Serendipity

How quaint is it that we met three New Zealanders today who have been to Port Townsend? A man at the sporting goods store in Taupo and Albert (86) and his wife Rochelle (85), pictured below, who have a cousin in Sequim. Also pictured are clever sheet metal art incorporated into the buildings in the tiny town of Tirau.

Off on a Hobbit Trail

A long awaited trip to Middle Earth came to fruition today as we visited Hobbiton for a tour of The Shire. It was so delightful to see the set where it all began, even though the actual filming on site ended up in less than 20 minutes of the film. The incredible detail Peter Jackson insisted on in replicating the book was amazing. We finished the tour with a pint at The Green Dragon, which has only been open for business a couple months. Such a lovely day, mate.

Kiwi Kindness

We've been in New Zealand less than 24 hours, and I'm already immensely impressed with the people and country. From the moment we went through customs to getting directions from a petrol attendant at 1 in the morning, we have found the Kiwis to be friendly and helpful. With only one full day in Auckland, we were discouraged from staying in the city but opted to take a ferry into downtown and another ferry to Waiheke Island. We took a bus to one of the areas that has several wineries, including Stoneyridge which has won several international awards. I had a tasting of their prize winner, which sells for $275 a bottle (and I thought the price was per case)! When we went to settle our tab, the bartender waived our fee! We walked to the beach, which ended up being about 4 km away. Beautiful weather--in the 70's--which they told us was very warm! Back to the city and then to a small Victorian town called Devenport for fish and chips at a local hangout and a chance to watch a Kiwi sunset.

Singing Your Praises, Singapore

I wouldn't Changi a thing. I have always loved Changi Airport, and it's almost like being back in our Indonesia days, as we transited through here many times. It's got to be the world's best. It's beautiful, clean and incredibly modern. We arrived last night at 10:30 and checked into the transit hotel for six hours rest before catching our flight to Auckland in the morning. On the way to the Singapore Airline Lounge for our morning cappuccino, we passed every shop you can imagine in the nicest of malls. The breakfast buffet was almost as nice as any hotel where we stayed.but I almost think one of the best things was being able to enjoy clean drinking water. If you're ever in the neighborhood, you should stop by.

Good Night, Vietnam

We will remember Vietnam more now in the present than the past. A place that reminded us of a darker period of our history. Now as a country that embraces change and seems to be run by people under the age of 36.
Last impressions: varied terrain, busy am crowded, sandy beaches, motorcycles everywhere, tiny people and tiny chairs, progressive, beautiful women, noodles and rice.

Knock knock . . . Who's there?????

Maybe no one! I can see from the stats overview on blogger that people are reading our blog, but I've only had a couple people send comments. I'd love to hear from the rest of you, too! I shouldn't be doing all the work here, right? Although you do not need to have a gmail address to comment, you do need to sign up for a google account with any email address. The rest of you guys, let's see who's there.

Ha Long to Ha Long?

Our itinerary for today showed we were scheduled to drive to Ha Long Bay for a boat cruise, but what it neglected to mention was that it would be a 3-1/2 hour drive each way. So off we went at 8 this morning. The drive wasn't particularly fascinating, but we arrived safely around noon and boarded our own boat to make our way to one of the new seven wonders of the natural world. Although we didn't have sun, it was a clear day to see some of the close to 2,000 spectacular limestone pillars which project from the Gulf of Tonkin. Ha Long Bay has also been added to the list of UNESCO heritage sites. We explored the mammoth Dông Thiên Cung cave (discovered fairly recently by a fishermen) which was absolutely fascinating. We had a full board seafood lunch as we spent the next couple of hours cruising through the formations. Unfortunately, we weren't staying long enough to visit the large island with a lake in the middle. It's a definite must-see if you visit Vietnam. Sa long for now.

The Power of Trip Advisor

From the time we left Seattle and our shuttle driver at Best Western asked us to give him a favorable report on Trip Advisor to the chef at the cooking school in Hoi An, we have been Impressed by the significance of the reviews of TA. I have heavily relied on this resource in preparing for this trip, but it was a surprise to us to see how important it is to the businesses, even in the small towns. It was a delightful surprise to meet a couple from the UK who found Nina's, a small café down a questionable alley in Hue, on TA just as we did. Without this resource, we probably would have eaten at the hotel and spent $14 on water, which is what we spent for our whole meal at Nina's. Plus, we made some new friends who, as it turned out, were staying next door to us at our hotel.

Real Hope

During the last four weeks we've seen so many temples, statues and monuments men have built attempting to achieve enlightenment, assure their longevity and prosperity, or memorialize themselves. All this leaves me with a sense of hopelessness in man's attempts to find real peace and joy when they pursue this outside of Christ. When our guide told me today that she thinks I am a happy person, I was able to share with her that I am happy because I have a hope and a future because of my belief in Jesus Christ. I told her I know I will go to heaven after I die. She listened respectfully, and although I don't know if it made any impact on her, I was just grateful to be able to share my faith. When I am surrounded by so many people who cling to such a different belief system, it is a good check point to reaffirm what I believe and why.

Rollin' Down the River

After breakfast we took a boat ride down the Perfume River to the Temple of the Heavenly Lady pagoda built in the 1600's, purported to be one of the oldest and most beautiful in the country. After a visit to the local market, we visited the Imperial City which was built in 1804 and only used for 150 years. Much of it was destroyed during the Vietnam War. After lunch at a delightful cafe (note the pineapple peacock with formed spring rolls), we saw 2 more mausoleums. Amazing how each emperor wanted a massive structure for his burial regardless of how much expense it would be to the people.

You're Not in Starbucks Anymore

Although they just opened the first Starbucks in Saigon a couple weeks ago, the local coffee shops in Vietnam are still the place to hang out (and may they ever be). Our guide took us to have Vietnamese coffee at her favorite place in Hoi An. Vietnamese coffee is made with sweetened condensed milk and espresso and is usually poured over ice. Very yummy!

A-Biking We Will Go

It was time to fit in with the locals and take a bike ride to the beach. Our guide I insisted I wear one of those ninja-type masks to protect me from the sun (which actually only succeeded in suffocating me). Winding along the river and through the country roads, we finally arrived at our destination--7 km away. It was a lovely day and---other than almost getting hit by a truck---an excellent time.

Iron Chef

After breakfast we had a tour of the local market with its plentiful supply of fresh fish, meat and produce. Loved the live chickens! We then took a short boat ride on the Thu Bon River before returning to The Dao Tien River restaurant for our cooking class with Chef Le Quoc Viet. He demonstrated and then let us cook 4 different dishes: fresh spring rolls, money bags (similar to won tons), braised eggplant in clay pot, and grilled fish in banana leaves. We spent a couple hours with him before the dishes were finished and we were able to enjoy our yummy lunch on the patio.

Peace Out

Hoi An (which means a peaceful place) is a small town north of Danang famous for its wooden houses, family chapels, and silk shops. Hoi An Ancient Town, an UNESCO site, is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Japanese, Chinese, French and Vietnamese influences combine to lend a cultural mix of architecture, food and traditions. We enjoyed a stroll through the old streets, and saw a cultural show of music and dance. Nightlife was abundant in the restaurants along the river as people celebrated the last few days of New Year. We enjoyed a delicious meal of traditional Vietnamese food before returning to our lovely hotel.

What's Luck Got to Do With It?

Although I am not a believer in luck, people in the Asian countries we have visited are. The Chinese and Vietnamese New Year celebrations focus on bringing good luck in the year ahead and in the next life. They give and receive "lucky money," and the 10 day celebration is spent with family and friends. Unbelievably, they have the whole time off work and school, and many of the shops are closed. The stores and restaurants all bear greeting signs for Happy New Year, and there are as many lights and decorations in the streets as we have for Christmas. It was "lucky" for us to happen to visit at such a time. Funny, now that I think of it, the last 5 hotel rooms we've stayed in had 7 in the room number. Naaah---couldn't be.

You know you look older than you think when . . .

The young lady who gave us a tour of Kiran School responded, "Is that all?" when I told her I was 62.

Our guide in Saigon took us to the elevator at the Presidential Palace labeled for "old and handicapped" and looked a little surprised when we told her we were okay using the stairs to walk up two flights.

A guide told us she hoped she could travel the world when she gets old like us.

Climate Control

Unfortunately, the wind was so strong today at this lovely beach that we had to opt for a dip in the hotel pool. Not a bad choice altogether. The cocoanut smoothies are yummy, but it's a bit hard to find drinks which aren't highly sweetened. Being in a tropical climate once again, we wonder how we lived with the heat for so many years. One of Allan's favorite parts of each day is walking into a chilly hotel room.

The Universal Language--Magic

Allan hit the ground running when we landed in Vietnam. We hadn't even gotten out of the airport when he pulled out his cards and started impressing the drivers waiting for their clients. He's been able to "work his magic" with the locals wherever we've gone--even got us a discount on a carpet!

Reflections on the Vietnam War

Today we visited the Cu Chi tunnels--the elaborate underground system (hundreds of miles) used by the Viet Cong in their guerrilla warfare against the US troops. Allan crawled about 40 meters through one of the tunnels and attested to how cramped and pitch dark it was. We later went to their War Museum containing thousands of pictures of the Vietnam War. It was very disconcerting to watch their 1976 propaganda film and read their displays about the evil US destroying their country and its people. I thought back to my high school days and some of my peers who fought and died in Vietnam. Looking at the displays, I found it difficult to feel any sympathy toward the Vietnamese who captured and tortured Americans and vilified the US in their efforts to fight Communist control of their country. Thankfully, today the Vietnamese people welcome Americans and admire their efforts in fighting for human rights.