March 3, 2008

Hello from Mui Ne, Vietnam. Our trip is very quickly coming to an end! We arrived here around noon on Sunday March 2^nd and it didn’t take too long to remember why we wanted to come again. We’re staying at Bamboo Village Resort right on the South China Sea. We do have a bit of a view from our balcony and of course can hear the sound of waves crashing on the beach. Again there have been many changes in 2 years. There seems to be a lot of beach erosion especially along the areas we frequented before. And, there has been tons of development – so many more resorts and little shops and restaurants. We’re meeting up with friends from the cruise on Thursday who are staying about 15K away so will be interesting to see what that area is like. Other than that we plan to spend our time on the beach, on our deck or eating “huge prawns” at wonderful restaurants.

Guess we should go back in time to our RV Tonle Pandaw Mekong river cruise. It was absolutely fabulous. There were only 43 of us on board with something like 26 crew members. After talking to many of the passengers I know I’ll never get Tom on a regular cruise now. However we will do another Pandaw cruise in Burma in a couple of years. So, here’s something for all you travelers out there to think about. This cruise is 22 days traveling up the Chindwin and Irrawaddy Rivers to some very remote areas on the same size boat as we were just on. The cost is $10,000 - $12,000 per couple and the only other cost involved would be for laundry or wine. All local beer and liquor (rum, gin whiskey) is included. Of course there would be your flight too…………... The trip is in September as the rivers would be too dry at other times. So, just tuck that thought away till 2009 - 2010.

Everything about the ship was fantastic. The stateroom was great (little but not an issue) as was the washroom. Breakfast was buffet, hot and cold items and someone to do your eggs any way you wished. Lunch was also buffet – again hot and cold. The salads were to die for. Dinner was a planned menu – some nights with choices and some planned themes. We had special cocktails each evening on the sundeck – our last night it was “Zombies”. We met for 15 minutes before dinner each night to go over the itinerary for the next day. Our cabin was on the main deck and we had a small table and 2 deck chairs right outside our door (as did each cabin). The dining room was also on the main deck. Tables were set for 6 and you just sat wherever you wished. The next level up was also cabins, a massage room and the “saloon bar”. The top level was the sundeck. Our group was divided into 2 groups – about 18 German speaking and the rest English speaking. There were 2 other couples from Canada and both were from Bracebridge Ontario area - and neither knew the other was going, 4 from France, 2 from Belgium, 5 from Britain, 2 Aussies and the rest from the States. We had some amazingly interesting people too – some professionals and some very wealthy. We met wonderful people now have new places to go visit. The one British couple that we spent most time with (Peter and Jenny) are from Winchester and Tom and Peter kept talking about house swapping - we’ll see.

You never had to “dress” for dinner which was good cause you know Tom is only traveling in shorts! We had loads of excursions - sometimes once a day and often twice a day – nothing compulsory of course. At the end of an excursion you were handed a refreshing towel when you came back aboard and all the shoes wee collected for a washing. Visited a few different villages, temples, markets, fruit orchards, brick factory, fish farms, bonsai gardens, orphanages - stuff like that. Went for a rickshaw ride and had the opportunity to hold a python – NOT!. Visited one place to see how rice papers for spring rolls were made. The lady here is 75, had been doing this for 50 years and could make 800 in a day. Another day we visited a traditional teak Viet home and gardens. This home was obviously one belonging to someone with money – not your average family. The owner was home and welcomed us. She is 87 years old and very regal looking. Had a whole day in Phnom Penh. In the morning we visited their National Museum and the Royal Palace. No shorts were allowed so Tom had to wear my beach sarong. He looked really cute!! Then we went to a huge market. They spot the buses coming and jack up the prices. It’s pretty funny. In the afternoon we were supposed to go to the “Killing Fields” but that Khmer Rouge guy that is currently being tried was at the “Fields” defending what he had to do….. So, we went to the genocide museum Tuol Sleng (the former Khmer Rouge S21 prison). It’s pretty sick the atrocities committed by people against people. Apparently there were over 20000 prisoners held in this prison over “the terrible times” - as they refer to it – that lasted 3 years, 8 months, 20 days and only 7 survived. I sometimes think it’s necessary to see these places to know and understand what went on but man is it a downer.

We had a surprise evening our 3^rd day out. The captain moored the ship at a sandbar. Tables and chairs had been set out on the sand while we excursioned. They brought out music, lit a fire and we had cocktails and appies out under the stars. It was incredible. The crew did some Cambodian dancing and then they played some Western music and got the passengers up. It was so much fun. There were a few firecrackers to end the evening and then it was back on the boat for a late dinner. Also had a folkloric Cambodian dance performance one evening and a Vietnamese traditional cultural music performance another evening.

We had an afternoon time learning from one of the chefs how to make fresh spring rolls. I know I’ve made them a few times but this new way is even easier. We all watched and then took turns making them. This became our appie of the evening.

One of the best things about the excursions to the villages was talking to the children. We were never allowed to give money or presents to anyone as it wouldn’t be fair but we could make a donation through the Pandaw company. They do a lot of good work supporting orphanages and even whole villages. As we came into a village there would be a bunch of kids standing waiting for us to disembark. The little ones mostly wanted to hold your hand as you walked around but the older ones really wanted to talk. They all learn English in school but mostly only get to practice it when these tours come through. They were just so darn cute. They especially liked it when you showed them the picture you had taken of them – they laughed their heads off. And always everyone seemed so happy, content with their lot in life. Sort of made you want to rethink your own life – sort of…..

And of course there were the enjoyable times just sailing down the rivers and canals and seeing every day life happening. Everyone waved from their boats and the kids would all come running to the riverside yelling and waving. Some of the canals were so narrow you wondered how 2 boats could pass. It was amazing to watch the women row the boats, standing on the back with 2 oars/sticks and the way they moved. I can’t even manage that kind of balance standing on a sidewalk. We’d marvel at the homes on stilts so high. Can’t begin to imagine how things look in rainy season

We arrived in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh city on Saturday around 10:30. Made our way to the travel office and immediately booked our bus tickets to Mui Ne. Checked into our hotel and then wandered the streets. Man that is one busy hectic city. We were so disappointed that our main watering hole “The Allez Boo Bar” was closed. It was the perfect spot for people and traffic watching. Had lunch at “The Rex Hotel”, ran into a few people from the boat and then headed back to the hotel for a little rest. Walked around the streets in the evening and settled on an Indian restaurant for dinner. Had to catch the bus at 7:15AM so made it an early evening. And now, here we are in Mui Ne