Grilling in the Backyard

Now you might say, "Wait, everything that can be written about grilling has been written." Well, that may be true, and I don't claim to have any special knowledge but I'd like to tell you how I think grilling should be done.

First of all, there is grilling, and there is grilling.

There is modern, temperature controlled, gas fired, easy to monitor grilling. There is also your basic Weber charcoal grill which is also pretty painless. Light your briquettes, preheat the kettle and grill your favorite thing.

There is also the primitive method, sort of like our ancestors the cavemen (er, cave people) did it. No, on second thought, they weren't cave people, they were cave men. They had no time for political correctness. They were concerned about other matters, such as life and death, food and starvation and the natural roles of men and women.

In the modern world we have to be a little more discreet but there are still some basic rules of grilling. The first rule, of course, is that man is the natural master of the grill. Women have been known to try their delicate hand at it but, in most cases, the delicate hand of woman can't take the heat and so it devolves to the natural ruler of the grill, the man of the house.

The first, and most important part of any grilling exercise is the fire. Hardwood, such as oak, fruitwood or other deciduous trees makes the best fire. Of course, you don't want to start grilling while the fire is blazing so you must light a small fire an hour or so ahead of time to allow it to burn down to make a good bed of coals.

A delicate little fire

 Here you see a small fire of peach wood (on the bottom) and oak from some old pallet boards burning down to a good bed of coals.

As the fire burns down and before the actual grilling starts you may find it necessary to add some flavoring wood. In my case, years ago my brother, Harry, brought back some mesquite from a trip he made to the wilds of Arizona, He was nice enough to cut it into rounds anywhere from 1/2" to 3" long. When they are added around the edges of a nice bed of coals they give off the distinctive smoke and aroma of mesquite and flavor whatever is on the grill.

Speaking of, last night I was grilling pork spareribs. Iko and I were the only ones eating dinner. Well, I take that back. Kuro was right there keeping me company and asking for a little taste of the final product. Later he did get some bones.

Meanwhile, after the fire is ready, you need to prep the grill by burning off the residue of the last time you grilled. I put my grate on while the fire is still pretty hot so all the old fat, slivers of meat and various bugs get toasted nice and brown and are easy to scrape off.

Spareribs just getting started

 As I said, last night I was grilling spareribs. Meat seems to be the thing that most men grill but it hasn't always been so with me. I've always liked veggies so several years ago I decided to go vegan. I didn't so much mind giving up the meat but I did miss the cheese. I'm a cheese lover so I suffered withdrawal from my favorite cheddar and manchego.

During that period I grilled eggplant, squash, tomatoes and various other non-meat products. I even tried tofu but it didn't take well to the grill and often fell apart. I may not have been doing it right but. . .

After a couple years I decided that going vegetarian might be the way to go. There are lots of different kinds of vegetarians so you can pick your diet, so to speak. There are those who eat eggs, fish, milk products or other varieties of non-meat.

After a couple years of that regimen I decided that I would fit a little meat into my diet so I became a flexitarian.

Now I still eat mostly vegetables. For instance, last night we had spareribs but tonight we had a large Greek salad with garlic toast. Now I'm flexible.

Sometimes I will have a beef steak, sometimes rabbit or lamb or venison. Usually small portions and spread out over other non-meat meals. As Aristotle says in his Ethical Doctrine, ". . .avoid extremes of all sorts and seek moderation in all things."

Now we come to another important part of grilling. Cook until done but not until dried out.

Here it behooves the master griller to chose a beverage to sip while letting the coals do their job. Some people say that beer is the only thing to drink while grilling. I don't argue their point but I think most anything with alcohol will do. For that matter, it isn't even necessary to have alcohol, Last night I had gin and tonic to ease the mind and keep the malaria mosquitoes at bay. Once the right mental state is achieved the patient griller will intuit the condition of the meat as it cooks. A good tradeoff when it turns out the perfectly grilled product.

As the coals die down it may be necessary to add to occasional round of mesquite or other piece of hardwood

Finally it is time to call in the distaff side of the household. When the meat is triumphantly delivered to the table, the table should be set with the proper tools, the accompanying dishes, the right wine glass and the wine properly decanted or allowed to breathe.

Of course these tasks will be performed by the woman who has been busy taking care of the dining room and its settings while the man has been busy grilling those fabulous ribs. Or steaks. Or veggies.

Now if I could just figure out how to grill tofu. Maybe marinate it in oil and spices?

The Excitement of Travel vs the Comforts of Home

As you may have noticed I (we) like to travel. Well, Ikuko is prone to say, "What's there?" or, "We've already been there." But once we get going she joins in the excitement and generally enjoys herself.

As for myself, I like to travel. Almost anyplace will do and I prefer locations that are further away, but a new place next door, whether in King County, Eastern Washington or British Columbia, all beckon to me with the lure of the unknown. Something about different scenery and different people stimulates my interest and encourages comparisons with known scenery and people of home.

Even a return to the same place, foreign and exotic or next door and well known, elicits a certain curious comparison to observations and experiences during former visits. Time changes things and cultures are no exception. Gradual changes that are almost unnoticed by the full-time residents are obvious to the returning visitor.

Sometimes the changing seasons will emphasize one or another of the particular attractions of a place that are not so apparent during other seasons. The dripping Hoh rain forest in the Olympic National Forest during December is remarkably unlike the same place during July or August. Likewise Kyoto during cherry blossom viewing (hanami) in the spring and autumn color viewing (koyo) in the fall are quite different aspects of the same physical location.

It has often been said that travel is a broadening experience and for me that is certainly true. It's not true for everyone though as I have known people who might travel halfway around the world yet drink coffee at Starbucks and have a hamburger and fries at McDonalds. Somehow I think those people are missing out on at least some of the broadening part of travel. But travel, like so many things in life, is all about whatever makes you happy. Some people are happy sampling the unknown while others prefer taking part of their home along with them.

Of course there are tradeoffs for the excitement of travel. Living out of a suitcase, sleeping in a different bed, eating foreign food and watching out for foreign pathogens are all deterrents for many people. In today's world it is also important to note that the speed of modern communication to which we have become accustomed might fly out the window depending on local electronic support. Speaking for myself, these seem like small sacrifices to make to be able to enjoy traveling to new places and meeting new people.

On the other side of the equation are the comforts of home.

Sleeping in one's own bed, always sleeping and waking in the same time zone, eating home-cooked food, reading the hometown newspaper, watching familiar TV channels and shows, having my entire wardrobe available for wear, saying hello to old friends and neighbors while walking my little dog and relaxing in the comfort of my old familiar recliner are all pleasures not lightly surrendered. For many people these homegrown pleasures outweigh any potential gain from travel beyond that which is absolutely necessary.

I admit that some of these are important considerations. For instance, Iko and I both like to cook so we don't often go out for dinner when we're home and I miss the ability to cook while traveling. Likewise I miss my little dog when I travel. I miss the walks and the way he snuggles up on my lap while I recline in my easy chair.

While I like to read the digital virtual edition of the Seattle Times when I travel, it isn't always available and no matter if it is it doesn't compare to reading the hard copy paper edition. I suppose that might not be a big liability to younger folks but for me the digital edition just doesn't feel or look the same.

In summary, travel and home each have their pros and cons. I enjoy living at home and I enjoy traveling. When I've traveled a lot I'm ready to get back home but when I'm home for too long I get itchy feet. I guess a balance to suit each person is what's best.

Pittsburgh (cont)

Sitting in the Pittsburgh airport I'm thinking back over the convention.

We achieved a milestone with the adoption of the gender neutral auxiliary by-law change. There was opposition from a few of the old timers just as there was opposition from the same demographic in 1978 when this body debated the virtues of admitting female veterans to the ranks of the VFW.

Just as in 1978 when we finally voted to admit female veterans in spite of dire warnings of ruination of the order, we have now joined the real world by admitting males to the auxiliary despite those same warnings.

All things take time and eventually an organization has to change to survive. We did and we will.

After I left you Monday evening a group of us went to the Hoffbrauhaus for dinner. Modeled after the original on Munich, it's quite popular but we went on Monday night so the band wasn't playing oomph music, the place was mostly empty and we could actually carry on a conversation.

Yesterday we presented awards to the many people we sponsor as champions of democracy. Gold medals to various supporting groups, cash prizes to teachers of the year and other awards to politicians, members of the government and others who support the goals of the VFW.

Last night we went to Penn Brewery for dinner and brews. The food was good, the beer was good and the company was good.


Our commander, Aaron, was compelled to try their beer sampler. He still had room for the pork shank.


Today we attended the last session, nomination and election of officers for the next year then checked out of the hotel and off to the airport for the flights home.

Next year we meet in Charlotte, NC, then in 2017 in New Orleans. I think maybe Iko will go with me to that convention. We may even spend a few extra days there enjoying the delights of New Orleans.

Meanwhile, back to the grind of stay at home work. But it'll be nice to be home for awhile enjoying Seattle's weather and catching up on walks with my little dog.

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Pittsburg

Sunday was a good day to explore some of Pittsburgh's local attractions.

For starters a couple of us walked down to Point State Park where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers merge to become the Ohio River. This was the location of Ft Pitt, an important post during the early years of our country.

We spent a couple hours in the Ft Pitt museum and the original blockhouse. While touring the museum I learned that Lewis and Clark actually started their exploratory trip here before going down the Ohio and their more highly publicized kick off up the Missouri River.

Fountain at the Point behind me with The West End Bridge over the Ohio behind me on the left and the Pirates stadium on the right.

A replica of an old wood lathe caught my attention.


For lunch we stopped at a small Italian restaurant where I ordered my first stromboli. It was an interesting dish. A kind of inside out pizza with meat and cheese on the inside of a half moon pizza dough pie. Similar to what I've had out west as a calzone but larger.

After a short rest I spent a couple more hours visiting the Heinz Museum, a worthwhile visit if you like museums and have a little time to spare in Pittsburg.

Today we've been busy with VFW business so no time for sightseeing. After much discussion the by-laws change to make our auxiliary gender neutral passed so that will keep us busy for awhile after we get back home.

Governor Tom Wolf addresses the assembly. In addition to his welcome he gave a short but good speech on democracy.

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We're not in a pawnshop on a corner but we are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here for our annual VFW National Convention.

From Seattle we came in via Dallas Ft Worth because of the hub system that dominates our air travel system these days.

Dallas was 92° and the temp inside our connecting plane was not much less. While we were loading and several times thereafter our captain came on the intercom apologizing for the heat. The alternative to putting up with the heat would have meant a one to two hour delay so even though there was a little grumbling from the passengers everyone put up with the heat to get out on time.

Our national convention is the governing body of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Every year we meet to decide on changes to our by-laws, set policy and elect leaders for the following year. We also hear from the President or a representative of the current administration and various other dignitaries.

One of the big items of discussion I expect to see this year is a proposal to change our Ladies Auxiliary to a gender neutral organization that accepts both men and women. This issue has been percolating for a few years now and is driven by the increasing number of women that serve in our armed forces. Their spouses would like to be part of the auxiliary and help support the veterans but currently are prohibited. With this change that issue would be resolved.

Saturday morning I was walking around the hotel neighborhood and saw this interesting steeple juxtaposed against our flag. I asked several locals but no one knew the name although they recognized the tower.



During my travels in Vietnam and Lao I was a little leery of eating the local produce unless it was cooked or peeled so I've been hungry for salad. Last night I had a good Cobb salad at the hotel and today I had a Greek salad at Mahoney's Restaurant and Lounge. First time I've had a Greek salad with cubed boiled potatoes. Actually a pretty good addition.

Up close the steeple turned out to be on an old church.


We are dinner in an old church converted to a brewery. Good beer and food. Seems like a good way to save an old church building.

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Vietnam After-Thoughts

Drafted this post Thursday morning thinking I would post it later in the day after a quick review. Well, Thursday turned out to be a busy day what with catching up on paperwork at the VFW and the social night at the same place. Yesterday I was at SeaTac at 0515 for our trip back to Pittsburgh for the VFW National Convention so here I am on Saturday morning finally getting back to this draft.

~~~~~~~~~

 Back from our trip a day and a half now I find myself reviewing the trip for insights that might interest followers of this blog.

First is the overall beauty of the countries. Traveling through the hill country was an experience I won't forget. Since it is in the tropics the hills (mountains, really) are covered with vegetation even though we were sometimes at elevations higher than our own Stevens Pass. It was cool at times and they even get occasional snow at the higher elevations in December and January.

My previous mental image of Vietnam was based on my experiences while there during the war in 1966-67 when I was stationed in the Saigon area in the southern part of the country. The terrain there is pretty flat with cultivated fields everywhere but no hills. In contrast the travel through the mountains of the north was an eye opener.

Next would be the friendliness and industriousness of the people. I lump these two traits together because they seem to go hand in hand. Everywhere we traveled the people were happy and hard working. I occasionally saw a neutral face but can't recall even one instance of an unfriendly or scowling face. From the hill tribes to the Laotians to the Vietnamese of Saigon and the larger towns, the people were uniformly accepting of the gang of foreigners that invaded their workplaces and homes.

The other half of that equation was in evidence everywhere. From waterfalls to construction zones to local attractions, if there was a chance of making a sale there would spring up a roadside market of people selling handicrafts, drinks or whatever produce was in season. On one occasion I saw a couple young lads carrying freshly harvested orchid plants, roots and all to the orchid vendors at one such market.

Every inch of tillable land was planted to crops or in transition between crops. Even some not tillable land (up to 45 or more degrees) was planted to corn. I don't know how they climb those hills to plant and more impressively, to harvest and carry out their product. In some distant fields we could see lean tos or small platforms with a roof that looked like a place to spend the night. I suppose that after walking the better part of a day to get to their field they would spend two or three days working before making the trek back home.

In the towns and cities of Vietnam and Lao people were busy from first light until well after dark. There were small shops specializing in doing the work that keeps a civilization functioning. Repair work of various kinds, small carpenter or machine shops, making small parts for a larger assembly operation somewhere else, foot operated sewing machines, and, of course, the needle work in any spare time, kept everyone busy either doing that work or supporting those who did.

The actuality overrode my preconceived notion that since this was a communist state the workers would be organized and directed by central authority. That tuned out to be not the case at all. It looked to me like a better model of private entrepreneurial efficiency than most places in the western world.

Finally, this visit impressed upon me again that today's Americans have no idea what poverty is all about. Those of us in our seventies or eighties have memories of a time in our country when poverty was not a government statistic. Of course, I have no memories of the depression or the dust bowl era, but during and after the war (WWII) there were tough times. Food was scarce, hand-me-downs were the norm and people were fortunate to eat in a restaurant a few times per year. Yet we survived. Mothers cooked low budget but nutritious food and safety nets were operated by neighbors, churches and other local organizations. People worked because they wanted to eat.

Vietnam and Lao reminded me of those times doubled. Many of the remote areas have no electricity although the government is working to get all on the grid. Even if they had electricity there were no washing machines, no dishwashers, no driers, no TV or other electronics, no flush toilets or even running water. We often saw people doing laundry or bathing in the rivers.

Even in Ho Chi Minh City, while everyone had electricity and running water, hot water was not necessarily a given, modern appliances were scarce and long, hard labor trying to improve ones lot was the rule.

Here in the US even our poorest people have shoes, decent clothes, modern appliances, telephones (and cell phones), often a car and usually some kind of a decent roof over their heads. In fact, our poor can afford to eat fast food and gain weight instead of cooking at home and eating more nutritious meals.

The true homeless may be an exception but it seems to me that the more government programs we offer the poor the more poor we have. When people have the luxury of declining a job because it doesn't suit their lifestyle, or career goal or entails physical labor it tells me that too many folks are riding the wagon of economic survival instead of helping to pull it.

Unlike in the places we recently visited, no one here is going to starve because they can't or won't work. I wonder if we shouldn't return that option to the equation and see if some old time motivation might induce more people to find a way to earn an honest living instead of living off the largess of our government (other people).

Day 23 (cont)

The four weary travelers during a three hour plus layover in Taiwan. BurgerKing to the left and Starbucks to the right with The Sweet Dynasty from Hong Kong in the middle of this section of the food court.

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Day 23 Saigon to Seattle

Last night's dinner at the Dong household was a fitting wrapup to our visit.

Today we packed up, Glenn had his last street vendor bahn mi sandwich, I got to send one last entry from the hotel WiFi and we headed for the airport.

This unsigned oil painting was on the wall in our room. I saw several painting studios where local artists were doing oil, or more likely acrylic, paintings from pictures. Some were very good.

We had a little excitement when I tried to go through the immigration line. I had earlier noticed at the Lao border crossing that my Vietnamese visa, which had been issued by the VN Embassy in Mexico City, had been issued with a typo in the valid dates. Instead of 15Jun2015 thru 15Jul2015 the days were both in 2016.

When I came into the country and out to Lao and back in nobody caught it but today I happened to have a sharp eyed agent who caught the mistake. He called his supervisor who took me to a special area where I waited. Finally, at the fourth level of supervisor, I found someone who had enough horsepower to ok my departure for Seattle. He cautioned me that I couldn't use that visa again and when I agreed he led me over to the security check and thence to the gate area.

So we'll be boarding in 20 minutes or so and twenty hours or so from now we'll be back in Seattle. Traveling east across the Date Line makes for a long day. It's about 1530 on Tuesday here and we still have about 25 hours of Tuesday ahead of us. Maybe I'll be able to sleep at least a few hours on the second leg.

It's been a great journey. Different from any other trip I've taken but definitely worth doing.

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Day 22 (cont)

I was looking for a haircut so stopped in at a convenient shop. The barber gave me a great haircut for about US$5.50. I could have gotten one near our hotel for US $2.50 but this shop looked a lot more professional.

We walked through some alleys on the way back to the hotel. The larger alleys (too small for a car) have businesses and some residences while the smaller mostly give access to homes and apartments. If there is a wide spot in any of them you will probably find a small food vendor or other small business. This is one of the larger alleys.

Russ' friend, Sergeant Dong, and his wife invited us to a home cooked dinner tonight. He worked as an interpreter for the US Army during the Vietnam War so speaks good English.

Mrs. Dong served a variety of authentic Vietnamese dishes. We had crispy spring rolls, fresh rice paper rolls (with special ones for Justin who is allergic to shrimp), teriyaki style stir fried chicken wings, whole shrimp boiled in beer, a beef dish, vegetables and rice. All accompanied by copious amounts of beer.

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Day 22 (cont)

From the war museum we headed back toward the market. A sudden tropical downpour hit and it was lunchtime anyway so we took refuge in a grilled food restaurant. Here's a photo of the grilled okra and garlic. Both were excellent as was the rest of the meal.

The rain stopped, we finished our lunch and we set off. A fruit vendor caught my attention.

We next came to a small market with ten or twelve flower stalls. All the flowers were beautiful. Roses, orchids and lilies seemed to predominate.

The exchange rate is about 21,000 Dong to the US Dollar so you can see this arrangement of red roses is less than ten dollars.

A beautiful arrangement of orchids and lilies.

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Day 22 Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC)

This morning we woke at 0605 to the sound of a brass band in the street below our room. Out the window we could see a funeral procession making its way along the street. Nothing like a brass band to get you up and moving in the morning.

We went walking after breakfast. The street sweepers were out and traffic was heavy. The Vietnamese national flag that we saw throughout our travels in this country is often seen here together with the hammer and sickle.

Stopped for tea and took this shot from the second floor. Pedestrians, carts, motorbikes, cars, trucks and buses all weave in and out as part of an intricate ballet. They all seem to go where they want and no one gets hurt. Also note the wiring on the pole on the left side of the photograph.

A little further we saw a four story McDonald's restaurant.

Visited the War Remnants Museum which was interesting but filled with propaganda.

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Day 21 Luang Prabang to Saigon

Travel most of today.

Last night I offered the use of my travel alarm clock to Russ and Justin since they don't have smart phones with alarms. Even though I thought I turned on the alarm set for 0430 it turned out I had misread the symbols and the alarm didn't go off. They woke about fifteen minutes before the van was supposed to take us to the airport.

Things were hectic for a few minutes but we for got the airport just a couple minutes after six, right on time.

First leg of our travels today is from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. It was a short hop in a half-full plane.

Second leg was from Vientiane to Phnom Penh in a FULL plane. Our departure was delayed an hour due to the late arrival of the incoming flight. On this leg we were served a meal but beverage service was suspended because of turbulence.

On arrival we had to disembark the aircraft, sit in the transit for just long enough to post one prewritten blog entry, then back on board. We took off not far behind schedule on the short hop to Saigon airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Arrived about on time at 1530. Now to see a little of the city before we head home day after tomorrow.

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Day 20 (cont)

Back down those many steps we caught our boat down the river a little way to the Whiskey Village on the opposite bank.

The main attraction here was the local drink, a distilled rice wine with various snakes, scorpions and other such in each finished bottle.

I wasn't much interested in the booze although the distilling method was unique. A 55 gallon drum over a fire, a hardwood trough and a bamboo drain pipe all played a role in the process.

I did enjoy watching the women at their looms weaving the local fabric specialties.


Back down the river to our hotel for a shower then off to dinner.

We had dinner tonight at the Khaiphaen restaurant. Earlier we had seen the menu chalkboard outside with a line at the bottom saying it helped disenfranchised youth. Glenn checked Trip Advisor where it was rated number one out of 140 rated restaurants in the city.

It turned out to be a training restaurant staffed by teachers and students. Each wore a Khaiphaen T-shirt with their status of teacher or student in large block letters on the back.

The food was remarkably good. From preparation to presentation to service it would have done justice to any upper scale US restaurant. What we could see of the kitchen area sparkled with stainless steel and appeared clean. I can see why they are so highly rated.

Before we left I bought a polo shirt with their name and on the back in block letters the word "Supporter." Food and shirt were a little expensive for here ($15 US) but worth it for the cause.

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Day 20 (cont)

Next attraction this morning was the royal museum. No photography allowed but a very interesting place with fine exhibits. Signs were posted in Laotian and English.

Monitors were present throughout to enforce the rules. Reminded me of the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg with its eagle eyed babushkas in every room. Must say these guards were more laid back, casual even.

Russ and I had lunch in a Laotian restaurant where we had a set menu featuring a variety of Laotian foods with the appropriate condiments. I was intrigued by the Mekong River seaweed (riverweed?) which was dried
and covered with sesame seeds in a dried coating. Served with a small dish of red miso paste it was tasty.

In the afternoon we hired a boat to take us to the caves and Whiskey Village almost two hours up the Mekong. The boat was long with a narrow beam. Ideal for river travel.


Our group relaxing on the trip up river.


The caves were filled with statues of Buddha in all the usual poses plus some unfamiliar ones.


Outside the entrance to the upper cave (267 irregular steps up) we found these two old timers. The one on the right wearing a Plumeria blossom behind each ear must have been on a pilgrimage.


Even without the thousands of Buddhas it would have bee worth the trip for the stunning scenery. Here a huge rock overhang protects a statue.

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Day 20 Luang Prabang

Up and out at first light this morning to watch the monks collecting alms. They walk single file usually in groups of ten to twenty, each carrying his covered bowl. Neighborhood people come out with a basket or more of sticky rice and put a small ball in each monk's bowl. Being a modern world, they also give bags of chips and other food.

Here is one group of twenty or so that we saw on our street.


Glenn and Justin earning good karma.


After breakfast we visited a nearby temple dedicated to protecting the boats of Luang Prabang.


The main Buddha.

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Day 19 (cont)

After the visit to the temple we bought tickets to the ballet then walked through the night market until time to go to the theater.

The night market occupies the entire main street for five blocks. All kinds of handicrafts and souvenirs for sale and tourists from around the world to buy.

Time for the ballet so we went to the theater and found our seats in the front row of the middle priced section. Pretty good seats for 120,000 Kip ($15).

This ballet tells a story a kidnapped princess, efforts to free and return her to her family and various battles along the way. Tonight's episode three of four depicts the battle of the army of the monkeys and other battles.

The orchestra.


The battle of the monkey king.


Introduction by female dancer-singers.


It was a big change to go from touring hill villages to watching the ballet in air conditioned comfort.

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Day 19 Plain of Jars to Luang Prabang

Because of the distance and roads we rented a van to take us to our next stop.

It was comfortable and air conditioned but I missed the more immediate and direct interaction of motorbike travel. Also, on the bikes your center of gravity is straight down because they lean on the corners. In contrast, the van took the corners flat so we tended to slide back and forth on the seats and before long I got carsick. They put me in the front seat so that helped and the driver slowed a little but the roads were the usual twisty, up and down mountain roads so it was a long ride.

We stopped for lunch near the top of a mountain at a special rest stop for vehicles. This is the view from the back window opening. Of course, cellphone photographs don't do justice to scenery shots but this was spectacular.


From about here on into Luang Prabang we saw Plumeria trees planted along the roadside. Many were newly planted or only a few years old.


We also spotted some teak plantings and and as we got closer to the city saw large groves of teak covering the hillsides.

For the past couple days we've also seen fence rows or even larger groves of gum trees (eucalyptus). Imported from Australia, they are an important addition to the firewood supply because they grow quickly and resprout from the cut stumps.

After our seven and one-half hour van ride we arrived, looked for a hotel and settled in.

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Day 18 (cont)

There was a small stand in the Jar Sites ticket office where souvenirs were sold.

For reference 20,000 Kip is about $2.50 US.

In some of the restaurants we saw spoons made from cast aluminum. Russ
says when he was here before there were even more of those spoons plus larger bowls and other things. They are sand cast and show the rough surface of the cast.

The source of war scrap mostly would be wing tanks that were dropped prior to engagement. We may have lost a plane or two especially the small spotter planes but it's been 40 years since the end of this war so I wonder about the source of aluminum. To continue the sale of "war scrap" souvenirs some people might be tempted to add aluminum cans with the occasional piece of war scrap to make it legitimate. Just a thought.

Our Easy Riders. From left, Youn, Duy, Wing (Nguyen) and Phouc. They drove our trusty steeds, made sure our bags were secure and generally helped wherever they could.


Our complete group. From left, Glenn, Russ, Easy Riders, Justin and me.


For our "goodbye dinner" the four of us treated our guides to an Indian food dinner, toasted the safe completion of their part of our trip and said our goodbyes.

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Day 18 (cont)

We left early and rode steadily so got to our destination just a little after noon. We stopped for lunch near the edge of town. Had a typical "com" (rice in Vietnamese) meal which included deep fried tofu cubes, sautéed greens, boiled pork belly, spinach soup, deep fried fish, boiled ham hock with assorted condiments and beer for us. Our driver/guides (Easy Riders) don't drink alcohol while working.



The jars of the Plain of Jars. We visited three sites which are open to the public of the over 700 known sites. The latest research seems to confirm that the jars were used as part of the people's burial procedures.

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