Day 19 (cont)

One last lost post from my SD card.  Sorry for the out of sequence posts but I thought I would post them so those of you who followed our trip could have the benefit.

We had time before dinner so we walked around a little then decided to climb up to the temple nearby. Three hundred twenty-three steep steps later we were at the top with a panoramic view of the nearby city and Mekong River.






The temple for the Buddha of Luang Prabang.

posted from Bloggeroid

Day 17 (cont)

Another lost post.

More caves and surrounding area. The mountains here make the Ha Long area pale in comparison.


Kitchen area.

posted from Bloggeroid

Day 17

Here's another lost post from my SD card.

This morning we had to make the 0900 tour start so we for up a little earlier than usual.

We ate breakfast in a local Indian restaurant we saw last night. I had fred bread and curry.


The place was operated by a young Indian couple. He has been here seven years, she three months.


Back to the hotel I saw the last of the cleanup crew. First thing in the morning all the homeowners and business people sweep their sidewalks and street gutters.


We went to the caves, paid our rather expensive (US7.50) entry fee, and started an impressive tour.

From 1964 to 1973 the Pathet Lao occupied these caves as protection against bombing by the US and South Vietnamese. Here are a couple of tourists touring the caves.


More caves. They built rooms inside and installed roofs to protect from the dripping water.

posted from Bloggeroid

Ha Long to Lang Son (cont]

Another post that got lost in the ether. This one follows the other one I posted out of sequence a few minutes ago.

Ok, back to blogging after a technological interruption.

Glenn and I had just gone out for breakfast rolls and coffee. French/Vietnamese rolls and coffee done we set off in gusty winds and intermittent rain.

We were riding around the north side of Ha Long Bay so saw the famous round topped sheer sided pillars, usually seen from boats on the bay side, from the other side. Our view could have been even better because we were closer.

During a break in the weather we stopped at a small market to buy some lychee. Next door was a lady butchering a fresh carcass with some nervous ducks waiting their turn.




Back on our trusty steeds we rode east eating lychee fruits. You've never experienced the true essence of lychee until you pop one in your mouth while riding a motorbike through tropical storm number one (for this year). We didn't have to dodge any flying branches but there were plenty along the road and the rain was sometimes a deluge.

Stopped for lunch at the best looking roadside restaurant where we had excellent chicken pho.

The further from the city the smaller the road and the fewer the vehicles. Soon we saw very few cars, lots of motorbikes with the occasional bus and huge truck.

Today we stopped to see some water buffaloes maintaining the right of way.




Later we crossed a suspension bridge a la Capilano and visited a brick factory.




Into Lang Son around four, we checked into our hotel for a welcome shower and rest before dinner.

Dinner tonight consisted of roast duck, roast pork, roasted eggplant in a tomato sauce and roasted tofu slices in a pepper and tomato sauce. We also had sautéed veggies and the obligatory beer. Total price, about $7.50 US each.

posted from Bloggeroid

Ha Noi to Ha Long

This post from our recent trip to Vietnam got lost. I resurrected it from my phone's SD card and am posting it out of sequence and a little late

As you may have noted from my last post our mode of transportation has two wheels instead of four legs. We have 2 Hondas, 1 Suzuki and 1 Jingping 125 cc motorcycles and our drivers range from 35 to 62 years old.

We didn't go in to Ha Noi so traffic was real bad but it wasn't good either. As in many cases here in vietnam size matters on the highway. We were riding motorcycles so we outranked bicycles and pedestrians but cars, buses, big trucks do just about anything they want, including driving on the wrong side of the road.

Seeing the countryside from the back of a motorcycle is a awesome way to travel. It's nor as intimate as bicycling or walking but it's pretty close. When you're on the back of a motorcycle you smell the smells you breathe the dust and you feel the heat and the rain.

We stopped along the way now and then to watch women transplanting rice, take photos of local sights and for walking breaks. Those walk breaks were necessary to shake off the effects of those buzzing 125 cc motors and to prevent our posterior from going completely dead.







We had hot dusty weather until the last twenty minutes so we had to stop and suit up for the rain. Overall a nice ride.

Got into Ha Long around six, checked into our hotel and carried our bags up 67 rather steep steps to our room. Thank God I packed light.

After a quick shower Wing showed us to a seafood hotpot restaurant where we had a
hotpot with clams, shrimps, clams, squid and fish plus veggies and 14 cans of beer for the four of us for about nine dollars apiece. A pretty good meal for a reasonable price.

Back up those 67 steps for a well deserved rest after a long, long day.

posted from Bloggeroid