Around the World in 86 Days Part 2

---

We were excited to make our way to the Hong Kong cruise terminal and board our favorite ship the 7 Seas Voyager. Because it was the 4th segment of the World Cruise we knew we would see many old friends and we were not disappointed. We quickly settled into our suite and before we knew it we were leaving Hong Kong and off to our 1st three ports of call in Vietnam.
We started in North Vietnam and this year we decided to make the 3½ hour trek to Hanoi. We visited the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” where John McCain was held for 7 years during the Vietnam War. We also made stops at Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and family home and the bustling old quarter of town where you could find anything for sale.
Nha Trang, our 2nd port in South Vietnam was a beautiful little seaside resort town. After being greeted by Vietnamese girls in native costume we climbed 100 steps to see a big white Buddha, we enjoyed a local beer and walked along the beach at a resort where the water was sparkling turquoise, we were entertained by Vietnamese dancers at a Pagoda and we admired the handiwork of young girls stitching embroidered scenes from life in Vietnam.
Our last Vietnamese stop was Ho Chi Minh City still referred to as Saigon by locals and tourists. Here we had 2 goals, the 1st a shampoo, haircut and massage for Chuck at our favorite salon. Inflation has finally come to Vietnam; several years ago the price was $6, now it was a whopping $10 and worth every penny! The 2nd was to visit the Mekong Delta which we had missed on previous visits. It was a fascinating day exploring daily life on this picturesque delta where many people live their whole lives on the river. We traveled in a local private boat complete with a hammock making several stops to see how rice paper was made and sampling many Vietnamese specialties including snake wine for Chuck which is considered a delicacy for men only. Our traditional lunch included shrimp, soup, and spring rolls made from a fresh elephant fish that was presented standing up in the middle of our table. Our small group of 6 had a wonderful time and raised our glasses with a special Vietnamese toast that sounded like “Jo”. There were several nervous minutes on the way back when the boats engine overheated and we had to stop at a casket shop along side the river; but the driver quickly fixed it and we were on our way.
In retrospect I think what we will remember most about Vietnam is the chaotic traffic. We were told that in Saigon alone there were 8 million people and 5 million motor bikes and it seemed they were all out on the streets at one time. We all wondered where they were going. The other thing we will remember is the many faces of the Vietnamese people that we encountered along the way. All in all, we had an excellent and informative visit to this quickly developing country.

---

Comments

[Mark]

the whole elephant...
I can't believe Chuck ate the whole elephant... fish.

[Marcie & Tom]

Love hearing about your Trip !
Keep up the fun....we're traveling vicariously through you!

[Jud Smith]

Oh the Fond Memories
Dear Chuck and Linda, We have many memories of our time there, with you and all our good friends on the Voyager, in 2006. Love your photos as usual and seems like you are having a great time so far. We survived floods, earthquakes, mudslides and other assorted natural disasters and are now safely back at Possum Kingdom. It was a great cruise. Wish you had been there. Look forward to your next blog. Love and hugs, Jud and Vicki