Asia – Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam

Four Visas, Three Countries

We will be visiting three countries–Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet. So why do we need FOUR visas? Fair warning–this post will likely only interest those that are taking a similar trip, or are planning to visit India.

For the three of you that are still reading, here goes.

We fly into and out of Delhi, so since we have at least one overnight stay in India, we need a visa. A visa that costs (depending on the service used) anywhere from $135 to $173, per person. A visa that requires you to complete an on-line application that is challenging to decipher. But there IS a positive aspect. The visa is good for 10 years. So, should we decide to spend more than an overnight in India, it will be best to do so before 2026.

If you are anything like me, you are probably wondering how to score the $135 charge. Well, Cox and Kings is India’s approved visa grantor, so you get the best price if you opt to go direct to them.

Our travel company, OAT, sent out a package with very helpful, clear instructions. Good thing, because there are lots of hoops you need to jump through for that India online application.

OAT recommends PVS, a visa processing company located in DC, probably because you can send your passport to one service and they take care of visas for both India and Nepal, which is not the case with Cox and Kings. PVS is convenient, yes, but as with everything, you pay for that convenience. If we had used PVS, we would have paid a total of $566 for both visas, including mailing charges.

Instead, our total cost was $362, a savings of $204. How did I pull that off? In addition to using Cox and Kings, I dealt directly with the Nepali Embassy.

I happened to be traveling to NYC to meet a friend for lunch and a show, so I figured, what the heck, I’ll just go in a little earlier and stop by the embassy. Located at 216 East 49th St, it is only open between 9:30 and 1:30 during the week. Right between these two restaurants,

you’ll find this sign on the side of the building:
You have to press the button on the side of the wall to get buzzed in. I walked up to their tiny office on the 4th floor, but there IS an elevator. The visas cost $40 per person versus $90 for PVS, so that represented half of our $200 in savings.

One thing that is important to know if you decide to go–they ONLY take money orders. No cash, no personal check, no credit or debit cards. Of course, I had everything that they didn’t take, but all was not lost because there is a place that sells money orders on the next block. I have no idea what a money order costs, because my bank had a branch on the same block, so my money order was free. If I had been smart, I would have found this website before I left home. It EXPLAINS the money order requirement and tells you what is needed to submit by express mail or courier–good news for those of you that have no intention of traveling to NYC.

It took 30 minutes for processing to be completed. Passports and visas clutched in one hand, my other raised to hail a taxi, I was off for the Cox and King office 23 blocks away.

I thought I might be able to drop off my package (to be mailed to my home when processing was completed) and still be on time for lunch. I was delusional. It was a total waste of time and cab fare. The smart thing would have been just to express mail the damn thing in the first place and be done with it. Which is what I ultimately did. Less than 2 weeks later, our passports arrived.

Two down, two to go.

Bhutan and Tibet both require that you send them a color copy of the first two pages of your passport in advance of trip. (OAT , bless them, is handling this part). The actual visas are provided when you arrive, but only if you have 2 color passport type photos (2 for each country, 4 in total), ANOTHER copy of our passport pages (for Tibet) and approximately $70 for Bhutan and $190 for Tibet, per person, in cash. Cash means pristine bills–no wrinkles, tears or marks. OAT recommends we bring more, because these fees are subject to change without notice. See why we use a travel company when we venture to more non-traditional locales? Knowing me, I would have missed one or more of the requirements.

So, what did I learn from this adventure? If you have enough time to submit directly to the embassy and Cox and Kings by express mail (or Fedex or UPS–whatever) you can save a bundle. You just need to send for one, wait for the passports to be returned, then send to the other. If, however, money is no object (that’s definitely not ME), and you prize convenience, or are short on time, then a service, like PVS is the way to go.

Next post will be about something other than this future trip. I promise!

Memories of Global Volunteers

I’ve been back almost three weeks from my Global Volunteers experience in Hanoi. As with the last Global Volunteers project, I accumulated lots of wonderful memories–but this time, only a few photographs. This post is a bit random, but here goes.

All Global Volunteers follow this tradition: We start each day with a “thought for the day” and a journal reading summarizing the events of the previous day. Volunteers take turns contributing thoughts and journal entries.

My thought, the motto of a Bangkok Wat, kicked off our two weeks of service in Hanoi.
“Enlarge your vision and be fascinated by the people surrounding you.”
The people surrounding me (volunteers, teachers and students) were indeed fascinating, and I benefited greatly from spending time with such interesting individuals.

The volunteers: Jeanne, Jim, Sally, Tom, Shelley, Bob and Judy at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

We were the 21st Global Volunteers team to serve in Vietnam. The first NGO to be welcomed into Vietnam, Global Volunteers started in the southern part of the country in 1993. Initially the focus was on building schools, but it soon became apparent that what the people really desired was help learning English.

Jim, our very talented and extremely patient team leader, reminded us that although teaching English is important, it is really a means to the ultimate goal of developing friendships. We are all aware that our most important role is that of Goodwill Ambassador. For some Vietnamese, we may be the first American they meet, so we will be supplementing the knowledge of the USA that they have gotten from TV. (Yikes. That’s a big job! But we were up to the task of taking on The Sopranos, the “Real Housewives” and Donald Trump! . )

The six of us volunteers had different backgrounds and different strengths, but we all shared a desire to make our time together a positive, fulfilling experience for students, teachers and ourselves.

On our first day, we attended the Monday morning assembly, where the students welcomed us with a guitar rendition of jingle bells.

Judy, Sally and I worked with the English teachers in the primary school.

Mrs. Vananh and Miss Lan — Mrs. Vananh (who was due a week after we left) and Miss Lan

On our first day, Mrs. Vananh’s third grade class sang “We are the world” for us. For those of us that lived through the Vietnam War, it was quite an emotional experience, listening to these sweet, beautiful children and thinking that forty some odd years ago, we were dropping bombs on their city.
During our second week, we asked Mrs. Vananh if the children could sing it again, and when they did, I grabbed my iPhone and videoed them. Although I was sick the last two days of the project and missed seeing the kids watch the posting on You Tube, Sally and Judy reported that it was something to behold. The boys were high fiving each other, the girls were covering their faces, they were all pointing and laughing, enjoying viewing themselves on the classroom TV.

"We are the world, we are the children" — “We are the world, we are the children”

Some classroom memories:

Miss Judy at work — Miss Judy in action.

Miss Sally teaching the "apples and bananas" song, a real crowd pleaser! — Miss Sally teaching Miss Linh’s class the “apples and bananas” song, a real crowd pleaser!

We weren’t just teachers–we were also students. We were lucky to have the very patient Mai as our teacher. She attempted to help us master the six different tones used in Vietnamese, with varying degrees of success. (Bob was the star pupil–and I was his polar opposite).

Jeanne, Bob and Tom all worked with the intermediate and secondary students. We were all captivated by Zac, a very friendly and extremely articulate intermediate student. He is quite proficient with electronics, offering to protect my iPad with 4 levels of security. (I can barely remember ONE password–never mind FOUR!)

Zac’s grandfather taught him a lot about photography, so I let him play around with my camera. He decided to use the manual controls for this shot of me.

Zac was so impressed by my Vietnamese proficiency that he summoned one of his friends to hear me speak. I’m sure their hysterical laughter at my pronunciation was their special way of saying “good job”.

Our time in Hanoi wasn’t ALL work. One of the many high points of our time in Hanoi was an excursion to the Ethnology Museum with Lan and several of the student teachers. The museum was only a 15 minute walk from the school, but walking the streets of Hanoi is always an adventure. These beautiful young girls literally took us by the hand and walked on the outside to make sure that we were safe! We must have been a sight–the seven of us big Americans parading down the street with our petite escorts protecting us from random motor scooters.

Our leader Jim, with our teachers/guides

During our second week, we made it to West lake, the site of John McCain’s crash. This monument is relatively new, and was probably put up to honor McCain for his role in normalizing US/Vietnamese relationships in the 1990’s.

I had planned on taking lots of photos of the kids and teachers during the last two days of school, but although I was healthy through four countries and for almost 6 weeks, I spent those last days in bed…luckily recovering in time for the plane ride home. My big disappointment was that I wasn’t able to say goodbye to the teachers and students, and have a farewell dinner with the team…so this post will have to function as my official thank you and ’till we meet again’ to all of the fascinating people that surrounded me.

Sidewalks of Hanoi

I wasn’t in Hanoi long before I realized “sidewalks” is a misnomer. “Beside walk” or “alongside walk” would be far more accurate, because THAT is what you do.

Photo taken from a second floor cafe/bar. Check out the wiring.

Although it LOOKED like one, this wasn’t a parade. They were just getting from point A to point B, and making MY point!

Notice the "bike rental" shop on the "beside walk" — Notice the “bike rental” shop on the “beside walk”

The old quarter is quite crowded, and the Vietnamese are very industrious, so every square inch is utilized.

He's really pushing it! — He’s really pushing it! He’s spilling into the street.

The cases in the right foreground, less than a foot wide, are the local liquor store.

What better place for food prep? Sorry for the blurriness. I was dodging scooters while shooting. — What better place for food prep?

You can cook dinner... — You can cook dinner…

Gather with the family for dinner — gather with the family in the dining room

Wash dishes — Then after dinner, it is as good a place as any to wash dishes

Hang with your friends and watch the traffic whiz by — Like young men the world over, the corner is the perfect place to hang with your friends and watch the traffic whiz by

Whoever manufactures those plastic stools must be incredibly rich. They were everywhere!

Hanoi on the Weekend

What do we fun loving volunteers do on a weekend in Hanoi? Well, on Saturday we took a cooking class, beginning with a visit to the local market to buy ingredients for our Caramel Pork dish.

"Get off the showcase!" — “Get off the showcase!” Bonus points to whoever can identify who said that.

We decided on a different vendor. — For some reason, we decided on a different vendor.

This guy reminded me of the lobsters in the bathtub!

Didn't we pick these off rocks? — Didn’t we pick these off rocks?

What would the Massachusetts term for these guys be? — Slap a little paint on these shells, and you’ve got yourself an ashtray!

Our teacher had excellent English. In addition to cooking, he taught us important Vietnamese phrases. — Our teacher had excellent English. In addition to cooking, he taught us the Vietnamese equivalents for “cheers” and “bottoms up”.

If cooking gets too strenuous, I'm coming back here! — If cooking (or drinking) gets too strenuous, I’m coming back here!

Miss Shelley and Miss Sally, who both answer to Ms Shally — Miss Shelley and Miss Sally, super chefs

Our waiter was happy to keep us supplied with free flowing wine — Our waiter was happy to keep us supplied with the “free flowing wine” mentioned in the brochure.

On Sunday, Jeannie, Sally and I made a day trip to the Perfume Pagoda, which we subsequently learned is Vietnam’s Mecca. We had thought that a boat ride on the river, into the mountains, would be a respite from the energy and dynamism of Hanoi. And had we visited during the summer, that is exactly what we would have experienced. Instead, we figured that it would have been more peaceful had we stayed in Hanoi, because it sure seemed like everyone in the city decided to visit the Pagoda with us.

Beautiful scenery; quite a bit of traffic on the river.

I thought there were a lot of boats on the river; I had NO IDEA how many boats were already there!

Vietnam has no shortage of shopping opportunities, and religious sites are no exception.

It is difficult to capture the sea of humanity at the Pagoda. As it got more crowded, it was impossible to photograph. — It is difficult to capture the sea of humanity at the Pagoda. I took this photo before it got crowded. Later, I couldn’t get my arms up to take a picture without bopping people around me.

There's a lot to be said for vegetarianism. — There’s a lot to be said for vegetarianism.

After lunch, we headed for the gondola. It didn’t take long for us to realize we were the only non-Asians in the very long line. During the one hour wait, the children used the opportunity to practice their English. Everyone wanted to say “hello” to us. Once again, I was impressed with the warmth and friendliness of the Vietnamese.

You jump into and out of these. They don't stop for passenger entry and exit. — You jump into and out of these. They don’t stop for passenger entry and exit. And if you take too long, the attendant gives you a little push to send you on your way.

A sweet young French girl who was on our tour decided to walk up, and arrived at the top before we did. (I wasn’t kidding about the long lines!) She reported that the way up was very hot and crowded, with gift and food stands lining the road the entire way. We know exactly what she meant. We SAW the rooftops during our gondola ride. So much for fresh mountain air.

Sally and Jeannie, smiling on the boat ride back. You can’t keep those intrepid travelers down!

Hanoi

Finally, the blog and my location are in synch! Mike and I returned to Hanoi on March 1. On March 2, I started the solo phase of my Asian Adventure. As I was having dinner with team leader Jim and the other Global Volunteers at the Hanoi Legacy Hotel, Mike was heading to the airport. I was glad that he’d been able to spend time in my “neighborhood”, and meet a couple of the other volunteers.

Judy and Bob, the only married couple in the group, are from Cleveland Ohio. Jeannie is originally from Lancaster, Pa, but now lives in DC. Sally is from Michigan; both Tom and Jim are from Minnesota. All of the volunteers except Tom have been in Southeast Asia for at least three weeks, so we have adjusted to the time change. Jeannie has been here the longest, having left the US in mid January. Like Mike and me, she traveled with Road Scholar, but she took two back-to-back trips with them.

Sunday was orientation for us volunteers. We started by getting to know each other, discussed why we were volunteering, learned about Global Volunteers’ activities in Vietnam and had a brief meeting with the administrator and teachers at Nuguyen Binh Khiem School.

And now a little about our “home” for the next two weeks. Many of the buildings in Vietnam are extremely narrow and deep, and our hotel is no exception. As with the USA, the tax code has an impact beyond collection and disbursement of revenue. Taxes on buildings in Vietnam are determined by the width of the first floor.

So, to bring light into the rooms in the middle of the building, there is a small opening, the width of a window. The advantage to being in an interior room is you are sheltered from all of the street noise. A very big plus indeed.

Although the building is old, the bathroom is decidedly modern. I don’t usually get excited about a toilet, but this one is AMAZING! It has a bidet built right into it. My new friend Sally and I have declared that one of these will definitely be a part of our lives in the near future. (Are you reading this, Mike?). It even comes with instructions!

The shower is quite spectacular as well. We had something similar in Italy last summer, but this one has enough water pressure so that you could actually USE all the nozzles at the same time. Ahhhh, a great way to start or end your day.

Another great thing about this hotel is its location near Hoan Kiem lake. I love walking around the lake early in the morning; the locals are out dancing, exercising, massaging each other. Because there aren’t a lot of foreigners around in the morning I’ve been invited to participate in the activities.

One morning Sally joined me, making us prime candidates to participate in the “chicken dance”. Although I don’t have a photo of that stellar performance, judging from the number of cameras that were whipped out, countless Hanoi locals DO.

I’m thoroughly enjoying being with these friendly, gracious people. The kids are wonderful…curious, bright, fun. The older boys like using my camera, so when some of the children ran over to say hello, I handed the camera to one of the boys, and this was the result.

Only three more days till I head home.

What a way to go!

We had to be at Hue’s airport by noon, so we started our morning early, with a boat ride up the Perfume River to visit the Beautiful Lady Pagoda and two of the Mausoleums.

Since we are the only passengers, we can sit anywhere we want.

The lady of the boat was also in charge of the “gift shop”. She’s very happy because I overpaid for a couple of items. Even Buddha is laughing at me! But she is pregnant, so I don’t feel bad about contributing to her unborn child’s well being.

At one time, each of the seven layers in the tower contained a gold Buddha statue, but overtime, they all disappeared.

Also on site is the car that was used to drive Thich Tri Quang, the monk that set himself on fire in Saigon. He was protesting the persecution of the Buddhists by the South Vietnamese Catholics, led by Diem.

Once again, I learned that I can’t leave Mike alone.

Everywhere he goes, Mike attracts attention!

This guy attracted MY attention.

Yes, those eyebrows and that beard ARE made of real hair

The ruling class did not suffer from low self esteem, as evidenced by their mausoleums. No humble hole in the ground for them. Their mausoleums also functioned as parks; they were so lovely the emperors used to spend time there while still alive.

There are seven levels, and 127 steep steps to the top.

Bao Dai, the “playboy” emperor, abdicated in 1945, but before he left, he constructed this tomb to honor his father, Khai Dinh. It was quite dazzling, with all the gold.

But one statue is never enough.

The queen’s photo hangs on the top level. She doesn’t look very happy, but then, neither would I if Mike had scores of concubines.

I know that if “my girls” had been with me, THEY would have put on a costume and sat on the throne for me to photograph. Mike was not as cooperative, so I had to make do.

Time to leave for Hue’s airport. There are no jetways, so we walked down a flight of stairs, to the outside, where we boarded a bus that drove about 100 feet to the plane for our flight to Hanoi.

Yep, we DID ride that bus all the way to the plane.

The Citadel

As befitting the one time capital of Vietnam, Hue has a citadel, complete with a couple of moats, cannons and majestic gates with names like Gate of Everlasting Happiness.

If this isn't the Gate of Everlasting Happiness, it SHOULD be. — If this isn’t the Gate of Everlasting Happiness, it SHOULD be.

Gate detail. The Vietnamese are descendants of dragons and fairies — Gate detail. According to legend, the Vietnamese are descendants of dragons and fairies

We’ve all seen cannons, so you don’t need to see the whole thing, but I’ll bet you’ve never seen cannons as fancy as the ones at Hue.

The Vietnamese are incredible craftsmen. This is one of the "four seasons" guns. — The Vietnamese are incredible craftsmen. This is one of the “four seasons” guns.

The emperor lived in the Forbidden Purple City with his wives, concubines, daughters, young sons and female servants. If any male, other than the emperor, (or one of the eunuchs) attempted to enter the Purple City, he was put to death. I was quite excited about wandering thru the forbidden city, but unfortunately it was flattened during the Tet offensive or America’s response. Nothing remains of the emperor’s residence.

You'll just have to use your imagination to conjure up the Forbidden City. Here is where it stood. — You’ll just have to use your imagination to conjure up the Forbidden City. Here is where it stood.

These galleries of Hue’s citadel have been restored and give you an idea of the glorious days of old.

Our tour guide had gone to college in Hue, so he was full of great restaurant and bar restaurants. Instead Mike and I opted to have a wonderful dinner on the rooftop restaurant of our hotel, enjoying the perfect weather and the beautiful view.

The view of the Perfume River from our room

Speaking of our room, I’m not sure why the Mercure Hotel thinks showering is a spectator sport. Both of the Mercure Hotels had a “viewing” option. See what I mean?

This might have been a good idea 30 years ago... — This might have been a good idea 30 years ago…

One more day of our private tour, a day in Hanoi, then I’ll be telling you all about my Global Volunteers experience.

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for–the answers to the last contest’s questions
1. We visited Halong Bay on this trip. Although Angkor Wat IS indeed a wonder of the world, it is man made, not a natural wonder.
2. Early in the morning, in Luang Prabang, the monks beg for their food.
3. The best way to tour Hanoi’s old quarter is a matter of opinion. Both Cyclo and on foot are correct, and yes, Lis, this was a trick question!
4. This question was specially for Kristy because of her fondness for the dong. The answer is Vietnam.
5. I lost my glasses once, but was able to retrieve them, because I remembered where I had left them–but Mike and his hat have parted ways for good.
6. The GI’s called the beach at DaNang “China Beach” because of all the porcelain they found there.

On our way to Hue

We drove through the mountains from HaiAn to Hue, a very beautiful ride up a narrow, winding road. There was no place to stop to take photos, and the blurry shots from the car immediately were deleted. When we got to the top, the view was spectacular, but too misty to capture in a photo. This mountaintop was at different times a fortress/ bunker for the Vietnamese (fighting the Chinese), the French and the Americans.

You’ll have to look carefully to see the American bunker above all the gift shops and buses.

This photo is for John R. I don't know whether this is the area you were asking about. — This photo probably only means something to my friend, John Reilly

It made me sad to think of all the American and Vietnamese lives lost or ruined by this senseless war. Amazingly enough, the Vietnamese don’t hold a grudge against us. They are very matter of fact about the war. We have been impressed by how tremendously polite, welcoming and gracious everyone has been to us.
As we descended the mountain, we were treated to a different, but equally fantastic view.

This time I wore a more “wind resistant” skirt!

Well, if I can put my feet into the Antarctic Ocean, you can bet I won't miss stepping into the East Sea — Well, if I can put my feet into the Antarctic Ocean, you can bet I won’t miss stepping into the East Sea

Two more photos of our drive and then I’ll give your eyes a rest.

Vietnamese fishing boats (for my dad)

HoiAn, a beautiful little town

Mike and I thoroughly enjoyed our unstructured time in HoiAn. Our Road Scholar trip was action packed, with lots of sightseeing, cultural and educational experiences, starting early in the morning till early evening, so we were ready for some “down time”.

It was nice to linger over breakfast, which we did every morning, for about two hours, chatting with another American couple, enjoying the hotel gardens and the wonderful warm weather. And what breakfasts they were…just about everything imaginable…Asian style food (more like what we would eat for dinner), crepes, omelettes, croissants, and the juiciest, freshest fruits I have ever tasted. I think I have a mango addiction.

HoiAn is a delightful city, with the central section full of little shops, restaurants and cafes. It was closed off to motorbikes and cars, so it is a pleasure walking there. Mike and I did some of the usual tourist things, but mainly we walked around, ate and drank. Good thing everything I brought with me had an elastic waistband!

I couldn’t resist shopping for my three “shared” grandchildren–there were such cute purses and backpacks. I also succumbed to one of HoiAn’s many tailor shops. I think I would have fared better if I had had my fashion consultants with me, but hey, it was an experience and entertainment. (Isn’t that what the gamblers say after being in Atlantic City?). There will be a fashion show when I get home–you all can be the judges as to whether I am “in or owwwwwttt”.

Me and super saleswoman Lou, while waiting for my new duds to be finished.

The temple was packed the day we visited, with the locals stopping by to purchase long red coils of incense that will slowly burn for several months. The yellow tags hanging from the incense have the family members’ names printed on them. I said a special prayer in front of this painting, asking the Sea Goddess to always keep Steve and Andrew safe.

Painting of the sea goddess, under the incense coils and behind the vase. — Painting of the sea goddess, rescuing the ship in distress. I so wanted to move that vase.

I have no idea what this is all about...I just liked it! — I have no idea what this is all about…I just liked it!

Sitting by the river, watching the boats roll on by

We took a day trip out to the Cham sanctuary, My Son. A significant portion of the sanctuary was destroyed by bombing. I climbed into one of the craters to give an idea of the depth of the hole, but that photo is on Mike’s camera.

Not this crater--there was water in the bottom. — Not this crater–there was water in the bottom.

The area was beautiful, and so peaceful.

Our guide was a photo enthusiast, who enjoyed using our cameras to take photos of us.

At night, the bridges and streets are all lit up, and young children sell candles that you float on the river. If you buy one, “your family be very happy”. (So, family, are you? You better be, cuz I bought one! That photo is also on Mike’s camera, but here’s a daytime shot of one of the bridges.)

It’s about time for a few questions, don’t you think?
1. Which of the seven new natural wonders of the world did we visit on this trip?
2. Early in the morning, in Luang Prabang, what can you watch the monks doing?
3. The best way to tour Hanoi’s old quarter is
A. By watching a travel video
B. By bus
C. On a cyclo
D. On foot
4. In which country is the currency known as a dong?
5. Who do you think PERMANENTLY lost an object?
A. Mike lost his hat
B. Shelley lost her glasses?
6. Why did the GI’s call the beach at DaNang “China Beach”?

Next stop, HoiAn

After our Road Scholar trip ended, Mike and I started Part Three of our Asian Adventure, this time just the two of us, traveling through Central Vietnam with a guide and driver, arranged by Ann Tours.

We flew from Hanoi to DaNang, where our guide Ahn met us. Although the buses were comfortable, and air conditioned, it still felt rather luxurious to have a Mercedes all to ourselves.

What remains of the former US airbase at DaNang

Modern DaNang, with its new bright yellow serpent bridges.

The Cham Museum contains sculptures from My Son, a religious sanctuary dating back to the 4th century. When an area was conquered, the invaders cut off the heads and hands of the religious statues to decrease their power.

Lakshmi's hands were originally holding a lotus blossom — Lakshmi’s hands were originally holding a lotus blossom

But more interesting to me was this frieze, showing the art of massage dated back more than 1600 years in Central Vietnam.

I can't let all those years of expertise go to waste. There will be a massage in my future! — I can’t let all those years of expertise go to waste. There will be a massage in my future!

We made a quick stop at DaNang’s beach, better known by the American soldiers as China Beach because of all the porcelain found buried in the sand. Here’s one of the few “G” rated photos from that stop.

Last stop before HoiAn was in the Marble Mountains. We climbed well over 100 steps that were carved into the mountain, all with different sized steps (steep, steeper, steepest).

The lady in blue decided I would make a dandy handrail, so she grabbed onto me as she climbed down

At the top of the first "staircase", smiling Buddha (happiness), with a fat belly (prosperity) and long ears (longevity) — At the top of the first “staircase”, smiling Buddha (happiness), with a fat belly (prosperity) and long ears (longevity)was waiting to welcome us.

As we climbed higher, the view got better.

But the most awe inspiring experience was when we entered the huge cave.

Sunlight from holes in the roof of the cave gave the interior a very spiritual feel

.
Our hotel was fantastic–my very favorite of the entire trip.

Welcome drink and fruit at the HaAn Hotel

Check out the shower. You can see the plants hanging on the back wall if you look in the mirror. And yes, there were flowers scattered at the bases of the shower and the toilet.

Stones in the shower. You stand on that white platform under the shower head.

Our tour company booked us here for three nights. Great choice!

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