Final Thoughts— Rog

I reluctantly agreed to visit Vietnam.
So many lives lost and so much pain for both sides.
Why stir up old memories…won't it cause the people additional pain?
Can I enjoy a country where battles were fought? Would I want to?

Surprising Vietnam

I did not expect to find Vietnam to be such a welcoming, beautiful place.
Here are a few of the things I found…

Early morning locals sweeping the streets
Respectful, honest, people…clerks, waiters, taxi drivers
Modern clean Grab cars (think Uber) with video monitors and GPS
Cell phones for all!
Electric turquoise taxis
Sleeper buses so you can stretch out for long overnight journeys…only about 12 beds per bus.
Motorbikes parked anywhere and everwhere
Entire mobile restaurants on the sidewalk . Just pack it all on the bike (plastic chairs and tables, propane tank, pans, etc.) and ride away at the end of the day!
No room to walk on the sidewalk so…walk on the street edge
Drivers honk as a courtesy to let you know they are coming, try not to worry…they see you and will avoid hitting you
Easy, cheap transportation by taxi, bus, train, or air
Beautiful countryside…trees, rice fields, mountains, beaches
Nicely landscaped and trimmed medians along divided highways
Roadsides lined on both sides, mile after mile with
their National flag (red with a gold star in the center)
Genuine, welcoming smiles from nearly everyone
Words of acceptance for the past and optimism for the future
Restaurants with interesting showrooms where you can select live fish, eels, oysters, shrimp, crab, lobsters, squid, octopus, etc.
Clean, modern hotels with great breakfast 😀
Smiling parents encouraging their children to talk with us so they can learn English
People, very proud of their country, seek our confirmation by asking, "What do you think of Vietnam?"
Many people ask where we are from and then are delighted when we say "America"
Traffic flows like boats on a lake because no one claims the right of way
No stop signs
Passing is ok on either side as long as there is enough space to get by
Left turn or U turn directly in front of oncoming traffic is ok here. Cars will slow or even stop, if necessary, to avoid hitting you. All is done slowly to allow oncoming cars to adjust.
No road rage
Very little evidence that any vehicles have been scraped on the side by any other
We did not see even one vehicle that had been seriously damaged in an accident
Quiet motorbikes…and millions of them
Slow traffic with nearly everyone apparently agreeing to keep it that way
Almost no traffic police
Great tunnels through mountains, good roads and bridges
Very few water buffalo…one was a living prop for a picture opportunity (farmer stretched out on his back resting on top of the buffalo) Where would you lie down in a rice paddy?
Hard working rice farmers bending to work in chilly water all day
Serious and strong women working with men doing dirty manual labor jobs (trash pickup, mixing cement with a shovel, etc.)
Bicycles piled high and wide with huge loads…how do the tires survive?
Men crowding the coffee shops at all times of the day
Never ending stream of beautiful girls in gowns getting photos taken on the beach
No noticeable presence of government controlling the lives of the people
Huge Investment in mega hotels…China again?
Women's bodies totally covered with sweatshirts, hoodies, helmets, gloves, face masks, hair covers, and sunglasses while riding motorbikes
Women riding motorbikes while wearing high heels and helmets with cute little teddy bear ears
So many people apparently very happy with their lives…smiling, laughing with coworkers, taking pride in their work

When conditions are improving people tend to be happy and optimistic for the future…that is Vietnam today-looking ahead, not back.

Roger

Update 35/ Jane's Final Thoughts

We loaded our plane on Sunday at 9:30 pm.  A couple movies, some visiting with the Irish lady next to me and some sleeping filled our 10+ hours flight to Istanbul.  During the almost 11 hours layover, we were able to rest in the Nap Zone a couple of times, played cards, walked around the airport (which is the world's largest) and had a sandwich.  Only a sandwich because it might be the most expensive airport in the world too!  The smallest McD hamburger was $16!  Sticker Shock after getting a whole shrimp dinner for two for $6 in VietNam.  There was a museum in the airport but we were told it would take about 30 min to walk through and cost $26.  We just played more cards.  We were back on the plane for the final leg which was 11+ hours.  Shan was there to pick us up and we were home in our own beds at 11 p.m.. 

 

My Final Thoughts

Again…I am so very grateful that we have the health & means to travel!  I love seeing the sites and wandering the country but mostly experiencing another culture & meeting the people!  In Cambodia, Sue & Monk Hun were incredible.  They have such giving & caring hearts.  The boys have a future because of their determination and Sue & Monk Hun.  In VietNam, I wished I'd found a place to do volunteer work.  I think I was worried I'd feel like a "do-gooder" trying to make up for the pain of the war.  It would be viewed harshly as so little, so late.  Now I think I was wrong.  We felt warmly welcomed and nothing but friendliness & kindness.  I actually have a sense of relief which is an unexpected gift.  Another thing I had all wrong was my concept of what a Communist country is like.  I expected lots of police presence & evidence of control over everything. I saw none. 

Both countries were gorgeous with so many brilliantly colored flowers!  Rice fields in the various stages from flooded to vivid green to dead brown stubble.  Rivers & streams seemed to caress every part of both countries.  Cambodian cities showed their age and had so many small, pop up businesses.  Tuk-tuks & bikes were everywhere.  VietNam was more modern but has quite a ways to go to catch up with the modern world.  We saw few bikes, lots of motorcycles, some cars & even semis.  Traffic was utterly crazy since no one has the right of way.  But all drive slowly and it seems to work seamlessly!.  Both countries will somehow need to address their pollution problems.

When I get home I know it will hit me that I live in a "palace on the lake" with lots of conveniences not available in Cambodia or VietNam.  I'll once again be reminded to be appreciative of all I have…especially my family, friends…and the best traveling companion!   

Update 34


We caught a flight back to HCM & took a Grab from the airport to the closest beach area, Vung Tau…about 2.5 hours. We'd booked an apartment near the beach…turns out not the best beach. The 11th floor apartment was great with lots of space, great view, balcony, pool and….ta da…a washing machine! I immediately filled it with clothes we'd been handwashing for over 2 months! We erected a clothesline in the room & soon had everything hanging to dry! You don't know how good clean feels til it's been a looong time!! Since we were bummed about the beach, next morning we headed out to look for a better one. We found one just a 15 min car ride away. We checked out hotels near there but they were 2-3x more expensive…and not as nice as what we had. So we decided we'd just jump in a Grab each day to get to the nicer beach & that's what we've been doing. Found a good grocery store to stock up on some food & we're staying put till it's time to fly home. Beach, pool, eat, read, cards, call home, sleep, repeat….
Something very unique about this building we're in: on one side we have an about 25' Buddha & temple and on the other side an about 25' Mary holding baby Jesus & church. In town, there's a mosque & on top of the tallest mountain, there's a huge Jesus looking over the bay. Roger recently was reading a book where one of the Christian characters was talking to a Jew & a Muslim. He said he believes there's many bridges that take people to heaven and his parting words were, "I'll meet you in heaven!" Believing that would sure eliminate lots of grief! At the beach each day, I've picked up a bag of trash. I realize it's only a drop in the bucket here but I feel like the beach deserves it. One day as I was filling my bag, two young kids asked me what I was doing. I told them & asked if they wanted to help. They eagerly began scurrying about picking up trash. One asked me, "Why do people throw so much trash?" When the two bags were bursting, they took off. I smiled thinking how lucky to meet 2 Vietnamese kids who spoke English & hopefully, will be future beach cleaners! There are almost exclusively Vietnamese on beach enjoying the waves & playing in the sand. If only they each filled a bag every time they came!! Rog & I haven't gotten tired of eating shrimp & egg rolls. They are so scrumptious that we can't help but order them most everyday! What a treat! Speaking of treats, I decided I couldn't leave VietNam without my nails done. It was easy to find a salon. One girl did my fingernails & another my toenails. I think they put at least 10 coats on. All done for $14. I was happy to give them each a big tip. I love how they turned out. Our pool time was especially fun on Saturday because lots of the local families were splashing & laughing in it. We figure this apt/hotel complex is the weekend retreat for Ho Chi Minh families. It's sure been a great retreat for us! So restful which is what we were looking for these last few days!


Update 33

One and a half more days in Hanoi gave us time to visit the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology which was fascinating covering many customs displaying clothing, cooking & hunting tools and ceremonial items. It covered the 54 ethnic groups who live here in Vietnam . Vivid photos and videos gave us a real sense of "being there." We'd planned to go to the Sapa area where many of these ethnic groups live but the misty & rainy, cold weather with no sun in the future changed our minds. So the museum helped fill that gap. On the grounds around the museum 7 different indigenous homes were built which were all open to tour. We especially enjoyed watching the young kids running from house to house…learning as they go. A World Culture building was also on the grounds. It displayed prize cultural items from all over the world. USA display was a Native American blanket. Later we walked through a traditional home in Hanoi's Old Quarters with a shop on the first floor then a court yard next the back store, another court yard and finally the kitchen. Second floor had the living room with the ancestors' altar, bedrooms & a terrace. This was a very typical in the early 1900's. We've toured several in other cities also. Roger was in need of a haircut so he found a barber close to our hotel while I wandered…almost getting lost. Toward evening, we rode an electric cart all around the downtown & French Quarters. Somehow our driver managed the congested streets! We'd been eating lots of Vietnamese food so when we saw a Domino's Pizza sign, we went in & devoured a Teriyaki chicken pizza. Mmmm. Back to our hotel in time to call many of our kids & gkids. Was especially glad to talk to our sweet Addie who's in the hospital being treated for her MOGAD flare-up. This is the hardest part of traveling. We're wishing we were there to hug her. The next morning, we did the tourist thing & sat in one of the little coffee shops that lined both sides of an old railroad track while the train went by within 3 feet! Rog sipped his egg coffee—raw egg & sweet milk stirred into hot coffee—while I drank my Diet Coke. Unique opportunity! Later today, we'll fly to HCM and the sun!
Tidbits:
-Asians love photo ops!
-Store fronts openings in most every town/city are only 8-10 ft.
-Caged birds & potted bonsai trees are popular items in home & stores

Update 32

Before we left home, our friend, Dan Ellsworth gave us contact information for an English teacher he met here in Vietnam last year. So we talked via Messenger, made a plan, she arranged a hotel room & we booked a Grab and took off to meet Vuithi (Joyce) Nguyen in Yen Vinh. We first went to the hotel that was pretty basic which made us realize how soft we've become! Joyce had the hotel owner drive us to her school. She ran to meet us & immediately hugged us. Her smile would light up a stadium! Her class of about 45 students cheered & clapped when we came in. She put on her headset to tell the noisy students they should ask us the questions she'd asked them to prepare for our visit. A few kids were brave enough to ask & then Joyce kept encouraging so more spoke up. One asked for our love story. I told them about when Rog was 16, he got knocked out playing football. His couches kept asking him questions like where he was, when is his birthday, etc and he didn't know the answers. Then they asked him who his girlfriend was and he said, "Janie Baby!" The kids howled with laughter. Soon we were ushered to another class where we were asked more questions & again there was more laughter & excitement. Joyce was beaming the whole time & taking lots of pictures & videos. When the school day ended & as we left, the kids swarmed us asking for autographs, handshakes & high 5's. Next Joyce took us to meet the principal. We visited for about a half hour talking about school issues like scheduling, curriculum, discipline & motivation. He is currently taking a class on the STEM curriculum. He said he did have some discipline issues but mostly due to divorces in families…rate in this area is 4%. Then the principle ask us how we felt about the war. After a moment of silence, Rog said it was bad for everyone involved. He immediately stood us, reached across the table & shook his hand. It was one of those moments you don't forget. Joyce had asked 3 boys to walk with us on our way to her house so they could practice their English. She is such a remarkable teacher! The boys tried hard to talk to us as we dodged the traffic & walked through the open market. We stopped to buy & eat oranges, fried sweet potatoes & bananas & some chicken…all of which Joyce insisted on paying for. When we got to her home, her husband, Tinh (who spoke no English but used Google translator) took us back to our hotel. Next morning at 8, Tinh used a video call to show us he was there with coffee grounds. Our arrangement had been to meet at 10, so we quickly finished getting ready & headed down to meet him. He had also brought his Vietnamese coffee press. Since Rog had no idea how to use it, he made a big mess and ended up with little coffee. Tinh then using the translator, told us he wanted us to go with him now. So after checking with Joyce (who gave Tinh a hard time), we packed up our bags & went with Tinh. He took us to the school he teaches at & he proudly showed us his office. Then he took us to a class where girls were preparing Pho (soup) while a bunch of guys watched & chatted. Tinh took several pictures making sure the girls looked good & mask were off. So much laughter! We then walked a short way & stopped at a street restaurant & he ask us to sit down at the small plastic table on the the short stools. Tinh then ordered for us, paid & left indicating he'd be back in 30 minutes. We watched as a woman washed veges (me thinking-this is not the best plan) and then she fried thin, crispy rice pancakes. She filled them with a mix of veges & shrimp(?) and served them with a big grin along with some greens & rice paper. She demonstrated how to make basically a spring roll using what she had served. What could we do but throw caution to this wind & eat. It was quite tasty (and no negatives effects!). Tinh came back & drove…raced really using his brakes as a last resort…us down narrow streets barely missing many obstacles, people & even a baby in a stroller. We arrived at his house and found Joyce with 5 students in a small classroom attached to his house. She'd prepped the kids & they asked many questions & told us about their future plans. Then off to her school where we visited 2 more classes. In the last one, one student asked us to sing. So we sang "You are my Sunshine" and then they sang to us…not sure what. More laughing, hand shaking, high 5's and this time hugging. It was about noon when we left to walk to her home chatting the whole time. We walked on the street because Joyce thought the coconuts above the sidewalks were more dangerous than the motorcycles whizzing by! As we walked, many kids & adults along the way called out a warm "Hello, Miss Joyce!" She beams with love for her students & the local merchants. Joyce is truly a life long learner. She studies & practices using only nat'l medicines & eating healthy mostly from her garden and 80% raw. She is practicing using her non-dominant hand to stimulate that side of the brain and feels it has helped her memory tremendously. She is also learning Chinese. When we reached her home, Tinh & his older sister had tea ready for us in their entry room where their parent's portraits sat on a lovely buffet with inlaid mother of pearl. Joyce called her 2 children so they could talk to us. They both live in Hanoi. Her mother lives right down the road and comes for breakfast everyday. As we sipped tea, Joyce said she felt very happy with her husband, family and country where the food was fresh & healthy and weather was good. She exercises & sunbaths daily. Joyce is very thing & full of energy so guess she's doing something right! Around noon, we went into their kitchen where Tien had the table full of food he'd prepared: potato soup, green beans, fried tofu, sausage meatballs, cold pork slices & rice. Rog did a great job of eating lots with chopsticks. I felt lucky to try to eat a little with the fork. There was lots more talking & laughter before Joyce served a special grapefruit that was actually deliciously sweet! Finally, we walked out to admire their garden which took up their entire backyard. About 2, Joyce called us a taxi & after many more pictures & hugs, we took off for Hanoi…booking our room on the drive. Love these total immersion experiences! Thanks Dan for the contact!!

DanBau music

Update 31

 We made our way to Tam Coc which is just 3 hours south of Hanoi. Toll roads with actual traffic signs & well marked lanes made it an easy ride. We saw lots of people working in rice paddies and gardens. Many of the rice paddies had a a single headstone in the center. We pulled into a gas station & I noted gas in about $4/gal. Tam Coc use to be a small village but is now teaming with young backpackers trekking the limestone karst that jut up 300-500 ft. Lots of caves with rivers running through them makes it a perfect & interesting place for boat rides. Of course, one of my favorite things to do! Our first was in Trang An where we went through 9 tunnels…one over 1000 ft. Our lady paddler kept shouting, "Low, low,low!" As we crouched trying to avoid banging our heads while we went through the narrow passages. It cracked us up. We stopped to check out a couple temples accessible by boat only. After lunch, we rented bikes & rode to the Thai Vi temple where there were lots of Buddhas, incense & offerings. One altar had a neatly stacked beer cans. Another had neatly stacked Chocolate Moon Pies & Coke. I know which Buddha I wish I was! Next we headed to Thung Nham bird sanctuary & flower garden. Didn't know it when we got there that our ticket included 2 more boat rides there. One took us to see hundreds of storks & the other to see a gorgeous flower garden. That paddler used her feet to paddle! Last stop on our way home was Bich Dong pagoda where a musician was playing an instrument called the Dan Bau & later his flute. It had been misty all day so we were pretty damp when we finally got back to our room, ate a pb sandwich & orange then took a hot shower!

Update 30

Left Hanoi by a limo is headed to Halong Bay. En route we saw homes huddled together with rich green rice fields surrounding them. The rivers had lots of bamboo fishing traps in them. The part of Halong Bay we stayed in was filling up with brand new, identical buildings…some still being built…and all 90% empty! We heard some are 5 years old & have never been occupied. Also told it was Chinese $$. The town has a theme park with a gigantic roller coaster…which we didn't ride. For my Christmas & birthday present, Rog gave me a cruise so that's what we're doing now! A small boat picked us up & took us to our gorgeous cruise ship. Waiting for us was a bountiful lunch and a smiling courteous crew ready to wait on us…which would be the case for the next 3 days. With just 19 passengers on board, we got lots of attention! The weather had been foggy & chilly the last couple days but miraculously the sun showed up & cleared the skies so the water turned a brilliant turquoise and the multitude of majestic karst partially dressed in bright green foliage boldly appeared! This scene continued for all three days we cruised. Each karst with it's own unique formation, coloring & vegetation. 1,969 of them! They were formed of limestone over millions of years all the while rain & roots seeped in between the sedimentary layers causing chunks to cascade into the sea…like rock glaciers…only to dissolve so the waterways are navigable. (Which is good cause about 450 boats are doing that today and it's low season.). Legend has it that when the natives were being attacked by enemy ships, magical dragons appeared blocking the way. The dragons loved being there so much, they decided to stay. HaLong means "descending dragons." I think how much the world has change & will change …but here the stunning karst will stand victorious surrounded by the sparkling aqua sea. On Day 1 we cruised Lan Ha Bay which was much less crowded than HaLong Bay. A small boat took us to Cat Ba Nat'l Park so we could explore the Trung Trang cave. Back on our ship, we learned to make fresh spring rolls from Chef Jimmy (also our guide). Next we sat down to a humongous 5 course dinner that was way more than even Rog could eat! The presentation was clever & elaborate. After dinner, we attempted to fish for squid. One person caught one so we did see the black ink defense. We went to sleep smiling! Up early the next morning, we sat on our balcony & watched as the mist slowly lifted and the bright red sun rose. Another huge spread awaited us & soon we were off on a tiny boat that took us to the mini me of our large ship. On that we slowly cruised for 2 hours. I took way too many pictures but there were so many awesome views! Next we got dropped off at the fishing village on Cat Ba island—which is now really a tourist village. Jimmy was a forest ranger here 25 years ago on this island which was during the years they were trying to stop people from hunting the golden headed langur which is only found on this island and is on the critically endangered list. Less than 70 left. Jimmy said it was a dangerous job as the hunters didn't like being told to stop. We were served lunch (can you call 3 courses lunch??) on our mini me ship & then went kayaking in a quiet inlet to a small beach. Back on the mini me to cruise for 2 hours again. We got back in time for another 5 course dinner which included a flaming shrimp appetizer. We shared a table with a young couple from Germany. It was interesting to hear about their lives. They say Germans are not risk takers & so their economy is quite stable but not robust. We also visited with a couple (Jane & Chris Jones from Perth). We love the opportunity to meet others! Next morning, again we enjoyed our balcony time & over ate at breakfast before packing up to leave…but not before one more scrumptious 5 course brunch! We waddled off the ship at 11:30 feeling like we'd just been in a different world—one we're not normally in—not our usual traveling style…but had to admit, it was thrilling to be so pampered, surrounded by luxury & breathtaking views!

Update 29

We flew from Hue to Hanoi and lost our sun and blue sky. Really had forgotten what it's like to have gray sky & need a sweatshirt. (I know, poor me.).
Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam and a huge city. I'm sure we've only seen a tiny bit of it yet we've had several 20 min taxi rides. Not quite as clean as other cities but good roads. From our hotel room, we can see a huge round-about with 4 or 5 turn offs. It's just fascinating to watch how the traffic ebb & flows with no one having the right of way. Trucks, busses, cars, motorcycles galore, bicycles, pedestrians just go with the flow. Overloaded with you name it and carrying several people who may or may not be holding on. It's just one of those things you gotta see to believe. Another thing that cracks us up are all the makeshift restaurants that people just carry on the back of their bikes. They carry small plastic stacks of tables & stools, bags of food, propane tanks, & a burner and set up on the sidewalk wherever …often right in front of a nice restaurants. . No problem!! Last night we went to the Old Quarters and just walked around seeing lots of the old houses & shops. We went to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater and saw a very entertaining show where all the puppets danced in a pond while an 8 piece band played the local instruments. Totally enjoyed watching the puppets swim, fish, paddle the boats, plant rice, ride water buffalo & dance in the water. Just a great performance. Water puppet shows are Vietnamese oldest art form.
It's Sunday morning here & our bus ride will pick us up at this hotel at 1 so we're just hanging out here. I needed to do lots of catch up anyways. Also, we were able to talk to five of the gkids & Sarah. A bonus that we've really enjoyed on this trip…we're glad they have phones now!!

Tidbits:
-Pringles & Oreos have been available in most every country we've been to
-Soccer is usually the most common sport but we haven't hardly seen any games being played here
-I found a cracker & some cheese I like and I probably eat that for lunch 5 out of 7 days. Sometimes for dinner too!

Update 28



DaNang-another busy city with an incredible beach that was clean and had lots of green space between it and the road & hotels. The suspension bridge across the wide river has been designed to look like a humongous dragon. Pretty impressive & the biggest tourist attraction here. Ironic for me as the main reason I wanted to come here was because both Ed & Sam (my brothers) were stationed here during the war. They were here as SeaBees whose main job was to build bridges. We learned lots about VN when we visited the History Museum including their version of the war US was involved in. In that war where more bombs were dropped than in WWII, agent orange destroyed large areas of vegetation and caused birth defects for 3 generations. DaNang had the highest level of concentration. In 2007, USA joined VN to help the victims affected. In 2012 USA joined VN in cleaning up affected soil. We saw several empty lots that appeared to have been recently worked up. In many ways, it's been a relief to see how DaNang & many other areas have rebuilt and become prosperous. Not sure how it works under it's Communist government but appears it does…which makes me happy.

Hue is the next place we called home for a couple days. Our hotel offered free bikes which meant Rog was happy. We used them to explore the back alleys around us & rode into town…not the best idea…just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean we'd like it! Hue is a tourist destination because of what remains of the Imperial Citadel which was built in 1803. Royal housing, ceremonial areas, library & opera house all elaborately built are about all that remains as much was destroyed in wars. Can't imagine what it was like in its hay day! We also visited two of the emperor's tombs and all I can say is Khai Ding thought he was really something!! Glitz to the max! Ty Duc was much more modest and built his in a rice paddy with a river running through it. The real highlight of the Imperial Citidel was all the local ladies who were elegantly dressed in their ao dai (tunic over pants) because it was Women's Day and if they wore their ao dai, they got in free. The colors & patterns were absolutely gorgeous & they must of thought so too because they were taking pictures of each other & themselves continuously! I wore my long skirt. Didn't get me in free.
At the suggestion of Annie, our hotel hostess, we went to the Incense City…which was a bust since we'd seen a lot of incense displays..and ate at Madam Thu which was fabulous. Our waitress, Mimi suggested we ask for half orders of several Vietnamese specialties that we'd not tried yet. So we did. I liked 2 out of 4. Rog 4 out of 4.

Update 27

Hoi An-the ancient city and the major trading center of the beginning in the 15th century. Looking at the topography you can see why. Several rivers merge here only to split up & repeat that pattern several times all the way to the China Sea. It attracted both Chinese & Japanese merchants and were welcomed by the Vietnamese. The ornate covered Japanese Bridge is known as the Friendship Bridge for good reason. It is being renovated currently so that what we got to see. These three cultures also merged & the buildings reflect all 3…along with French who colonized it. We arrived in Hoi An at 5:30 a.m. & went right to our hotel. Our taxi driver phoned the hotel owner who quickly came to unlock the door & show us our room. I'm sure we woke him up but he warmly welcomed us & even invited us to breakfast. Rog took a shower & then headed for the breakfast buffet. I showered and headed for the bed. At 8, I was up & ready to go check out Hoi An. The old buildings are crammed with restaurants and clothing & souvenir shops. Streets were buzzing with motorcycles, bicycles, rickshaws, cars, busses & vendors…mixed in were gobs of tourist. Our first stop was the Museum of Folk Culture which was a good history lesson. We then checked out the 7th generation home of the beloved Tan Ky family. It was getting hot so we headed back to our hotel, ate a snack & hit the beach. We were surprised to see so many people there. Our hotel had bikes available so Rog decided take spin around the area. I opted to stay on the beach. Around 5, we walked to a nearby place for another delicious shrimp dinner. I think we're addicted. The Canadian couple, Jean & Colette Rouat that we'd met earlier happened to be there too so we visited some more. Their son volunteered to serve in Ukraine war. When he left there, he was so devasted by the deaths & misery…especially of kids that he decided to join the bomb detectors in Cambodia to hopefully spare some pain there. We'd visited the center that worked along side him. Jean & Colette were both proud & anxious for their son and had come to visit him. Before we parted, they gave us the name of the guide in Sapa they highly recommended. Sapa is pretty far north but we hope to get there. It had been a long day so bed by 9. Up for breakfast & both of us went on a bike ride before our 10 o'clock pick up that took us to a place where we got into one of those round basket boats. It felt like a Disney ride as we were on a slow moving tributary and surrounded by lots of other boats. Pictures bumper boats. Our paddler was fun as he sang to us, took multiple pictures of us & twirled us around. He had a great laugh. He gave us a little fishing pole & pulled us close to the reeds so Rog could catch a crab. Good time. We came back to our hotel to cool off & have more beach time. Headed back to town to catch a traditional dance & music performance and tour the Assembly Hall of the Fujian & check out the Confucius Temple. Both ancient & impressive. Found a good place for Rog to get Hoi An noodles & I got a delicious chicken stir fry. As soon as it got dark, the lantern show began. Boats with lighted lanterns & tourist filled the river. Many tourist bought small paper boats with a lighted candle in it and let them float down the river. All the bridges & business were covered with bright lights too. What an array of colors!! Then several drummers started up & 3 dragons danced into the crowd & then into a restaurant ( that evidently was reserved for several tour groups). We squeezed our way out of the mass & booked a Grab back to our hotel. We'll be off for Da Nang tomorrow.

Update 26

After leaving Dalat by bus, the first hour and a half every valley was filled with green houses! Thousands of them! I had to wonder about all the workers needed to plant & harvest so many products. A bit later we could only see clouds as we were in high elevation. Eventually, as we got closer to Nha Trang, & out of the mountains, rich green rice fields started to appear. Nha Trang is a bustling city with lots of new hotels lining the Main Street that follows the seemingly endless clean, wide beach. No hotels are allowed to build directly on the beach. the wall facing the beach in our 25th floor hotel room is all glass. Gotta love that view! Also we're less than a block to the beach & a McDonalds!! So I got my first McD hamburger, fries & fountain Coke Zero…for $2. I am an McD expert as I get a hamb in every country we've traveled if we find a McD. Hamb did not taste the same but fries were great. They also sold fried chicken & rice. Rog opted to go to a local restaurant which had pork & con cartilage on the menu. He got shrimp & we shared a scrumptious crème burpee. Next morning there was another multitude of selections. Rog is enjoying the opportunity to try lots of different dishes he might not order. Today he tried (& liked) the ostrich. Next we rode on a gondola that went over the water to an island about 1 mile from the mainland. Loved that view! The island is now a Disney like resort surrounded by food & shopping area that was cleverly decorated. The afternoon we spend watching young families get walloped by the huge waves…and then laugh hysterically. Our bus plans for that night didn't happen so we just added another night to our room with a view. No problem. We called Rob & Bek & found out they have a new granddaughter, Wrenly…born on leap day! Also heard Travis & Lindsey's baby was born the day before. Can't wait to hold both of them. Last morning in Nhu Trang, we headed to see the Ponagar Tower which dates back to possible the 8th century & is where the Cham people still worship. We watched a large banquet that was being blessed by an elder. Also enjoyed watching some traditional Chan dancers perform while flutes & drums played. Interestingly the pagoda was a blend of Hindu & Buddhism worship. It seems we often have to maneuver around the many tourist who seem to be there only for photo ops. Mostly Chinese we think. From the hilltop view, we cold see the older, poorer side of town. Back to the beach for a bit then to our hotel where they gave us a free late checkout so we could shower, repack & get ready for our next bus trip to Hoi An—9 1/2 hour overnight! Our sleeping areas were big enough to stretch out so we both slept fairly well!

Update 25

by Rog….

> Is it safe?
> Many of our friends and family have wondered about our safety as we travel. There is no doubt that we are more vulnerable as we get older, and we could be concerned about finding ourselves in a bad place where we might feel threatened. But that has not happened on this trip or any other. We often feel like the local people around us treat us like the grandparents that we are, helping with luggage or directions (though not yet taking our arm to help us across the street!)
> Part of the adventure is not knowing exactly where we will be staying tomorrow night, how we will get there, how long we will stay, where will we find a coke light, etc. With Grab taxi, booking.com and more it all works out.
> It is actually fun trying to navigate the transportation and all. Yesterday, we rode on the shady side of the bus for the entire trip because we booked seats on the driver's (north facing)side of the bus.😀 👍
> Crossing the street is often the most challenging part of our day. Not because it is dangerous but because we are not used to the rules. And the rules go against our nature. Since traffic seldom stops (we haven't seen a stop sign, yet), the pedestrian starts out after a vehicle has passed and then just walks with confidence that the cars, trucks, busses, and motorbikes will avoid hitting them. Maintaining a consistent pace is very important as the driver's plan to miss you might be ruined if you stop or run.
> We have noticed that a major difference in traffic rules appears to be the total absence of any driver having the right of way. So all drivers are constantly expecting other vehicles to pull out onto the road from any driveway or intersection, pass on the right or left, stop, make u-turns, drive the wrong way, etc. They are the most defensive drivers we have seen. And it works great for all, including the pedestrians. So far…