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Published: October 21st 2011
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We're back - after an incredibly fabulous day!!!! This is one of my most favorite days on the tour - really wish you all could have been with us. So much to tell you about - and so many pictures that I would love to share - so little time, LOL! This is where/when my work really begins because I end up with well over 250 pictures each day - trying to get different perspective on so many things for all of you - and only include about 10% of the photos in the blog. Challenging, to say the least! Today, I had my friend Michael Ann Rowe in mind as we experienced so many incredible, tasty and different food dishes! (off the beaten palate, for certain!)
While it is always nice to have a city tour when you arrive in a new place, I love to get out into the country and see how people live. We started our day with a really great breakfast at the Sofitel Hotel - and then had a brief tour around the city - taking us to the Post Office (magnificent - not just ANY post office), a temple, etc. Driving down and
around the streets in downtown Saigon/Ho Chi Min City)
Then, on the bus and off down the highway (which was a big change from when I was here 4 years ago - this highway didn't even exist! Ben, not sure if you have been on it - but I took a picture of one of the highway signs just for you!) The bus ride was so interesting as we went off into the country - past the rice fields - talk about tough work, my friends! In those fields, day in and day out, bare legs and bare footed - people end up losing their toenails, their feet getting extremely flat (if that makes any sense) and let's not forget the impact on their backs from being bent over like that all day! We say coconut trees, watermelon fields, duck ponds, water buffalo, graveyards in the rice fields - I could go on and on.
We stopped at a fabulous place to stretch our legs, have a little snack (chocolate ice cream, please and thanks!), take some photos and do a little shopping. We carried on to the Mekong River - whoooohoooooo - a water taxi over to
Hazard pay!
Can you see the guy holding the ladder - in the middle of the busy intersection - and the other guy is actually climbing UP to fix the wires!!!!! Holy danger, Batman!!!!! an island, where we ended up in row boats going down the Mekong River - what an experience. It was surreal! We had a visit to a bee 'farm' - had bee tea, ginger, some fruit, etc. Then, on to the coconut candy location - and then to a restaurant on the island for an amazing lunch (I really need to come up with more 'descriptive' words because you'll get tired of hearing incredible, fabulous, amazing, .......LOL - but that's our life right now!). Lunch was superb - the 'piece de resistance' was the Elephant Ear Fish - love it!!!!!! And check out the prawns in the photo below.
So, one of the most interesting things, on our way back to the city, was to see - right in the absolute middle of a majorly busy intersection .......a wooden ladder being taken across the street - and then, stopped! right in the middle of the street - and 3 men with that ladder - 2 holding it while the one actually climbed the ladder right in the midst of traffic so he could FIX the wires! Get out of here! Made me think of my neighbor, Peter Guymer, who
works with London Hydro - no comparison in working conditions - that's for sure!!!!! What a hoot.
We ended up back at the hotel - and headed to the pool side bar (we had to de-brief as a team - really we did, Ben, LOL! Missed ya!!!!!) - what a gorgeous place to end the day. And most of our passengers were up there too - many happy faces to be seen.
Lastly, to the hotel restaurant for dinner - YUM-O is all I have to say - everything was there from an extreme selection of cheeses from around the world - to the frog's legs (extraordinary!!!!!) - to the pumpkin soup - through to the chocolate fondue and the ice-cream 'bar' - UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! Robynn, on our team, headed to the Yoga class at the gym at 6 p.m. - I'll be joining her for those types of classes once we hit Cambodia. I had already made a commitment to many of the passengers to meet them in the lobby for a 'blog briefing' - this blog takes on a life of its own - and, as I said in the beginning - it's addictive - so beware!
I was able to help out many of our passengers by adding the e-mail addresses of their family and friends so they, too, can join this incredible journey. Truly a trip of a lifetime!
So, again, we appreciate all of your comments (and there are MANY on a daily basis) - I make every effort to 'accept' them (which I must do before they 'go public' on the blog for everyone to see) each day - and to pass on your best regards to your family. Just know we think about each and every one of you - we KNOW you would love to be here too - so, enjoy the blog. It's great to 'have you with us'!
Sweet dreams from Viet Nam. Tomorrow, we're off to Cambodia - another one of my most favorite places!
Good night, Mom - I love you lots!
Happy Pat
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Cheryl
non-member comment
You are becoming the tech guru
I'm really enjoying reading this. What I found most interesting and fantastic is that you are helping other with technology and the blog. Way to go my friend.