up at a local restaurant close to our hotel and enjoyed noodle soup with beef brisket and shallots. From the restaurant we walked around Lake Hoan Kiem to the post office, where we bought some post cards and stamps. We continued around the lake to the market district where there were too many stores to look in. Steve did find a baseball cap for $4. We stopped to have a cold beer at Legend’s Brew Pub on the second floor of a building. From our table on the balcony, we sat and were entertained by the traffic chaos that was occurring in the street. There was a roundy-round, but the traffic ignored it. It turned out that the only thing it was good for was parking spots. </div><div><br />Now it was time to return to the hotel for a few hours. We had decided that we would climb <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sylWsc3D6Xc/TWy8fP5RmQI/AAAAAAAABw4/lvl7zhC2GEo/s1600/Dinner%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bsidewalk.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579041283433928962" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sylWsc3D6Xc/TWy8fP5RmQI/AAAAAAAABw4/lvl7zhC2GEo/s200/Dinner%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bsidewalk.jpg" /></a>those 80 stairs twice a day. Once in the afternoon and once at night—it’s all our bodies could take. Around 6:30 we left to find a street-side food hawker that we had seen the night before. It took us a little while, but we f<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nA8v2wQaXns/TWy9QxWbvfI/AAAAAAAABxA/B9zVoCV6xaY/s1600/Vientiane%2B004.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579042134228188658" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nA8v2wQaXns/TWy9QxWbvfI/AAAAAAAABxA/B9zVoCV6xaY/s200/Vientiane%2B004.jpg" /></a>inally found it and sat down at a miniature table on miniature stools. Steve went up and ordered chicken, beef, and prawn shish kabobs with bread for us. A young lady soon delivered the skewers and bread spread with honey and grilled. It was very good food, and we were stuffed when we left. </div><br /><div><br />We needed to walk off dinner, so we just strolled around the streets for awhile. I wanted to find some orange juice, but after looking up and down our street, we gave up. Steve stepped off the curb to cross the street, but I stopped to check for traffic. When I did step down, I rolled my left foot on the curb and went down—hearing cracking as I went. The curbs here meet the street at an angle so it is easier to fall. Steve came running back toy see if I was alright. I was able to get up, but I could not walk very well. We managed to get back to the hotel, where I had to deal with the 80 steps. We immediately put ice on my foot, and I took Ibuprophen. We decided to wait until morning to see how it was. </div><div><br />I had an uncomfortable night and in the morning my foot was swollen and very sore. Steve went online to check the U.S. Embassy site. He was able to find a medical clinic listed there, so we called and were told to come in at 9 o’clock. We had packed the night before, so we left the room and made our way down to the lobby. We had scheduled a city tour for the day so we had to cancel it. We checked out, and Sun, the manager, called a taxi for us. We were driving in morning rush hour, so it was again quite entertaining. The motor scooters would go by the taxi, scraping the handlebars as they went. What’s really amazing is that we have seen very expensive cars—BMWs, Mercedes, Audis— on these streets. </div><div><br />We arrived at the clinic early, but the doctor came to look at my foot almost immediately. He ordered an xray and then called me in. Luckily, I had not broken any bones. He felt that I had a severe sprain and perhaps a pulled tendon. He gave me a long-acting anti-inflammatory and the nurse wrapped my foot in an ace bandage. He said that I should stay off the foot for two days, and after that I should take it easy for a week or two. I thanked him for the excellent care and went to pay the bill, which was $149 USD. </div><div><br />Our next step was to find a hotel where we could hang out for the day since our train did not leave until 7 p.m. Once again, Steve got online and found one close to the train station. We were able to get a room for the day at the Eternity Hotel, which turned out to be a lovely hotel. I worked on the pictures and the blog. Steve was able to soak in a large bathtub—what a treat.<br />The train to Hue will take about 13 hours. We should arrive around 8 o’clock in the morning. We have read contradictory information about this trip, so we will just have to wait and see how it goes. </div><br /><div></div><div>I hope you enjoy this video. I was not able to edit it, but we got a kick out of it.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx6Dno1jyDwdQuqgJqu5Hr67960zhl9G3EPxp1fMjfgBquT11qg0V91uQMri_G2OfiNjqAPNYMZoiIY8AWifw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-4592224033192008032011-02-26T06:42:00.000-08:002011-02-26T07:24:35.651-08:00Travel through LaosFebruary 26, 2011—We checked into the New Daraphet Hotel and then went to enjoy dinner. The hotel was in the middle of the tourist area so we did not have any trouble finding some delicious Lao food. When we returned to our room for the night, we discovered that it was not really very clean, but since it was late, we stayed that night and then checked out the next morning. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vd8xtkzhY6o/TWkSBVzlg1I/AAAAAAAABuI/BFhXnknM5Y4/s1600/Luang%2BPrabang%2BVilla%2BNagara.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578009427717751634" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vd8xtkzhY6o/TWkSBVzlg1I/AAAAAAAABuI/BFhXnknM5Y4/s200/Luang%2BPrabang%2BVilla%2BNagara.jpg" /></a>Luang Prabang is a popular tourist area, so rooms were not easy to come by, but we were able to get a lovely room at the Villa Nagara, which overlooks the Nam Khan River.<br /><div><br />We left the Nagara on bicycles to find a good place for lunch. First we stopped at the All Lao Travel Agency to book our flight to Hanoi. Unfortunately, we could not get a direct flight to Hanoi, so we booked a flight to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and from there we would fly to Hanoi. We then enjoyed a wonderful hamburger at the Restaurant Luang Prabang where we met a lovely couple from England. </div><br /><div>After lunch we rode down the main street to get an idea of the area. We returned the bicycles later in the afternoon and then got ready to meet Gemma and Bennie for dinner. We met them on the street and decided to eat at the Coconut Garden Restaurant, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal of Lao food. After dinner we said goodbye to Gemma and Bennie as they would be heading back to Holland soon. </div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3_ltelXpO3o/TWkSRiZp1zI/AAAAAAAABuQ/HwE02c27X_M/s1600/Temples%2Bon%2BPhu%2BSi%2B%252815%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578009705976551218" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3_ltelXpO3o/TWkSRiZp1zI/AAAAAAAABuQ/HwE02c27X_M/s200/Temples%2Bon%2BPhu%2BSi%2B%252815%2529.jpg" /></a>We spent the next day looking through the shops along the main street. We visited several wats, one of which was at the top of a hill and to get to the top we had to climb over three hundred steps that were quite steep. From the top of this hill we had a 360-degree view of Luang Prabang. We walked along the hilltop enjoying all the Buddhas. One site was of the footprint of Buddha, which was on the side of the walk and painted with gold paint. When we were done, we decided to enjoy a very good pizza.<br /></div><br /><div>After lunch we decided to stop at a silversmith’s shop to look at a<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m7gqLE8UzSg/TWkSctJ-egI/AAAAAAAABuY/nEqCn7s6VFY/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%2528378%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578009897842145794" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m7gqLE8UzSg/TWkSctJ-egI/AAAAAAAABuY/nEqCn7s6VFY/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%2528378%2529.jpg" /></a> necklace. We were able to watch the workmen hammering decorative silver bowls, and I found a very nice necklace that we purchased. It was quite warm so we returned to our room to relax and cool off. Later in the evening we returned to town to have a light dinner and then walked around a typical tourist night market. We could not believe the amount of “stuff” that was for sale. </div><br /><div><br />Our last full day in town we got up at 5:40 in the morning so that we could witness the “giving of alms” to the monks from the <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kQfNVxSXK4/TWkTBSF4guI/AAAAAAAABuo/BUD6JO1Wm24/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%252815%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578010526232380130" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9kQfNVxSXK4/TWkTBSF4guI/AAAAAAAABuo/BUD6JO1Wm24/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%252815%2529.jpg" /></a>temple. A young man from our hotel walked with us up one street to the temple and helped us buy two baskets of sticky rice for the monks. We crossed the street and stepped onto the sidewalk where mats had been laid out. We tied a sash diagonally from our left shoulders down and under our right arms, and then we waited. It was dark when we arrived at the street, but now the sun was coming <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EWSeANfSyzY/TWkS14a4qmI/AAAAAAAABug/dT9rHt1zOlI/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%252831%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578010330362587746" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EWSeANfSyzY/TWkS14a4qmI/AAAAAAAABug/dT9rHt1zOlI/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%252831%2529.jpg" /></a>up, and we finally saw the monks approaching. All along the street tourists and locals had lined up with their offerings for the monks. We knelt down, and when the monks passed in front of us, we put a spoonful of rice into their alms bowls, while other people gave fruit or something else. We were glad that we participated in this ceremony, but while it was once a traditional event, it has really just become a tourist attraction.<br /><br />After the ceremony we returned to have a good breakfast and then got ready for the day. We went to the Post Office to drop off some post cards, and then we walked to the Luang Prabang National Museum and walked through the displays. The royal family was overthrown in 1975 when the Communists came into power and taken to a re-education camp where they died in 1980. The display consisted of the thrones, furniture, and clothing of the last three kings. The displays were sparse, but it was still very informative. We also viewed the king’s car collection<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ELgN5d9LByI/TWkTRr4_-aI/AAAAAAAABuw/ojCm3AUpAY0/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%252844%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578010808035572130" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ELgN5d9LByI/TWkTRr4_-aI/AAAAAAAABuw/ojCm3AUpAY0/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%252844%2529.jpg" /></a> from the fifties and sixties. There were three Lincoln Continentals that were gifts from the United States. </div><div><br />After the museum we walked through the royal wat that was built on the same grounds. It was the most beautiful one that we have seen. There was no Buddha inside, but once a year the Buddha is carried from the museum to the wat for a festival. </div><br /><div><br />We decided to eat lunch at the Joma Bakery just down the road where we enjoyed a Reuben Sandwich and a Taco Salad, both of which were quite good and gave us a break from the local Lao food. We then worked our way back to the hotel to finish making reservations for the next few legs of our trip and to allow me to write the blog. That evening Steve went out and brought back a wonderful pizza--the best that we have had in a long time. </div><div><br />On Friday, January 25, we enjoyed another delicious breakfast and the packed up our bags. Our driver arrived at 11 o’clock to drive us to the airport. When we arrived and went to check in, the ticket age<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCDFz5tl4VI/TWkTlG8fqnI/AAAAAAAABu4/3SGNRTX7Zno/s1600/Vientiane%2B167.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578011141715503730" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qCDFz5tl4VI/TWkTlG8fqnI/AAAAAAAABu4/3SGNRTX7Zno/s200/Vientiane%2B167.jpg" /></a>nt told us that there was an earlier flight leaving in about 20 minutes, and there were seats available. We checked our bags, went through security, and the hurried to the boarding station. Soon after we boarded the plane and took off for Vientiane. </div><br /><div>The 40-minute flight on Lao Airlines was uneventful. Steve purchased a taxi ticket, and after we picked up our bags, the driver took us to Hotel Win. The hotel was basic but clean and the owner was very helpful. She scheduled us for a guided tour the next day. We decided to eat lunch at the Swedish Bakery where we enjoyed delicious lasagna. We then took a walk around the downtown area. We passed the U.S. Embassy and found some interesting stores. Then it was back to the hotel to cool off and get ready for dinner. </div><div><br />For dinner we decided to walk back down to the area of a local food festival. There were many food stalls set up, but we decided on a grilled-food restaurant. We went inside and took a seat. The place looked brand new, and only later did we discover that it was their opening night. Unfortunately, things were not going smoothly. Steve ordered a filet, and I had fish. The food was delicious; however, the service was slow, and when we finished, it took me forever to pay for the meal. </div><br /><div><div><div><div><div>The next morning we ate a quick breakfast and then met Va, our guide for the day. He drove us first to the Patuxai or Victory Gate, which included a lovely fountain. The concrete for the monument was donated by the U.S., although it was supposed to go towards a new airport instead. So now it is nicknamed “the Vertical Runway.” </div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPPKddifors/TWkT6ijjVeI/AAAAAAAABvA/k8XBOF23250/s1600/Vientiane%2B025.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578011509904332258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPPKddifors/TWkT6ijjVeI/AAAAAAAABvA/k8XBOF23250/s200/Vientiane%2B025.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578011901261249410" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAf7CNAA7PA/TWkURUeT-4I/AAAAAAAABvI/OPyzXWp_nxw/s200/Vientiane%2B027.jpg" /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJyR90J1ui4/TWkW4iHXVLI/AAAAAAAABvo/HePqUyYjC-M/s1600/That%2BLuang%2B%25283%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 175px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 126px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578014773961249970" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xJyR90J1ui4/TWkW4iHXVLI/AAAAAAAABvo/HePqUyYjC-M/s200/That%2BLuang%2B%25283%2529.jpg" /></a>From the monument we went to That Luang, which is the national symbol of Laos. There were two wats around That Luang so we walked around to look at them, but we were not allowed inside because they were under reconstruction.</div><br /><div><br />Our next stop was Buddha Park. The park was built in 1958, and it has statues of just about every Buddhist or Hindu deity imaginable. It was Saturday so the park was filled with children in their school uniforms, which made it a bit hectic. We did, however, enjoy walking around all the statues. </div><div></div><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CuoFjC7xs8w/TWkWWRMijhI/AAAAAAAABvg/HyuVCqKuD3Q/s1600/Buddha%2BPark%2B%252817%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578014185304002066" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CuoFjC7xs8w/TWkWWRMijhI/AAAAAAAABvg/HyuVCqKuD3Q/s200/Buddha%2BPark%2B%252817%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Br1pIGIeWQc/TWkVNCuntuI/AAAAAAAABvQ/gk2nVChABCw/s1600/Buddha%2BPark%2B%252820%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578012927289964258" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Br1pIGIeWQc/TWkVNCuntuI/AAAAAAAABvQ/gk2nVChABCw/s200/Buddha%2BPark%2B%252820%2529.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578013054160915058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E63x2j5_m2o/TWkVUbXAynI/AAAAAAAABvY/QFq8wVbVN3k/s200/Buddha%2BPark%2B%252813%2529.jpg" /><br /><div></div><div>By now we were hungry so Va stopped at a restaurant. The grounds had small, covered sitting areas around a pond. The atmosphere was quite nice, but, unfortunately, the food was lacking. The chicken was the toughest we have ever had. </div><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAaNwUJJFls/TWkY6ZkkZ2I/AAAAAAAABvw/Q9YRoE-bs-E/s1600/Thanon%2BSetthathirat--Emerald%2BBuddha%2B%25286%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578017005050816354" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tAaNwUJJFls/TWkY6ZkkZ2I/AAAAAAAABvw/Q9YRoE-bs-E/s200/Thanon%2BSetthathirat--Emerald%2BBuddha%2B%25286%2529.jpg" /></a><br />Our last stop was at two more wats. The first one, Thanon Setthathirat held a replica of the Emerald Buddha, which is really quite small. The original somehow ended up in Thailand. Across the street was the oldest standing temple, Wat Si Saket. We are now completely watted out so don’t expect too many more wat reports. </div><div><br />By now we were pretty tired, and it was getting hot, so we asked Va to take back to the hotel. We had seen everything that we wanted to, and Va was a very good guide. We cooled off for awhile and then went out to buy some French bread and Gouda cheese for dinner. We spent the evening downloading our pictures and getting ready for our flight in the morning. Next stop Hanoi. </div></div></div></div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-45920717888876788002011-02-23T18:08:00.000-08:002011-02-24T18:52:18.284-08:00Mekong River CruiseFebruary 23, 2011—The morning of February 20, we ate a quick breakfast and then waited for our ride. Mr. Adisak arrived right on time and drove us to the Thai boat dock where we checked out of Thailand. We then boarded a small, narrow boat that took us across to Huay Xai on the Laos side of the Mekong. We had our paperwork prepared so it was just a matter of handing the officials our passports and papers. The problem was that there were about 100 people there at the same time trying to process their visas. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EtVDGnJ0GX4/TWYal7bWheI/AAAAAAAABrI/hz43axIh1ek/s1600/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%2528113%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577174427454834146" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EtVDGnJ0GX4/TWYal7bWheI/AAAAAAAABrI/hz43axIh1ek/s200/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%2528113%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><br />We had to wait a few minutes for the processing, so Steve took our bags across the street to a restaurant to wait while I stood with the hordes. I thought that the official would call out our name, but I quickly realized that she would just hold the passport out the window with the picture showing. I was lucky to spot Steve’s passport, so I elbowed my way through the crowd, collected our two passports, and paid our $72 fee. Then it was just a matter of waiting for the rest of our group of 15 people to finish.<br /><br />We were driven to our boat on the river, where we loaded our bags and took a seat. The boat was approximately 100 feet long, quite narrow, and made of wood on an aluminum hull. The captain sat at the helm in the front, and then there were two sections of seats facing inboard with a sliding panel overhead to let in the sun. The middle section contained about eight rows of bus-like seats, two on each side, with a table in front of the seats. Further aft was a large table for buffet lunches and a small bar. After that came two toilets, and, finally, the engine compartment and the family’s living quarters in the rear.<br /><br />We left the shore and headed down the Mekong River. There was quite a current, and the boat was moving right along at about eight knots of speed. We are at the end of the dry season, so the water level was low, but the current was still quite strong. At regular intervals we would be passed by the “high-speed” boats that also take passengers down river. The smart passengers wore helmets as there have been fatalities in these very fast boats.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vmeaKoyf4EM/TWYa6--GPJI/AAAAAAAABrQ/ZqIaRet-vAE/s1600/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%2528116%2529.jpg"></a>As we moved along the river, we saw many women panning for gold along the shoreline while the men were fishing from the rocks at the edge of the water. We saw this scene all along the river. Also along the river were herds of water buffalo who were lounging in the shallow water in order to stay cool and some goats grazing on the grass near the river.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3VQas4dvMc/TWYbQgKeFnI/AAAAAAAABrY/LxuB2vnb9bw/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%2528171%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577175158870644338" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l3VQas4dvMc/TWYbQgKeFnI/AAAAAAAABrY/LxuB2vnb9bw/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%2528171%2529.jpg" /></a> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577175484529302098" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wKWy91NHl9Q/TWYbjdVi2lI/AAAAAAAABrg/RSuvcNuqEX8/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%2528150%2529.jpg" /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gG1YJMSQ7k/TWYb7BqUm7I/AAAAAAAABro/g3KjsE0CsFY/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%2528171%2529-2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 131px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 178px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577175889417116594" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9gG1YJMSQ7k/TWYb7BqUm7I/AAAAAAAABro/g3KjsE0CsFY/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%2528171%2529-2.jpg" /></a>Phet, our guide, was very informative about the Lao people and how they live. Just before lunch we stopped at the Lao village Ban Huoy Phalam and were allowed to walk around. The people were a bit elusive but courteous. They went about washing clothes—one little girl washing her dress was about three years old—and cooking. Their homes were made of bamboo and wood with thatched roofs and were built on <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CoDSlunZXOQ/TWYgl6rf0oI/AAAAAAAABsw/6mI7qEo49Yc/s1600/Hmong%2BVillage%2B2%2B%25285%2529.jpg"></a>stilts. The usual roosters, ducks, pigs,<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7JirHaqqslI/TWYlsP0iO6I/AAAAAAAABtw/l2TfxfMVefI/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%2528188%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 179px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577186630636288930" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7JirHaqqslI/TWYlsP0iO6I/AAAAAAAABtw/l2TfxfMVefI/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%2528188%2529.jpg" /></a> and dogs were present. The government recently brought electricity to the village, and there was the ever surprising satellite dish. We made a contribution to the school fund in appreciation for their allowing us to visit their homes. </div><br /><br /><div><br />After our visit we enjoyed a delicious lunch that was prepared by the captain’s wife. The meal included fish, rice, sautéed eggplant with chicken, yellow curry with chicken, and fruit. There was always tea, coffee, and water for us to drink. </div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y8PFmBsqxN8/TWZZcINWGeI/AAAAAAAABt4/1b3QMF0caSg/s1600/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%252879%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577243528319605218" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y8PFmBsqxN8/TWZZcINWGeI/AAAAAAAABt4/1b3QMF0caSg/s200/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%252879%2529.jpg" /></a>We continued down the river, at times going through some amazing rapids. We were both surprised by the geography of the river bed. Because it was low tide, there were many large rock formations that were quite jagged. Also, where the water flowed in a bend of the river, huge amounts of beautiful sand that had piled up after being carried down during the wet season when the river was full. Many times, the river channel became quite narrow, and that is where the rapids would develop. Steve and I gained a great deal of respect for the captain as we watched him navigate his 100-foot long boat through these narrow gaps. It was quite thrilling! </div><div></div><br /><div>In the afternoon we passed the point of the Laos and Thailand border. The scenery down the river was really quite beautiful but not as lush as we had expected. We had to remind ourselves that it is the dry season so things are not as green. All along the way we saw teak trees that had been planted on the hillside. The locals also plant peanuts and other vegetables in the sand mounds during the dry season. </div><br /><div>Around five o’clock the captain pulled the boat to the shore at the town of Pak Beng. We walked<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i5mAzHd5QIU/TWYdhQ_e1QI/AAAAAAAABr4/gZx84-A_nDU/s1600/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%2528105%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577177645879055618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i5mAzHd5QIU/TWYdhQ_e1QI/AAAAAAAABr4/gZx84-A_nDU/s200/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%2528105%2529.jpg" /></a> up the hill to the Villa Phathama, which was quite nice with floors and walls finished in teak. We put our things in the room and then left to have dinner with Phet, <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqnLn_TfYo0/TWYd1EHs_SI/AAAAAAAABsA/R7xyiyL2-UE/s1600/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%2528110%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577177986021260578" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqnLn_TfYo0/TWYd1EHs_SI/AAAAAAAABsA/R7xyiyL2-UE/s200/Mekong%2BDay%2B1%2B%2528110%2529.jpg" /></a>Gemma and Bennie from Holland, Arin and Simon from Australia, and Roy from New Zealand. We walked up the road to see the town, and then we enjoyed a nice dinner at the Bakery Café. After dinner Phet brought a bottle of Lao-Lao, which is Lao whiskey, to the table. We all had a taste, and I have to say that it was pretty bad. Lao beer, however, is quite good. </div><br /><div>By now it was getting late, and I needed to download our pictures so we returned to our hotel with Bennie and Gemma. I spent the next hour working with our photos, and then we called it a night. Unfortunately, we did not sleep well, but we were ready to continue early the next morning. After breakfast, we packed up and walked down to the boat. </div><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5d2Tm8zM-e0/TWYe6m7Wb4I/AAAAAAAABsY/DpoPn8qpQfg/s1600/Laos%2B001%2B%252868%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577179180775665538" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5d2Tm8zM-e0/TWYe6m7Wb4I/AAAAAAAABsY/DpoPn8qpQfg/s200/Laos%2B001%2B%252868%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577178465455526850" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UaiOls94BKs/TWYeQ-JvU8I/AAAAAAAABsI/JR8ZeW-lk0Q/s200/Pakbeng%2B%25285%2529.jpg" /><br />Our boat left at 8 o’clock, and we continued down the river. It was quite cool in the morning because of the fog in the canyon so we ended up using the blankets that had been placed on our table. The sides of the canyon now became steeper and the vegetation, greener. </div><br /><div>Around 11 o’clock we stopped at a Hmong Village. The Hmong homes were different in that they were built on the ground. Only a few homes had electricity, but there was another satellite dish. As we approached the village, several girls came to meet us with souvenirs to buy. Most were items with embroidery on them that had been sewn by the women. We continued up to the village and walked around. Most of the women had laid out their goods to sell, and the children continued to follow us with their items. Unfortunately, it made it difficult to focus on the people and buildings, but we did enjoy the tour. </div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9hJNmwsfAiw/TWYhbltPN6I/AAAAAAAABs4/WLbgi0xTvZg/s1600/Hmong%2BVillage%2B2%2B%25285%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577181946406975394" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9hJNmwsfAiw/TWYhbltPN6I/AAAAAAAABs4/WLbgi0xTvZg/s200/Hmong%2BVillage%2B2%2B%25285%2529.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIiybmKdzBw/TWcYEyjjhNI/AAAAAAAABuA/savXFiUDj88/s1600/Hmong%2BVillage%2B%252821%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577453134091093202" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HIiybmKdzBw/TWcYEyjjhNI/AAAAAAAABuA/savXFiUDj88/s200/Hmong%2BVillage%2B%252821%2529.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577182718902729906" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3BWmG1a2w8U/TWYiIjek_LI/AAAAAAAABtA/PU-NBB76lMo/s200/Hmong%2BVillage%2B%252843%2529.jpg" /><br />After the village we continued down the river and enjoyed another great lunch with fried chicken, rice, sautéed vegetables, and watermelon. As we moved along, we passed many fishermen casting nets from their boats or using a net from the rocks. There were also boats moving up and down the river carrying cargo. One boat had a cargo of brand new motor scooters. The Mekong really is a river of life for the Laotian people. </div><br /><div>We went through more rapids, some of which were quite exciting. At the top of many of the rock ridges in the middle of the river were concrete depth markers, some of which had been hit by boats coming down the river at higher water. The rocks where quite jagged all the way down the river. </div><br /><div>Our last stop was at the Pak Ou cave, which contains many Buddhas of different sizes brought by local people over the years. We left the main cave and climbed 187 steps to smaller cave higher up the hill, which gave us a great workout. Once we went inside, it was dark enough that we needed a flashlight in order to see. Inside there were more Buddha icons and trinkets grouped around a larger Buddha.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-2nlpDhuCc/TWYiqy3JPtI/AAAAAAAABtI/NEkiiotjhdo/s1600/Pak%2BOu%2BCave.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577183307147853522" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-2nlpDhuCc/TWYiqy3JPtI/AAAAAAAABtI/NEkiiotjhdo/s200/Pak%2BOu%2BCave.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HN5lghLoRAo/TWYjGzDDo-I/AAAAAAAABtY/77PSfgYLX28/s1600/Pak%2BOu%2BCave%2B%252823%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577183788234154978" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HN5lghLoRAo/TWYjGzDDo-I/AAAAAAAABtY/77PSfgYLX28/s200/Pak%2BOu%2BCave%2B%252823%2529.jpg" /></a> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577183585145778498" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jDVkMf4GXE0/TWYi6-fA8UI/AAAAAAAABtQ/TIrSj70e9Sw/s200/Pak%2BOu%2BCave%2B%25287%2529.jpg" /><br /><div>After leaving the cave we returned to the boat and made our way down the last section of the river to the main pier at Luang Prabang. Once the boat was tied up, we thanked the captain and walked up the hill to the main street. Phet had arranged for a tuk-tuk for us, and the driver was waiting for us when we arrived at the street so we climbed in and rode to the New Daraphet Hotel down the road. </div></div><br /><div>Our trip down the Mekong River was very special, and we are so happy that we were able to experience it. It was the trip of a lifetime. </div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-66576760009075209092011-02-22T19:01:00.001-08:002011-02-24T01:43:26.287-08:00Future Plans of sv LindaFebruary 22, 2011--Well, things change frequently for those of us cruising the oceans of the world. That seems to apply to us so we will update you with our latest change of plans. <p>With the recent capture and murder of the crew of s/v QUEST (4 Americans aboard), the expanding range of the Somali pirates into the Indian Ocean, and the increasing instability of the Middle East, we think that the best course of action is for us to choose a different direction to point the bow of sv LINDA. The only other reasonable choice for us is to round the Cape of Good Hope around South Africa, head across the Southern Atlantic Ocean to Brazil, and then go through the Panama Canal to Mexico. <p>This change definitely has implications for our travel plans. Since the best travel time in the Southern Indian Ocean is in the Southern Ocean summer, we will begin heading back south towards Singapore in April/May. We will do some minor repairs and major provisioning and then head back south through Indonesia in July with the intention of reaching Jakarta, Indonesia, in the August time frame. Turning west we will sail the thousands of miles across the Southern Indian Ocean to Mauritius Island with possible stops at Rodriguez Island, Cocos Keeling Islands, and possibly Christmas Island. Hopefully, that will position us for the eleven hundred miles passage to South Africa sometime in mid-November. Working our way southwest to Cape Town against the southeast Agulhas Current will be our biggest weather challenge, but, hopefully, we will be in Cape Town by early December such that we can make a quick trip home for Christmas. <p>It will be a short trip home as we need to get back in order to leave South Africa by mid-February. The trip diagonally across the South Atlantic Ocean is 5,000 miles with stops at St. Helena (Napoleon's island of imprisonment), and then, with a little luck, after 30 to 40 days at sea we should arrive in Brazil. From there the trip is only a few thousand miles through the Panama Canal and up the west coast of Central America to San Carlos, Mexico. <p>We feel that, given the world's situation, this is the only reasonable decision we could make. This decision results in the addition of many miles to our voyage but will actually get us back to the US a bit sooner and, most importantly, will minimize the risk of being captured, or even killed, by pirates. When we look at the decision in this light, it is not a difficult decision to make. <p>From the Crew of s/v LINDA (Currently touring Laos), Steve & Linda <p>----------<br />radio email processed by SailMail<br />for information see: <a href="http://www.sailmail.com/">http://www.sailmail.com</a></p>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-76240777274283400552011-02-19T04:36:00.000-08:002011-02-24T00:26:14.786-08:00Chiang Rai and Chiang KhongFebruary 19, 2011—We woke up the morning of February 16 and found that we were still quite sore from riding the elephants plus we were a bit tired from our travels so we decided to spend an extra day in Chiang Rai. We enjoyed our breakfast and then returned to the room so that I could work on the blog, and Steve could write in his journal.<br /><br />Around noon we walked to the main street looking for a place to have lunch. We ended up at da Vinci’s where we enjoyed a Hawaiian Pizza and beer. After lunch we again returned to our room, which was nice and cool because of the air-conditioning. I was able to finish the blog and catch up on my journal as well.<br /><br />For dinner we walked to the Night Bazaar, which was only a block away. I ordered two shish-<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dk0Yo6-s9fY/TV-5_27buqI/AAAAAAAABp4/nCkq_iVVFMU/s1600/Night%2BBazaar%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575379370435656354" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dk0Yo6-s9fY/TV-5_27buqI/AAAAAAAABp4/nCkq_iVVFMU/s200/Night%2BBazaar%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>kabobs, and Steve ordered grilled prawns, which turned out to be overcooked. We also found some yummy looking fried insects—cockroaches, caterpillars, etc.<br /><br />We then took our time walking around the bazaar looking at all the lovely things for sale. Steve bought a woven bracelet, and I found an elephant necklace. We then treated ourselves to a Swenson’s ice cream, and as we were on our way back to the hotel, we saw a barber shop that was still open. Steve went in and had a haircut and full shave for 120 baht or $4. The barber was quite a "ham" when I took the picture.<br /><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Blpd1FZfno0/TV-6VdLPZWI/AAAAAAAABqA/bVAdlxUQW8o/s1600/Night%2BBazaar.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575379741479757154" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Blpd1FZfno0/TV-6VdLPZWI/AAAAAAAABqA/bVAdlxUQW8o/s200/Night%2BBazaar.jpg" /></a></p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575379964844199858" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jwfvU-vX5Y/TV-6idReT7I/AAAAAAAABqI/Mjlz2FpPcMo/s200/Barber.jpg" />On Thursday, we walked to the post office to mail some postcards, and on the way we discovered the Wat Klang Wiang (more temples). Then we walked until we found the Central Market, which<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxLLPkJ88Kw/TV-7BglX8GI/AAAAAAAABqQ/4Jpl_7OJT9U/s1600/Golden%2BClock.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575380498308919394" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lxLLPkJ88Kw/TV-7BglX8GI/AAAAAAAABqQ/4Jpl_7OJT9U/s200/Golden%2BClock.jpg" /></a> was very interesting. From there we went by the new Mosque, which was very impressive. Next we discovered the Golden Clock that was very ornate and beautiful. I wanted to have my hair cut so we returned to the same barber, and he cut my hair and gave me a shampoo for 120 baht or $4. I was very happy with the cut. </p><p>We enjoyed lunch at a local restaurant and made our next stop the Peak Spa where we scheduled massages for 4 p.m. We didn’t have time to make a trip up to a hill tribe, but we did visit a museum in town that had excellent displays and a video about the hill tribes. As we left the museum, we passed the remains of the prison so we walked around to have a look at it.</p><p> Now it was time to return to our room to change for our massage. We returned to the spa and enjoyed a head/neck/back massage, as well as a foot massage. An hour later, we were done and felt much better. Around 6:30 we walked to the Phu-Lae Restaurant for a spicy curry dinner. </p><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JdMUieX2Woo/TV-_7lOE7XI/AAAAAAAABq4/5lfaNnfIUFw/s1600/Thailand%2B045.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575385894032305522" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JdMUieX2Woo/TV-_7lOE7XI/AAAAAAAABq4/5lfaNnfIUFw/s200/Thailand%2B045.jpg" /></a>The morning of February 18, we got up early and ate breakfast. We had packed our bags the night before so that we would be ready to leave at 9:15 to catch the bus to Chiang Kong. Luckily, the hotel was just two blocks from the bus station, so we loaded our backpacks and headed over there. A lady asked us where we were going, and when we told her Chiang Kong, she directed us to a bus; however, this bus did not leave until 10 a.m., but that was fine so we loaded our bags and picked a good seat by the door. </p><p>We left on time and enjoyed the ride on the third-class bus filled with locals. There was no AC, but the open door gave us plenty of air, and it even got a bit cool for me. We realized on the ride that these buses are privately owned so the woman had sent us to her bus that was driven by her husband and not the 9:30 bus. The ride took two hours and the scenery along the way was very pretty. It is the end of the dry season, so things are starting to become dryer, but when the rains begin in April or May, I am sure that things will become much greener. </p><p><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RuLGCmEj4uk/TV--MGruRKI/AAAAAAAABqY/yzXX1eN7tEo/s1600/Tuk-Tuk%2B%25282%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575383978869671074" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RuLGCmEj4uk/TV--MGruRKI/AAAAAAAABqY/yzXX1eN7tEo/s200/Tuk-Tuk%2B%25282%2529.jpg" /></a>We arrived in Chiang Kong at noon and hired a motorcycle tuk-tuk to take us to our hotel. When we put our bags in the back and climbed in, the cycle came up off the ground. We had to move our weight forward and when the driver got on the cycle, it came all the way back down. It was worth the fee because the hotel was further than we thought.</p><p><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6rZRE3qZqfk/TV-_Dd6GxWI/AAAAAAAABqo/2DPeIRozGSg/s1600/Thailand%2B055.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575384929996817762" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6rZRE3qZqfk/TV-_Dd6GxWI/AAAAAAAABqo/2DPeIRozGSg/s200/Thailand%2B055.jpg" /></a></p><p>We checked into the Nam Kong Riverview Hotel, which is situated right on the Mekong River. Our room looks out over the Mekong and Laos on the other side. It is a nice facility with a restaurant. We enjoyed lunch there and then took a quick walk just north of town. When we returned, we enjoyed some time sitting on the deck overlooking the river. </p><p>At dinner time, we decided to have a light meal so we returned to the restaurant. Unfortunately, two buses of tourists had arrived and filled the hotel. We arrived at the restaurant before the hordes descended, but we received only our drink order. After an hour of waiting for our soup, we just got up, paid our bill, and left. We ended up at the Bamboo Mexican House where we enjoyed pumpkin soup and chicken quesadillas. The food was marvelous, and it was nice to have some good Mexican food for a change. When we returned to the hotel, the tourists were really enjoying themselves and were setting off fire crackers well into the evening so it was difficult to get any sleep. </p><p>In the morning we waited to eat breakfast until the large group was finished. Unfortunately, by the time we could get a table, the food was basically gone. We decided not to stay another night if another bus would be coming in. While the buses were being loaded, we walked up the street and found a lovely new hotel that had a room for us. Knowing that, we returned and asked to speak to the manager. We told him about the problems we had the night before and asked if another bus was coming in. He told us no, so we said that we would not check out but would stay another night. After that he offered to serve us a hot breakfast, and we agreed. </p><p>We walked through town after breakfast, but there is really very little to see here. It is a small town, and the only real reason people come here is to catch the boat ride down the Mekong to Luang Prabang, which is what we will do tomorrow morning. Therefore, we decided to buy some wonderful home-made bread at the Bamboo Mexican House and go back to the hotel so that I could write this blog, and Steve could check into our schedule for tomorrow.<br /></p><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SeRe1Fnuqjc/TV-_dvNXWDI/AAAAAAAABqw/z1t8UbMe6YM/s1600/Thailand%2B048.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575385381317597234" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SeRe1Fnuqjc/TV-_dvNXWDI/AAAAAAAABqw/z1t8UbMe6YM/s200/Thailand%2B048.jpg" /></a>In the late afternoon we walked down to the Mekong so that we could dip our feet in the water, and a little later we enjoyed a delicious dinner of green chicken curry, which would give green chili a run for its money. Tomorrow we leave to take a two-day boat trip down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang, Laos. </p><div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div><br />On another note, the news regarding the Somali pirates taking a U.S. flagged yacht, and the fact that the world governments are hesitant to deal with the situation, we are now rethinking our plans for continuing west through the Suez Canal. We are monitoring the news carefully and following the boats that we know are crossing this year. Our other alternative is to go to South Africa, which involves sailing more miles but a lot less stress; however, it will mean leaving Malaysia this year instead of next January. We will decide within the next month what we will do.</div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-16107339023374177442011-02-15T21:26:00.000-08:002011-02-16T01:07:31.054-08:00Bangkok to Chiang Mai, ThailandFebruary 16, 2011—Our train for Chiang Mai did not leave until 6:10 p.m. so we took our time getting ready in the morning, and around noon we left for the train station. We were able to leave our bags at “Left Luggage” and then walk to China Town. Unfortunately, it was Saturday and the streets were packed. What a surprise!<br /><br />We walked down the main street and then turned up an alley way <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aCEvjVMxQ60/TVtgya658AI/AAAAAAAABn4/WGtdyhPIOOM/s1600/China%2BTown%2B%25284%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574155383137234946" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aCEvjVMxQ60/TVtgya658AI/AAAAAAAABn4/WGtdyhPIOOM/s200/China%2BTown%2B%25284%2529.jpg" /></a>that was filled with shops. The path through the shops was so narrow that we walked single file; however, that did not stop motor scooters from using the path as well. At one point, a small truck was trying to drive through as well. We soon made our way out and found an air-conditioned restaurant for lunch.<br /><br />After lunch we walked back to the train station. We had a few hours to wait, but it was interesting to watch all the people at the station. An hour before our train was to leave, we were able to board and stow our bags. This trip was in a second-class car, which meant that <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsm71mUnFVk/TVtg8rYmgBI/AAAAAAAABoA/OsNzE9skBIU/s1600/Train%2Bto%2BChiang%2BMai%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574155559355449362" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qsm71mUnFVk/TVtg8rYmgBI/AAAAAAAABoA/OsNzE9skBIU/s200/Train%2Bto%2BChiang%2BMai%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>Steve and I each had a wide seat during the day, and then at night our two facing seats made up one bunk with a drop-down bunk above. There were curtains for privacy, and the bunks were quite comfortable plus the car was air-conditioned.<br /><br />Across the aisle from us were an American and his Pilipino wife who live in the Philippines but travel six months of the year. Larry and Helen sat and talked with us for quite awhile, and we really enjoyed meeting them.<br /><br />The porter made up our bunks around 9 o’clock, and we called it a night. We did not sleep very well, but we came into Chiang Mai at 7:30 in the morning and were able to check into the Galare Guest House when we arrived. The Galare is a lovely Thai styled facility by the river with a restaurant, and they offer wifi, laundry, and tour services.<br /><br />We decided that we wanted to take an elephant tour, so they booked us for Monday. As soon a<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMiQ7FgLeXY/TVt94O4Tp5I/AAAAAAAABoI/2oSMkir1SFk/s1600/Chiang%2BMai%2B%25287%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574187368821532562" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dMiQ7FgLeXY/TVt94O4Tp5I/AAAAAAAABoI/2oSMkir1SFk/s200/Chiang%2BMai%2B%25287%2529.jpg" /></a>s we could, we walked into town to look around. Chiang Mai is a city of around 174,000 people, and it is so much more enjoyable than Bangkok. It is still a tourist city, but it is very clean, the people are friendly, and we didn’t have any trouble with scammers.<br /><br />W<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rx6DhEacTXY/TVt-gQWGIxI/AAAAAAAABoQ/jO0ifI2_GHM/s1600/Chiang%2BMai%2B%25286%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574188056409678610" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rx6DhEacTXY/TVt-gQWGIxI/AAAAAAAABoQ/jO0ifI2_GHM/s200/Chiang%2BMai%2B%25286%2529.jpg" /></a>e spent the day walking around to see even more Wats. The temples here are not as grand, but they are still beautiful. We enjoyed lunch in town, and we walked through the market that was being set up near the old wall that used to surround the city. Later we walked to the Night Bazaar to look around. The Bazaar is definitely a tourist event, but it was still interesting to look at all the stuff that was for sale. We enjoyed dinner at an Afghani restaurant, and then went to McDonald’s for an ice cream. After that we were pretty tired, so we headed back to our room.<br /><br />Monday morning we got up early to have breakfast and wait for our driver to pick us up at 8:15. When he arrived, we climbed into the van and took off to pick up two other groups. One of the groups included three young ladies from Uruguay. We ended up getting to know them very well during the day, and we exchanged emails with them to share pictures.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>We drove quite awhile before we arrived at in Maetamann and the Thai Elephant Home. Joe, who is one of the owners, introduced himself and then explained how we would spend the day. He gave each of us a top, pants, and a hat that we would wear. He taught us five basic commands for the elephants and also gave us some interesting facts about the Asian elephant and how it compares to the African elephant.</div><br /><div>Our next step was to practice getting up on the elephant and giving voice and leg commands. The word “malong” meant lie down, “bai” meant go forward, “what” meant stop, and “bend” meant turn either left or right depending on your leg command. Steve’s elephant was named Boonsee, and the mahout’s name was Wimon. My elephant was named Noi and the mahout was Porn. The mahouts are the trainers, and each has his own elephant. Both elephants were rather large, and mine seemed to be a bit stubborn. Anyway, we all got up on our elephants and headed to the Waan River. We crossed the river and then began a climb up the hillside. </div><div> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574189008743947778" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-05DJ5Sc1vjQ/TVt_XsER3gI/AAAAAAAABoo/jODnS-WzuXI/s200/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252810%2529.jpg" /> <div>At first I didn’t feel very secure on the elephant, but after awhile, I became more comfortable. The only problem with my elephant was that she kept sneezing so I ended up with snot on my legs, but it wasn’t all that bad. </div><div><br />It was amazing to see these huge animals climbing up a narrow path on a hillside. We reached our lunch spot just about noon and dismounted the elephants. There was a covered shelter with tables and benches where we were given a delicious meal of Thai noodles with chicken and <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-scw6czZ6yrs/TVt_d6X8RrI/AAAAAAAABow/azjjzpYWhCw/s1600/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252832%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574189115663730354" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-scw6czZ6yrs/TVt_d6X8RrI/AAAAAAAABow/azjjzpYWhCw/s200/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252832%2529.jpg" /></a>prawns that was wrapped in a banana leaf. We sat and talked with Ximena, Fernanda, and Camen from Uruguay and enjoyed our food. When we were done, the elephants got any left-over food plus the banana leaves. They didn’t really need the food because they had been grazing on the lush grass on the hillside while we were eating.</div><div><br />We rode the elephants up the hill a short distance and then watched as the elephants were allowed to enjoy a luxurious mud bath. It was fun to watch them throwing mud on themselves and scratching their <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Np7BC2ZbGms/TVuAfVUgtqI/AAAAAAAABo4/rBa4ApUBipY/s1600/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252882%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574190239588595362" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Np7BC2ZbGms/TVuAfVUgtqI/AAAAAAAABo4/rBa4ApUBipY/s200/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252882%2529.jpg" /></a>bodies against the side of the hill. When they were done, we headed down the hill to the river for a bath. Steve and I decided to walk for awhile because if you have ever been sore after riding a horse, just imagine riding a very large elephant. </div><div><br />At the river Steve walked across, but I decided to ride Noi across. At the other side the riders all got off, and the elephants were allowed to get into the river and take a bath. Some of the water was deep enough for the elephants go be completely covered with water. We all joined in the river bath and had a great time splashing water on the elephants. In return the elephants would hose us down with water from their trunks, which felt good because it was a hot day so the cold water felt really nice. I got an opportunity to ride in the river on one elephant’s trunk. </div><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JI-EKxGlegk/TVuBxJj17jI/AAAAAAAABpI/PO_ZxfBmedA/s1600/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252873%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 154px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 122px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574191645180948018" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JI-EKxGlegk/TVuBxJj17jI/AAAAAAAABpI/PO_ZxfBmedA/s200/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252873%2529.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JI-EKxGlegk/TVuBxJj17jI/AAAAAAAABpI/PO_ZxfBmedA/s1600/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252873%2529.jpg"></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ty043GB89Ic/TVuBOMiaeAI/AAAAAAAABpA/EG-MRyLEflk/s1600/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252873%2529.jpg"></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574191941421400258" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z5bPecWxQ08/TVuCCZJEgMI/AAAAAAAABpQ/b04nNEssZak/s200/Thai%2BElephant%2BHome%2B%252861%2529.jpg" /> <div><br /><div>Now it was time to return to the facility. We all got back on our elephants and made our way from the river to the facility. When we got back, we got off and thanked our mahouts as they led our elephants to their stalls. Then we changed our clothes and enjoyed some watermelon and cold water. It was a very interesting experience, and we thought that this was a fascinating way to spend Valentine’s Day in Thailand.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJtrrj9vKiI/TVuDSsMiZzI/AAAAAAAABpY/UpLQml84Eno/s1600/Thailand%2B169.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574193320925751090" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MJtrrj9vKiI/TVuDSsMiZzI/AAAAAAAABpY/UpLQml84Eno/s200/Thailand%2B169.jpg" /></a>We said our goodbyes to Joe and made a donation to the facility. We all slept in the long van ride back to Chiang Mai, and Steve and I returned to the hotel very sore but determined to have a lovely dinner out. We found a place called The Duke’s and enjoyed a wonderful dinner of steak and baby back ribs. A woman came in selling roses, and Steve bought me a lovely red rose for Valentine’s Day. </div><div><br />The morning of February 15 we ate breakfast, and then we packed up our things so that we could check out at 11 o’clock. We took two hours to walk to the post office and then around town for one last round of looking in shops. </div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P0Ax5igfETc/TVuD4D1IkNI/AAAAAAAABpg/TwsSgfv5K54/s1600/Chiang%2BMai%2B%25288%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574193962925199570" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P0Ax5igfETc/TVuD4D1IkNI/AAAAAAAABpg/TwsSgfv5K54/s200/Chiang%2BMai%2B%25288%2529.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574194114919483346" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-21ZUMmV04Lo/TVuEA6DZR9I/AAAAAAAABpo/tTQ1m8Pti5o/s200/Chiang%2BMai%2B%252813%2529.jpg" /> <div>We caught a ride to the bus station for our bus to Chiang Rai at 2:45 p.m. We booked the VIP <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnoL8ckvvCE/TVuFyejrogI/AAAAAAAABpw/EG_1hXy79ek/s1600/Bus%2Bto%2BChiang%2BRai%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574196066043798018" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnoL8ckvvCE/TVuFyejrogI/AAAAAAAABpw/EG_1hXy79ek/s200/Bus%2Bto%2BChiang%2BRai%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>bus because of the larger seats and fewer people, plus the fare for the bus was only 265 baht each or $9. The drive was lovely since we are moving to the northern border of Thailand and the terrain has higher hills. After three hours we arrived in Chiang Rai and found our hotel called The North. It was now dinner time so we went to the Night Bazaar where we bought some pork satay sticks for dinner. Tomorrow we will explore Chiang Rai. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5747813788307756692.post-786979085383174682011-02-11T17:08:00.000-08:002011-02-11T18:13:59.675-08:00Bangkok, Thailand<div>February 11, 2011—Yesterday we started fairly early in the morning by leaving the hotel in search of donuts. Believe it or not they sell Dunkin Donuts here in Bangkok. Good coffee, however, is a little harder to find. We bought our donuts and sat while we enjoyed eating them, and then we took the sky train and then the subway to the Central Pier. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqfQT9JcHEw/TVXd-vxNyoI/AAAAAAAABmI/PPQmAzzaswo/s1600/Thailand%2B142.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572604183985375874" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZqfQT9JcHEw/TVXd-vxNyoI/AAAAAAAABmI/PPQmAzzaswo/s200/Thailand%2B142.jpg" /></a><br /></div><br /><div>At the pier we boarded a local water taxi to head up the canal to the Grand Palace. The current in the river was truly amazing—even more amazing was the skill of the driver in maneuvering up to each dock in order to allow passengers to get on and off. The docks were moving up and down with the waves, and it made for a thrilling departure from the boat.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We walked to the Grand Palace, and after having a local try to scam us, we decided to go on to the National Museum first. On the way we found the Amulet market area where collectors, monks, taxi drivers, and people in dangerous professions buy small talismans for protection from evil. We also saw dentures for sale along with the amulets. </div><div><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15qvnSMt7X4/TVXeQ2ASQWI/AAAAAAAABmQ/TWuAkGLv_eg/s1600/National%2BMuseum%2B%25285%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572604494896841058" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-15qvnSMt7X4/TVXeQ2ASQWI/AAAAAAAABmQ/TWuAkGLv_eg/s200/National%2BMuseum%2B%25285%2529.jpg" /></a>We found the museum without too much difficulty and paid our fee to go in. The first exhibit was the history of Thailand, which we found very interesting. The other exhibits included examples of textiles, wood carvings, gold treasures, and weapons; and they were all very well presented. The gold, combined with small pieces of glass, gave many of the items an amazing sparkle. </div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div><div>After leaving the museum we walked back to the Grand Palace but stopped to enjoy lunch at a nice sandwich shop just across the street. We crossed the street and entered the Grand Palace, and grand it was. The entrance fee was 700 baht or about $24 for both of us. We were required to wear long pants, and my blouse had to cover my shoulders.<br /></div><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3Nzqvlex9M/TVXewW_bA6I/AAAAAAAABmY/YNFLLwE_ulw/s1600/Grand%2BPalace%2B%25283%2529.jpg"></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3Nzqvlex9M/TVXewW_bA6I/AAAAAAAABmY/YNFLLwE_ulw/s1600/Grand%2BPalace%2B%25283%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572605036327535522" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s3Nzqvlex9M/TVXewW_bA6I/AAAAAAAABmY/YNFLLwE_ulw/s200/Grand%2BPalace%2B%25283%2529.jpg" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572605171663391586" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZybQ1VOtd6U/TVXe4PKAS2I/AAAAAAAABmg/-o1wX5qj5DQ/s200/Grand%2BPalace%2B%252819%2529.jpg" /><br />The grounds include Wat Phra Kaew Temple and the Grand Palace, which is the former residence of the Thai monarch. The grounds were consecrated in 1782, the first year of Bangkok rule. The 94.5-hectare grounds encompass more than 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectural experimentation. There are no less than 394 gilded Buddha images, and the mosaic glass and tile work on the exteriors of the buildings was impressive. </div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_xrFQt_ZS7w/TVXfmNcImQI/AAAAAAAABmo/vfY6mfz5T9A/s1600/Grand%2BPalace%2B%252830%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572605961476544770" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_xrFQt_ZS7w/TVXfmNcImQI/AAAAAAAABmo/vfY6mfz5T9A/s200/Grand%2BPalace%2B%252830%2529.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572606554032550722" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_HhNrtlc1Tc/TVXgIs4fs0I/AAAAAAAABmw/S_VxxiCKRw4/s200/Grand%2BPalace%2B%252848%2529.jpg" /><br /><div>We enjoyed walking around the grounds for about two hours. There was so much to see—so many buildings and temples. There were tourists everywhere, and it was difficult to take any pictures because someone would usually walk in front of the camera. Unfortunately, our camera just can't capture the beauty of the site. By the time we were done, we had had enough of being around so many people for awhile.<br /><br />We left the palace and walked across the street to find a taxi or a <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UV_MAlnNK5M/TVXihLVU6tI/AAAAAAAABm4/msgajT_tfws/s1600/Thailand%2B210.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572609173546658514" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UV_MAlnNK5M/TVXihLVU6tI/AAAAAAAABm4/msgajT_tfws/s200/Thailand%2B210.jpg" /></a>tuk-tuk to get to the Golden Mount. We asked a taxi driver, but he quoted a fixed price and would not use the meter; therefore, we moved on to a tuk-tuk driver. We found one that agreed to take us for 120 baht so we got in the tuk-tuk and left. After five minutes, he pulled over and tried to pawn us off to another driver, so we started to get out. He stopped us and said everything was okay so we continued on. The drive was not fun as he was driving very fast, and the traffic was very heavy. I think that he was a bit frustrated. </div><br /><div><br />There is a program here that allows you to borrow a bike and take the green path to see the downtown area. Unfortunately, the motor scooters and the tuk-tuks use the designated lane. You could not pay me enough money to get on these streets on a bike. Talk about a death wish.</div><div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMGmTyo-TWo/TVXjuHhqeuI/AAAAAAAABnA/L-91Us5zw-A/s1600/Wat%2BTraimit--Golden%2BBuddha%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572610495374588642" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VMGmTyo-TWo/TVXjuHhqeuI/AAAAAAAABnA/L-91Us5zw-A/s200/Wat%2BTraimit--Golden%2BBuddha%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>Finally the driver dropped us off at a temple. We saw that it was not the one we wanted, but we were more than happy to exit the tuk-tuk. As Steve handed him the money, he said that we owed 150, but Steve just said, “You agreed to 120, and we are not even at the right temple.” We walked off and did not look back. </div><br /><div><br />We were at Wat Traimit so we entered the grounds, paid our fee, and then walked up several flights of steps to the top. Inside was an amazing golden Buddha, which is 3 meters tall, weighs 5.5 tons, and is said to be solid gold. This image was “discovered” some 40 years ago beneath a stucco or plaster exterior, when it fell from a crane while being moved to a new building within the temple compound. It was worth the trouble of getting here to see it. </div><div><br />When we were done, we left and walked back across the canal to the train station where we took the subway and then the sky train to get back to the hotel. After resting up a bit, we left to have a nice meal out. We found a nice restaurant with good food, but the prices were a bit high.<br /></div><br /><div>This morning we left a little later in the morning, and we decided to try riding a local bus for a “real experience.” We walked about 10 blocks and then picked up the #79 bus. When we paid our fare of 24 baht, the conductor asked us where we were going so we told him. He informed us that we were on the wrong bus—again—and needed bus #59. We thanked him and got off at the next stop where we did finally get on the right bus. </div><div><br />We were looking for our stop but were not sure which one it was. Steve asked the conductor, but she did not speak English. We came to a stop and all of a sudden the monk beside me, the conductor, and the driver were all telling us to get off, so we thanked them and left. </div><br /><div>We walked just down the street and came to the Golden Mount. The Mount part of the name comes from the fact that you must climb many steps in order to reach the temple at the top, but the good news is that you have a 360-degree view of Bangkok. The dome at the top is gold in color, but I don’t know if it is actually gold, and there was a wonderful breeze at the top, which helped to cool us off. The temple was beautiful, and the view was excellent. </div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1MdzYejQhM/TVXk6LjekdI/AAAAAAAABnI/RODU6TAKSOs/s1600/Golden%2BMount%2BTemple%2B%252810%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572611802125996498" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1MdzYejQhM/TVXk6LjekdI/AAAAAAAABnI/RODU6TAKSOs/s200/Golden%2BMount%2BTemple%2B%252810%2529.jpg" /></a></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572613049741976802" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ryjRo3xJmMU/TVXmCzSTpOI/AAAAAAAABnY/qM3QpUesH84/s200/Thailand%2B241.jpg" /><br /><div>After descending all the stairs, we walked to Ban Baht or the Monk’s Bowl Village. We just happe<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcxgassGyO4/TVXnnPT5qoI/AAAAAAAABng/KQBSfTAg0KU/s1600/Alms%2BBowl--Mr.%2BSomak%2BBuppachart.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572614775251774082" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gcxgassGyO4/TVXnnPT5qoI/AAAAAAAABng/KQBSfTAg0KU/s200/Alms%2BBowl--Mr.%2BSomak%2BBuppachart.jpg" /></a>ned to look down an alley and saw what we thought was the village so we entered. A woman asked if we were looking for a bowl. When we said yes, she led us to Mr. Somak Buppachart, who is master in the craft. The bowls are used by the monks to receive alms from the people. The craft has been carried on for a long time, but it almost died out several years ago. The tourist business has helped to revive it, and Mr. Buppachart hoped that it would continue. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>After leaving with a beautiful bowl, we walked over the canal and <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LXZe3kllIEs/TVXpWa1YmeI/AAAAAAAABno/J5tfI2msReQ/s1600/Wat%2BSuthat%2B%25289%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572616685310482914" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LXZe3kllIEs/TVXpWa1YmeI/AAAAAAAABno/J5tfI2msReQ/s200/Wat%2BSuthat%2B%25289%2529.jpg" /></a>found a local shop for lunch. The food was good, although a bit spicy. After lunch we went to the Wat Suthat, which is another temple. This one has very large grounds, and the priests were performing what we believe to be prayers while we were in the temple. The ashes of Rama VIII, the current king’s deceased older brother, are contained in the base of the main Buddha. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>We have now had our fill of Wats or temples, at least here in Bangkok. We left and walked back to our bus stop. On the way we stopped to enjoy a cold beer just across from the Golden Mount. It turned out to be a very warm day, and the beer tasted great. We were just about at the bus stop when we came upon the King Prajadhipok Museum so we went in to look. There was no fee, and it was air-conditioned, so we decided to walk through. </div><br /><div></div><div>The museum was actually focused more on his wife, Queen Rambhai Barni. It discussed their life together in Thailand and then in England after his abdication of the throne. It was beautifully done with many personal items belonging to both of them. There were many wonderful photographs, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. </div><br /><div>By now we were pretty tired so we found the #59 bus that took us all the way back to the <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anetZMOig5A/TVXrjfdbsoI/AAAAAAAABnw/JRPGBJBhalI/s1600/Food%2BVendors%2B%25281%2529.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572619108913754754" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-anetZMOig5A/TVXrjfdbsoI/AAAAAAAABnw/JRPGBJBhalI/s200/Food%2BVendors%2B%25281%2529.jpg" /></a>Victory Monument. We got off and headed to the mall for an ice cream before returning to the room. Two hours later we left to have dinner. On our way we stopped and bought some pork on a stick for 5 baht each. They were so good that we ended up buying several more, some rice, some corn, and some papaya from the street vendors. We returned to our room where we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner, which cost us 300 baht or $3.</div><br /><div><br />Tomorrow we leave round 6:30 on the train for Chiang Mai. We will have some time in the morning to walk around China Town before we leave Bangkok. We have enjoyed seeing the sights, but this is a very large, very crowded, and very busy city. There are many scammers ready to take advantage of tourists; but, luckily, we had read about it in a guide book, and that helped us to avoid any problems. There were also many wonderful and helpful locals here who are honest, hard-working people. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>s/v Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17255785842951487314noreply@blogger.com0