Halong Bay Cruise

Halong Bay was every bit as cool as the pictures...that I hope to get uploaded soon. We explored it aboard the Bhaya, a Chinese "junk" boat we shared with about 20 others from all corners of the world. It had great food, and due to a little snafu, we scored the two big staterooms on the front with the private terraces. The first day we toured a floating fishing village via rowboat. Yesterday we did some hiking and biking on Cat Ba Island, whose main attraction is a cave that hid Vietnamese soldiers during the war. Despite its historical significance, it is better known as the ultimate hook-up spot among the locals. Last night we were star-gazing/drinking on the boat when I heard a faint but familiar beat in the distance. I went closer and was able to confirm that my one true love, John Bonjovi, had followed me all the way to a secluded harbor off the coast of Vietnam. (Shortly thereafter we were also blessed by the sounds of Beyonce.) We rode back to Hanoi today and said goodbye to our Ma and Pa, who are headed on to Angkor Wat. We fly back to Thailand tomorrow and are spending the night in the Hanoi airport hotel, which has one amenity--the airport. Hence we are currently in our 5th hour as "jetsitters": people who loiter among the cafes, internet rooms, and foot massage parlors of the international terminal with no plane to catch.
Rosemary

Hanoi

Just wrapping up an awesome few days in Hanoi with our dear Ma and Pa. It has been quite a reunion, complete with fantastic meals (steaks!) and upscale digs. Our first morning together was spent at the Hoa Lo prison (aka Hanoi Hilton), where pictures of captured American soldiers are limited to those showing them decorating for Xmas, playing basketball and chess, and enjoying craft projects. McCain's flight suit is there, too. Yesterday we visited the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, Hanoi's premier attraction. There are rules one must follow for a glimpse of Uncle Ho: no hands in pockets, talking, or pictures (sorry). We have also been to the Temple of Literature, the Museum of Fine Art, and the Army Museum. This afternoon we saw a performance at the Water Puppet Theatre. It's a little bit of a hokey tourist trap but there is definitely some talent involved and good traditional music performed live. (An attempt to upload our first-ever video clip of this ancient craft failed. Will try again later.) The four of us head to Halong Bay for a 2-night cruise tomorrow.
Melinda

Hoi An

Hoi An is a lovely French-inspired town on the central coast of Vietnam. We have enjoyed better food here than at our past couple of stops and were definitely bitten by the tailor-made clothes bug. There are over 500 tailor shops here and they make up about 75% of the storefronts. We both had several garments and a pair of shoes constructed in record time but were a little run ragged by all the fittings. On Friday we rented bikes to explore town, the neighboring villages and the markets. Today we went to a great cooking class on the river, where we made rice pancakes, spring rolls and an eggplant dish. We also learned to carve flowers out of tomatoes and cucumbers. I know this will greatly impress my friends in VietNashville. Melinda visited an orphanage in town with pictures and a letter from her neighbor's family, who adopted a little girl from there a few years ago. They were a big hit with the staff. I know you are all on the edge of your seats, but the rewash of this week's laundry was successful--the first round smelled worse clean than it did dirty. Note to twins: it's ok to pay 70,000 dong ($3.50) for a legit washer and dryer. On to Hanoi tomorrow to meet our folks, who are real champs for schlepping to the other side of the earth to visit their wayward little rugrats. We anxiously await a few days of sport-eating, mosquito-free accomodation, and hanging out with our beloved Ma and Pa!
Rosemary

Phu Quoc Island (Belated Post)

Phu Quoc was a good stop. We stayed in a bungalow at the Sea Star Resort, a great place right on the beach. We enjoyed some great weather (not too hot) and made a few new friends. The beach was lovely, with fine sand and no shells, and their were some great sunsets. We plowed through some books, too. Negatives included the town (picture a duststorm and add the smell of rotten sea life) and the difficulty in finding a decent meal. On the second night we shelled out 1.1 million Dong (OK, so that's only 60 bucks) for dinner at a 5-star resort down the beach and found it only passable. On the last night we had pizzas delivered straight to our hotel restaurant. Sounds a little harsh, I know, but we did buy the beer from them. Figured the dogs we'd seen helping with the dishes would have as little impact as possible that way.

As we prepared to leave for Hoi An yesterday morning, we both received emails from the National Bone Marrow Registry informing us that we are preliminary matches for a teenager in need, and asking us to submit to additional testing. Crazy stuff considering both of us joined the registry 15 years ago and haven't heard a peep from them since! We contacted them by phone last night and offered to change our plans if need be. They said not to, and that if a donor wasn't found by March 1 they would contact us again. Phew. As Rosie put it, "an adventure needs a little drama."
Melinda

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

After a tough travel day from Luang Prabang to Saigon on the 15th, these two middle-agers lamely decided that we would celebrate our bday on the 16th, as it would be our real bday in the US. So last night we had an over-priced and under-sweetened piece of cake atop a hotel with a nice view of the Moped City. Apparently there are 3 million mopeds here and as usual you can break the few rules that exist as long as you blow your horn a bunch while you do it. Our favorite moped cargo so far: refrigerator, 6 bird cages, 3 propane tanks (for the guy who either thinks he's Buddha or totally disposable). Yesterday we went to the War Remnants Museum, which is a must-do for the place the Vietnam War ended but, um, a little biased. Today we went about 50km out to the Cu Chi Tunnels, a sort of city underground dug by the Viet Cong as they closed in on Saigon. Though most of them were bombed out, what remained was pretty impressive. Everykind of booby trap you can imagine and M is quite the bat magnet. Though the tunnels have been widened 50% for tourist access, it was a tight squeeze and I still managed to scratch my arms and tear a couple small holes in my Superman vest because I was a little too wide (and it was a little too dark). No picture card readers here but we'll catch up when we find one.

A side note: if you are wondering why I'm always wearing the red vest, here is my marketing mojo. It has special compartments designated for travel books/maps, sunglasses, passport, ipod, a clip for a hat, a chain for keys, a sleeve for water bottle and several other pockets which I fill with bug repellant, barf bags, ear plugs and other essentials. All this on the inside so the pickpockets have little chance. It also has zip-on sleeves to become a jacket. I am a LITTLE sick of wearing it but tried a day without it and was lonely for it so I guess M will just have to chisel it off me at the end of the trip. On to Phu Quoc Island in the Mekong Delta tomorrow, our first beach stop.

A congratulatory shout-out for our Pa for his lifetime achievement award from the Society for Technology in Anesthesia, which he accepted in West Palm Beach yesterday.
Rosemary

Luang Prabang

The Gap group moved on without us this morning. We decided we wanted another day here in Luang Prabang and were not real excited about the last 2 nights on the Gap itenerary (or the bus rides required to get to them). Still, we enjoyed the group adventure and felt fortunate to have the leader and group we got. Everyone offered free lodging in their respective homes so we're all set for the next sabbatical in New Zealand!

Luang Prabang, the land of the Buddhist monk, has been very relaxing and a needed change of pace. A few days ago (I have no idea what day it is), we took a longboat ride up the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves where people deposit their unwanted buddhas. Yesterday we went to Kuang Si waterfalls, a series of green pools and falls nestled between trees and limestone. A highlight for sure but too chilly to swim. Nearby there was sanctuary for the endangered Asiatic black bear. We got to see them eating oranges while we ate deep fried bananas that should really be illegal. Last night we had our last dinner with the group and a visit to LaoLao garden, an outdoor bar with a bonfire. Today we discovered a lovely outdoor cafe (appropriately named Utopia) on the Nam Khan River. We decided they should operate a homestay instead. I read trash and Rosie did some drawing. She's still there (asleep). To Ho Chi Minh City tomorrow.
Melinda

Si Phon Don, Laos

Another small town stop, this time in the Land of 4,000 Islands here in southern Laos. Town of Don Phong is pretty sleepy but we took a good bike ride along the Mekong to stretch our legs after another day on the bus. A little chump of a Lao kid jumped out in front of me with a stick and tried to stick it in my front wheel. My bike did not have brakes so I just screamed as loud as I could and scared him to a safer distance. The countryside is full of teak trees here and, as you can see, the guesthouses look pretty fancy...on the outside.

Next day...Bus...ferry...sweat...bus...ferry...sweat. Stopped at lovely waterfall for lunch and then Wat Phou. I keep saying "this is my last Wat" but inevitably end up hiking up another pile of ruins. The view from the top of this one was almost worth the climb, but that candy bar I left for Buddha did not yield me the burger and fries I requested. Instead we arrived really hot and dirty at Don Deng Island for our token "homestay". Um, we "slept" on a Lao family's deck under a mosquito net with two ornery American senior citizens and the incessant cries of roosters. Positives included: cute pig next door, little boy kissing his pet chicken, and learning to use a squat toilet in the dark. Given that we never even met the family we "stayed with", we will thoroughly investigate future "cultural immersion experiences".

After we knotted up the mosquito nets, we took a "1.5 hour flight" from Pakse to Luang Prabang on Lao Airlines. It is actually a 1.5 hr flight to Vientiene where you wait 4 hours for another plane. Anyhow, it is great to be here finally. Pretty French Colonial architecture, good food and drastically less pollution and garbage build-up than the other cities so far. We even found an internet cafe with enough bandwidth to upload some blog photos so we have updated the last few posts. I feel a vacation coming on!
Rosemary

Phnom Penh Part II, Kratie

Yesterday was spent touring the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, as well as one of killing fields outside the city. From 1975-1979, 3 million of Cambodia's 7 million citizens died at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Many of the mass graves at the killing field we visited have been excavated and a tall, glass, temple-like structure holds the thousands of skulls found there. Each time it rains, more clothes and bones surface. I found some molars next to the footpath. Quite a wrenching but educational day. On a lighter note, we enjoyed a delicious dinner outdoors at a Western restaurant as well as the first ever Skype call involving all 4 members of our family.

Today we travelled about 6 hours by bus to Kratie, a small Cambodian town on the Mekong River. Kratie town is dominated by chickens, flies, and malnourished cats, and therefore scores low in the charm category. However, we took a long motorbike ride out to the Mekong where we boarded small boats and were able to spot Irrawaddy dolphins while watching a great sunset. We cross the border into Laos tomorrow.
Melinda