For this post, the pictures will (mainly) speak for themselves.
HaLong Bay is about 4 hours by bus north of Hanoi.
We climbed over 100 steps (I lost count) to an opening that gave us this wonderful vantage point.
Halong Bay
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
The elephant ride in Thailand was tame, compared to our cyclo excursion through Hanoi’s old quarter. Imagine 22 of us oldies but goodies being pedaled through narrow crowded, crooked streets. Actually, you don’t have to imagine, because through the magic of digital photography, we captured this thrilling adventure for you.
One of my Pennsylvania buddies was right in front of me, so I was able to get a couple of shots of her, and she returned the favor.
I wasn’t looking behind me, so didn’t see how close the car and motorbike were to my fearless driver.
Mike was following close behind.
It actually was a great way to see the city. I could check out the shops for later purchases. Hmmm, which sister or cousin will be getting something from the “Toxic Shop”? Or would a propaganda poster make a better “prize”?
One more shot to make sure you got the full effect of Hanoi streets, then we will move on to other highlights.
You can’t visit Hanoi without paying your respects to Ho Chi Minh.
This French colonial governor’s mansion was very briefly Ho Chi Minh’s home until he was able to settle into something more to his taste.
This house on stilts was where Ho Chi Minh preferred to live.
On to the Temple of Literature, which was beautifully decorated for New Year. Like many Americans, they are not in a big rush to take down their decorations, giving the Temple an even more festive look.
Turtles are VERY important to the Vietnamese. Unfortunately, I was in the “happy” room when our guide was explaining the significance of these turtle sculptures, so I missed that part, but I know it had to do with education. Google it, if you want specifics–or you can just enjoy the photos.
We have an early morning tomorrow, so that’s all for today. Hugs to all and a big hello to all Sue’s co-workers. Glad you are following along!
One day you’re hot, and the next day you’re not.
We spent our last morning in Cambodia cruising to the Tonle Sap Lake. During the dry season, the tributaries leading to the lake drop to a depth between 3 and 5 feet, but during the rainy season, the area floods, with the water level rising to between 24 and 30 feet, which explains why the houses are on stilts.
The children were all very cute and friendly, waving from the banks.
These tykes were too close to the river for MY comfort level.
It was slow going, getting to the lake, because we were quite a bit larger than the average Cambodian (an understatement), weighing the boat down in the already shallow passageway. That gave us plenty of time to take in the sights.
As usual, our excellent guide took good care of us, bringing along more snacks than we could eat. I’ve developed a very strong attachment to mangosteens, which are rightfully known as “the queen of fruits”.
Tonle Sap Lake was quite beautiful. I particularly liked the floating restaurants.
On the way back, Man tossed fruit and snacks to the kids. This little boy was delighted with his catch.
Time to move — to another country and another climate. North Vietnam is quite a bit cooler than the other three countries we visited, as you might guess from our wardrobe.
And now a preview of coming attractions…tune in again for the Hanoi version of “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride”.
Random Images
Jean requested that I post more photos of Mike and me. Mike’s photo card isn’t compatible with my iPad, I can’t get at his photos till I am home. Some other travelers were kind enough to get a few shots of us together. So Jean, these are for you.
Mike, looking thoughtful.
Time for group shots:
I DID promise random shots, so here goes. This is the walkway leading to the “laundry” less than a block from the Tara Angkor Hotel. For $12 we got two weeks worth of dirty clothes washed and folded. You might wonder where, because all that is visible are soda cans and umbrellas, which explains why I walked by the place twice. The laundry, you see,is also a cafe. These Cambodians are hard working AND ingenious.
Lest you think the hotel is equally rustic, let me show you the elegance of this gorgeous hotel. Seven of us ladies, and Mike, sipped our gin and tonics in this locale.
The pool had a Goldilocks temperature…not too hot, not too cold–just right. So refreshing!
Now for your viewing pleasure, the Southeast Asia version of “Planes, trains and automobiles”
I tried several times to send Hal and Karen this photo via email. Maybe the post will succeed. Well, this WAS a mode of travel.
So far, we’ve had two trips on the Mighty Mekong. The first was in Laos, to the caves.
The second trip, in Cambodia, was quite an experience because the water level was so low, and the water was extremely muddy.
No, our boat went QUITE like those on the bank. THIS was our boat.
Next stop, Vietnam.
Angkor Wat at Dawn
I don’t have enough adjectives to describe what it wa like to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat. Although my photos don’t do it justice, they will give you a rough idea of the grandeur of this sacred spot. It was worth getting up at 4:30 in the morning to view this remnant of an amazing civilization!
The moat surrounding Angkor Wat represents the ocean you cross to enter heaven; it also serves as a wonderful mirror, heightening the beauty of the structure.
Although we did a lot more today, there are only photos of Angkor Wat because anything else would look puny by comparison.
The five towers were constructed to resemble closed Lotus buds. The central tower represents Mount Meru, the home of the gods.
Only the king and monks were allowed on the third level of Angkor Wat and they were required to CRAWL up to show respect for the gods, so the stairs were suitably steep.
Although I don’t smoke cigarettes or eat products with hydrogenated oil, I HAVE been known to occasionally engage in risky behavior. Besides, I wanted to get in touch with my inner goddess, so of course I was climbing to the third level. The view was spectacular!
I think I might have even had a vision of the Buddha. 
Or could it be that the altitude produced hallucinations?
What a relief that I didn’t have to crawl up. After a few people fell from the stone steps, this wooden staircase was constructed. Only 43 steps to the top, but like the original, they were quite steep.
Since this is a shorter post, why not have a little contest? This one is fairly easy.
1. During this trip we have visited two places that were settings for movies. What were the movies,
2. and where were the locations?
3. Of the 4 countries we are visiting, which are constitutional monarchies and which are people’s republics?
4. Whose picture is on the Bhat?
5. What is the difference between the Chinese Buddha and the Buddha in the other Southeast Asian countries?
6. What precious stone is the emerald Buddha made of?
7. Who taught her granddaughter to cross streets fearlessly?
Tomb Raider
No, I am not raiding tombs–Lara Croft was. We started our temple tour with a visit to Ta Prohm, the site of the Tomb Raider movie. It has been left close to its natural state so visitors can experience the power of the jungle.
These apsaras look very perky, despite no visible means of support, centuries before the invention of plastic surgery.
There will be more temple photos over the coming days, so I don’t want to get you all “templed out”. Instead, I’ll show you the village that we visited.
If anyone in the US is looking for something to be grateful for, you can start with our water supply. This is theirs.
The children follow us through the village, trying to sell us trinkets. It is hard to say no, but if you buy from one, you are immediately engulfed. Bet you can guess how I know.
We had an amazing lunch in the village, in one of the houses. This is a milk apple, and it is delicious!
Here are Mike, one of the 4 Lindas,and one of the two Gregs, getting ready to chow down.
Another Linda, with our guide. Man is from Vietnam. Hmmmm, looks like a lot of empty beer cans in front of them.
My new friends from Philadelphia left their husbands home. They had “lunch meetings” for over a year to plan this trip.
Incidentally, the American pilots visited this village in the late ’60’s. The bomb craters are still there.
Luang Prabang, Laos
More highlights from Laos. The city of Luang Prabang is lovely, a nice mix of old and new…the “sometimes” nature of wifi was a reminder that we were in a developing country.
We visited a village along the Mekong, delivering gifts from Road Scholar: tin and wood for the school-house roof.
I found the village signs interesting. As you can see, the Lao aren’t big on spaces between words, which make it an extremely challenging language to learn.
Their English is way better than MY Laotian. I have barely learned how to say “hello”.
Our young guide escorted us to the schoolhouse.
The kiddies were on their lunch break, but they gathered to sing to us. We reciprocated with a rousing chorus of “row, row, row your boat.”
How could I not buy something from this sweet boy? I think Low Price Lenny might like a snail with a Buddha painted on his back.
Notice the bill in the baby’s hand? She helped her mother sell me a scarf so she demanded HER cut!
One more view of the Mekong, then we were on our way back to Luang Prabang.
First our guide Man (that’s his name, not a description) serenaded us, then he turned into a bartender, whipping up some killer gin and tonics. What a great way to end the trip!
Several of the ladies decided we could fit in another trip to the night market and a relaxing drink at the Villa Santi if we got ourselves to The Indestructible Rock (that night’s restaurant) on our own. No photos of that excursion…just great memories.
Lovely Laos
The Internet is a “sometimes” thing in Laos, which makes blogging a challenge. So, that’s why these posts are being uploaded in Cambodia. But I sure did love our time in Luang Prabang. Get ready for some highlights.
Monks get up at 4 AM every day. They are not allowed to eat after noon; all their food comes from donations so they hit the road early every morning. The head monk leads the way, followed by the “novices”. I don’t blame this little guy for yawning…so was I.
We followed them to Wat Xiang Thong, formerly the Royal Palace back when Luang Prabang was the capital of Laos. When the king decided to move the capital to Vientiane, he donated his home to the monks.
The techniques to create the beautiful glass mosaics were learned from the Japanese.
Similar mosaics cover the walls of the Throne Room in the National Museum, but we weren’t allowed to photograph there. In the National Museum, the walls and ceilings are a deep Chinese red, which makes the glass mosaics even more stunning. The National Museum was built by the French for the last King of Thailand, who ended up in a reeducation camp after the 1975 revolution.
We visited Ock Pop Tok (East meets West) where we met Jo and Val, who demonstrated how their beautiful silk garments were made, starting from the silkworm, through weaving and dying.
Do you recognize one of the workers, busily (and professionally) dying a silk scarf?
We managed to cruise through both the night and the morning markets. These markets are set up and taken down every day!
Speaking of cruising, we did just that, along the Mekong, to the Pak Ou caves, an important religious site for Laos.
Barbara left a small Buddha in the cave, just like a local.
Could that be Indiana Jones, looking for Buddha?
Getting to and from our vessel took balance, as demonstrated by Linda.
The way to a man’s heart (and a woman’s too)
What better way to spend our last morning in Thailand than at a cooking class?
But first, these little piggies went to market, and what a market it was!
The vegetables were so fresh, the bees think they are still growing.
Thai “fast food” – all the necessary vegetables for soup, packaged together.
No wonder Thai food is so amazing–the ingredients are incredibly fresh!
Check out these master chefs.
Could that be Mike wearing a “do” rag??? Yes, it could, and it was.
The spring rolls were so delicious, I didn’t stop to photograph them–I think I might have inhaled them…but I DID capture our other glorious creations for your viewing pleasure.
Pad Thai
Green curry–we all were coughing as we were stir frying this dish. Not sure what ingredient caused that reaction.
And the grand finale–sticky rice with mango. I have never, ever tasted such scrumptious mangoes. They were perfectly ripened, sweet and juicy.
Our group: 4 Lindas, 2 Barbaras,2 Marys, Shelley, Sue, Sandy, Caroline, Karen, Kitty
2 Gregs, Alex, Al, Hal, Mike, Owen, and Rod, obviously not in any particular order.
Good news, folks back home. When I return, I won’t be empty handed. There will be a cookbook in my chubby fist!
After class, we were loaded into vehicles that resembled army trucks. Caroline pointed out this comforting sign. Good to know our driver was trained!
What a way to learn!
Learning was never this much fun during my school years! Why couldn’t all of my lecturers be like those on Road Scholar trips? Or could it be that I have changed?
Our first two lecturers, Jim Lehman and Tony Zola, were both peace corp volunteers, who stayed in Southeast Asia. Jim was a Buddhist Monk for three months, because he didn’t want to be “unripe”, or as our guide Tippy says, “uncooked rice”. Those are the terms for Thai men that do not spend at least a little time as a monk. If you marry someone who is “uncooked” or “unripe” the Thais believe the marriage will not work out, so it was off to the temple for Jim, so that his Thai wife’s family would approve of the union.
Jim explained that Theravada Buddhists don’t believe in god, however anyone visiting a Wat cant help but notice the Buddhists are deep into Hindu mythology.
In fact, they believe Buddha was the last incarnation of Vishnu. When I asked how Theravada Buddhists reconcile “no god” with their belief in Hindu gods, Jim gave me the answer he got from his Buddhist teacher. “When you have an arrow in your chest, you don’t ask how it got there.” In other words, Buddhism teaches us the way forward. It is not concerned with how we got to where we are. I, on the other hand, would DEFINITELY want to know who shot that damn arrow!
In addition to blending Hinduism with Buddhism, Thais throw animism into the mix. Spirit houses are everywhere, and have varying degrees of grandeur. We saw this one on our daily walk to the SkyTrain from the Loft Hotel. I think my dad might have one just like this in his back yard. (Right, Sue and San?)
This fancier spirit house is far more typical.
Our second lecturer, Tony Zola, talked about the socio-economic-political climate of the countries along the Mekong River, which flows from Tibet to the South China Sea. Sixty million people depend on it for food. They receive 80% of their protein from fish, so the “health” of the river directly impacts the health of the people.
Two of the countries we are visiting are constitutional monarchies (Thailand and Cambodia); Laos and Vietnam are People’s Republics. Per capita income ranges from a high of $8,700 in Thailand to $2,100 to $3,100 in the three other countries. One last demographic fact: half of the population of Southeast Asia is under the age of 25.
Tony didn’t just give us facts and figures; he also told us interesting stories. Thailand’s former Prime Minister received a degree in criminology from the USA. He had a creative way of solving Thailand’s rising drug problem. Somehow, the word got out to rival gangs that each was encroaching on the other’s turf. The resulting murders remain unsolved, which triggered a protest at the United Nations. Again, the Thais had a novel solution. The Thai ambassador’s wife utilized her staff’s cooking abilities to prepare delicious Thai food, which was set up on tables in of the demonstrators. It’s hard to be angry with a stomach full of Thai food. Problem solved…demonstration over. We can learn a lot from the Thais.
Did i mention that my posts are not necessarily in chronological order? Random…that’s the way my brain works. After Tony’s lecture, we headed off to the airport for our flight to Chiang Mai. And what an airport it is! Comfortable lounge open to all ticket holders,. With free wifi, drinks and food. No need to belong to a president’s club here.
At Wat Suan Dok, we had a “monk chat”, a discussion of Buddhism from a monk that was not just passing through, doing time so he could become “ripe”. He was a wonderful speaker, who explained that the goal of Buddhism is to be happy right here and now, to relieve suffering by learning detachment. To a Buddhist, the test of a religion should be whether it helps us to be able to live together peacefully. (I’m thinking there are a whole lot of religions that are scoring big red F’s on that particular test. After showing us how to wrap yourself in an orange robe (or as my cousin Kristy would say “rock his robe”)’ we received a crash course in meditation, and I left with an increased fondness for Buddhism.
Wat Prathap Doi Suthep is located about 40 minutes from Chiang Mai, atop a mountain. This wat is renown because the pagoda contains ashes of the Buddha.
A couple more photos for your viewing pleasure.
Destination NOW 