Over the water!

St Helens with Rainer in the background

Beautiful Mt Rainier!

We knew we were home when Mt Hood came into view!

The journey home started at 11:55 PM on January 22 as we departed Chiang Mai, bound for Incheon International Airport, near Seoul, South Korea.  We arrived about 6 AM after having crossed two time zones.  Anticipating the 10 hour flight across The Water at 6 that night, we booked a room with a bed and shower (and NOT much else) and slept, showered and emerged fresh and ready for the second and longest leg of the trip.  We flew through the darkness and awoke to Washington in the distance.  With little time to spare, we booked through immigration; picked up our luggage; made it through customs; dropped the luggage with airport ground crew and hustled to our gate, just in time to board the Portland flight.  The air was crisp, the sky was blue and we were happy to be on our way home!   

Krabi Town Highlights

True story!

Jane, Larry & Jerry at our hotel



 

Monkeys in the mangroves

We've spent our third week in Krabi Town, a bustling metropolis on the Southern Thailand coast on the Andaman Sea.  Our adventures have included a day-long tour of five islands, a sunset river cruise, shopping at the night market and at shops along the streets of the city center.  The food continues to WOW us...though we are looking forward to a Burger King meal at the Chiang Mai airport this evening and a good old fashioned American breakfast tomorrow!  We all feel a little bit like how the poor, frightened puffer fish pictured below appears!


Puffer fish at the fish farm

Jerry, Maut & Jane

River dwelling

River cruise sunset

Bonnie & her buddy

Jerry & Maut living the good life on the front deck of Maut,s long tail boat!

The Long Tail Boat Cruise

January 17, 2014

Has Larry found religion?

The boat hostess serving refreshments!

 Today. we hired a "long tail" boat to take us around some islands off the coast outside the seaside town of Krabi.  It was quite an adventure!  The boat's long tail is created by a 10 foot long extension of pipe which connects a car engine perched on the back of the boat to a prop, and was expertly maneuvered by the ship's barefoot captain.  The floor of the boat was bamboo, which hid water sloshing below, created by seepage at seams around the water line.   Lunch was provided at a restaurant on one of the islands.  The six of us waded back to the boat through water that (for me) was waist deep.  I wonder if this was for the amusement of the captain and his friends????  We were rewarded with a dessert of fresh fruit as we motored back to shore.   The scenery was breath-taking!

 

AMAZING geologic formations!

Ha Long Bay Vietnam

Our three day cruise in and around Halong Bay was a highlight of our trip to Vietnam.  The crew was charming and attentive to our every need.  The food was delectable.  The company was delightful!  We kayaked, biked and "spelunked".  VERY fun!

Breathtaking rock formations!

Our luxury cruise ship

Drummed onto our ship!

Mike enjoying a refreshing beverage!

Larry preparing to depart the harbor

Dining in style!

Nap Time!

New shawl; comfy cabin, happy traveler!

Romantic moments!

Krabi, Southern Thailand

We arrived here in Krabi yesterday afternoon; settled into our hotel and took a short rest. Dinner was the most AMAZING meal so far!  (Well, maybe the Indian food in Hanoi was a close match)

This is a lovely coastal town on the Southern Thailand peninsula.  The weather is soft and warm.  The bird calls are unfamiliar and exotic......

A view of the mountains surrounding Karabi

Another view of the mountains surrounding Krabi

Rooftop water garden

And HOW FAR are we from Oregon????




Food Glorious FOOD!

THIS is Maya!  Daughter of Mike &Kay

Noodles!  All kinds of vegetable dishes!  Coconut Ice Cream!  Sticky Rice with Mango!  Thai coffee! Tom Yum Soup!  Curry Dishes!  Papaya Salad!  Pad Thai!  Thai Omelettes!  Spring Rolls!   



 

We are off to the airport heading for the Southern Thailand coast!  Here are some photos I promised!

I can't remember the names of the dishes, so they all are simply labeled "delicious Thai food"

Thai and Vietnamese Currency

January 9, 2014
One of the challenges of traveling from country to country is figuring out the currency.  It's easy to get confused and not really understand prices of items offered for sale.


In Thailand, 30 "baht" is about equal to one US dollar, depending upon the exchange rate.  On the OTHER hand, one US dollar is equivalent to 20,000 Vietnamese "dong".  It is not unusual for the dinner bill for the six of us to total over a MILLION dong!  Larry and I bought a lovely original watercolor painting yesterday for 400,000 dong or $20 US.  The most common Vietnamese bill is the 100,000 dong.  US currency is sometimes accepted in shops, but it MUST look crisp and new or it will be rejected!

Hanoi Perspective Adjusted

January 10, 2014



Breakfast at the Elegance Emerald Hotel




Typical mode of travel in Hanoi




Inner City River




Kids playing in a park

After two days in Hanoi, we have a slightly different take on what seemed at first to be utter chaos in the streets.  The blaring horns are not about road rage; they simply let  oncoming traffic know: "I am coming through, so be prepared to go around me as I cross your path."  There is a flow that seems to work pretty efficiently.  Red lights at the intersections seem to slow traffic only briefly, while pedestrians skitter across in crosswalks.
Our walk along the streets of downtown Hanoi mid-day yesterday provided a closer look at the local neighborhood activity between street and shop vendors and foot traffic.  We stopped in at a few galleries and shops after having a scrumptious noodle lunch accompanied by local beer. 
Today, we spent most of the morning at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (www.vme.org.vn)
The museum's website is provided, so you too can take a closer look at the 54 largest ethnic groups, which belong to 5 ethno-linguistic families found in Vietnam.  The museum provides beautiful displays which provide a wealth of information about languages, customs, rituals, traditions, music, art, spiritual practices, garments and housing of the various etnic groups.




Fish Basket




Crossbow




Another Fish Basket




One example of a dwelling




A home on stilts. Typical dwelling of riverside people 




A musical instrument.  The bowl causes the sound to resonate.

The Ho Chi Minh Complex

January 9, 2014
After breakfast, we taxied over to the Ho Chi Minh Complex and spent the rest of the morning studying the history and politics of Vietnam and exploring the life and times of Ho Chi Minh, a  legendary Communist Vietnamese leader who is still highly revered in this country today.
The Ho Chi Minh Complex includes his mausoleum in which his body is reverently displayed; a museum which provides an insightful look at the history and politics of Vietnam and documents Ho Chi Minh's life and accomplishments; and the stilt house where he once lived here in the city of Hanoi. 
Security was tight, with several checkpoints throughout the complex.  I was required to check my camera before entering the mausoleum.  A number of uniformed guards patrolled the complex, while others stood at attention at strategic points of entry into buildings and along the path through the complex grounds.  Visitors who strayed off the appropriate tour route were swiftly redirected with a shrill whistle, hand motions and orders barked in Vietnamese that needed no translation.
I left the complex with a greater understanding of the idealistic vision of Ho Chi Minh and the determination to maintain independence and the national pride of the Vietnamese citizens.


My efforts to upload photos are unsuccessful at the moment, but I expect to soon resolve the technology issues.  Thank you for your patience!    
 

The Temple and the Royal Garden

January 7, 2014


We traveled in a red truck into the hills overlooking Chiang Mai to visit a Temple complex and the nearby Royal Residence, complete with acres of gardens and soft music filling the air. The guys wearing walking shorts had show a little respect and rent big, baggy pants to cover their legs!




Photos and details will follow once tech issues are resolved! 

Update from Hanoi

With visa applications completed and in hand, we departed Chiang Mai on an early morning flight January 8, bound for Hanoi, Vietnam with a layover in Bangkok for a couple of hours.  The flights were the EASY part of the trip! 
Vietnam is becoming an increasingly popular  tourist destination theses days.  The Hanoi airport facilities are not equipped to handle the flood of tourists however.   Three other flights arrived simultaneously, which produced a sea of humanity, all trying to maneuver through Customs and then claim their belongings from a lone baggage claim area.   It was a tedious and daunting experience which took about two hours. 
Ah, but there's MORE!  The "fun" was just beginning!  The ride from the Hanoi airport to out hotel took as long as the flight from Bangkok to Hanoi!  Chaos reign, everyone travels on the highways and byways around the sprawling city.  The main mode of transportation for the general population is the motorbike.  The chaos is overwhelming on the roads!  No one seems to slow for oncoming or cross traffic; horns blare and somehow the chaotic flow of motorbikes allows people to move around with a crazy efficiency. 

Up Close & Personal with the Elephants

                                                               


Getting a bath & rubdown from the handler before the next show

Off to work!

 Have you ever been kissed by an elephant?  There's nothing quite like it!
These gentle giants are creative and intelligent and LOVE to ham it up!
Each elephant has a handler who works with the animal daily.  They put on quite a show!
Members of the audience get to reward the stars with banana and sugar cane treats, under  the watchful eyes of the handlers who are perched on the elephant's back.  Jane and I each got BIG SLOPPY thank you kisses in return for treats.
Hopefully, I will figure out how to upload the videos of these hilarious events!

For me, it was a special treat to see these giant artists take loaded paintbrushes from their handlers and create some vey impressive pieces of art!   There is a gallery where the paintings are offered for sale for respectable prices - $30 to $50.


An honest to goodness painting created by an elephant!