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Lynnie
Hi Everyone or should I say the lucky few who will be able to access my travelling blog. LynnieVaughan
Yes I had a flash of "something"; madness most probably, and decided to retire. I think it had a lot to do with my hip actually as it is getting worse and so it is travel now or never it seems.
The school took it on the chin and after finding someone to replace me that of course was less capable and less efficient than myself, I found myself fully into planning my amazing intrepid journeys through Asia. I read somewhere that one needs to live like it is your last day and to learn like you will need the information forever. Hmm Something like that anyway. I do know that the timing feels right and I am up for the challenge so enjoy my blog eh!!
Travel Blog Posts
July 31st 2012
Tam Coc The day before I went to Tam Doc, I hung around in Hanoi. I visited the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum only to discover that it was closed. I should have arrived in the morning. As it turned out there was still plenty to see. The guards who are everywhere in this area, are all dressed in a white dress uniform with white gloves and hat and look very handsome. They monitor the demarcation zone around the mausoleum to ensure people do not come too close to the area. For 25,000dong I was able to visit the stilt house at the back of the palace that Ho Chi Minh lived in for quite a few years and I think not long before he died. It is a simple stilt house with an office and a ... read more
July 29th 2012
Sapa 2 The third day in Sapa and the most awesome place to visit. The landscape is hilly and the land is fertile and rich with plant life with a moderate temperature at this time of the year which is the rainy season. After breakfast with our team of six, one of Katerinas’ girls was sick, we left for yet another trek down the steep hill to the Cat Cat village where they colour hemp using plant extract and make their clothing from the marijuana plant. Some of the items for sale are machine made, but much of it is handmade and that includes the silver and tin products and the many colourful scarves, hats and bags that are available. By visiting the village we gained insight into the daily lives of the locals and how ... read more
July 28th 2012
Sapa The Intrepid group is no more and we have all gone our separate ways. It was sad to say goodbye to my American friend Darra this morning as we had had so much fun together and been there for each other over the last two and a half weeks. She was heading off to Bali and Lombock for another Intrepid trip with lots of sunshine and cultural experiences before flying back to Denver, Colorado. She will be sorely missed as I finish my travel without her presence. As I still had the whole day to fill in in Hanoi, I decided exercise was in order and headed up to the French quarter of the city as here is where many of the sightseeing places are such as the museums and the mausoleum that houses Ho ... read more
July 24th 2012
Ha Noi and Halong Bay The ride from the airport in the bus took us across a modern bridge into the heart of the city and after travelling for an hour we arrived at the Old Quarter where our hotel was situated. The streets here are quite narrow with every shop operating as a street stall other than the hotels that dotted the road side where the millions of motor bikes, and mostly taxis zipped up and down causing on the surface what looks like traffic mayhem. The people, cars, bikes and taxis all seem to compete for road space with people mostly winning. Especially when the guide just walks out on to the busy and large roundabout near a water tower in the centre of the Old Quarter, without even hesitating and stands there and ... read more
Hoi An and Hue
Published: July 21st 2012Asia » Vietnam » North Central Coast » Thua Thien - Huế » Hué
July 21st 2012
Vietnam 2 Hoi An The train trip although fairly uneventful was intriguing in that as we finished the journey the attendant came through our cabins asking us to clean them up. We duly did as she asked and had all the rubbish in the bin in no time and about 10 minutes before the train arrived at the Da Nang Train station. On leaving the train, we had a 45 minutes bus ride to the town of Hoi An crossing a small bridge to an island where the Van Loi Hotel is located. Hoi An is a highly regarded destination for travellers around the world because of its charm and history. It is an ancient town and a UNESCO World Heritage site, featuring beautiful architecture dating back 200 years. Visitors can experience riverside dining and enjoy ... read more
July 19th 2012
HHi all, Just to let you know I will be returning home a week and one day later than I had originally intended as I want to see more of Hanoi while there. Hopefully I will be home to share lots of photos with you eh. LOL. The other hope is that the weather will have improved by the time I get home. LOL Bye for now Lynnie... read more
July 17th 2012
Vietnam We travelled by fast boat that had a cabin which was quite confined and a small deck on the back that got regularly splashed by water from the brown muddy looking river. Half way there it rained and I had to go inside for the last hour and a half of the four hour journey to the Vietnamese border. Two stops are required; one to leave Cambodia; and one to enter Vietnam, so much time is lost here. We finally stepped off the boat into Vietnam territory about mid- afternoon arriving in the town of Chau Doc. The hotel was located very close to the water and was very well presented although the power was off and they were not expecting it to come on for about four hours and therefore, the rooms had no ... read more
July 14th 2012
Tuol Seng Genocide Museum was firstly a secondary school in the capital of Phnom Penh before it became an Education Centre for the torturing and killing of Cambodian people who were caught up in the internal conflicts of their country with this genocide perpetrated by Pol Pot and his leaders. The centre was surrounded by a double wall of corrugated iron and on the top densely rolled barbed wire that was electrified during the war. The rooms in the school were turned into cells with the VIP prisons having half a room each and the other prisoners living in 16 cells per room for the men and smaller cells for the women on the second floor. Other rooms were used for people of less importance and all were expected to sleep on the floor in an ... read more
July 12th 2012
Wednesday 11 July 2012 and an 8.30am start. I paid the hotel bill for three meals, laundry and some water that came to $25.00 can you believe, and off we went in the mini bus heading for Phnom Penh. A trip that was expected to take us all day as we have several stops we would be making along the way. The first stop was to admire the stone carvings made by the local people at the roadside workshops. After the war there was only one trained stone carver in the region. He then trained up some boys who are now men and many men in this village make traditional carvings for a living using sandstone. Tools were electric as well as manual. It was interesting to note that the land is almost all flat, really ... read more
July 10th 2012
On Sunday we were up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus and cross the border from Thailand to Cambodia arriving later in the day in Siem Reap at the Freedom Hotel. The mini-bus trip was uneventful and we travelled through land that was reminiscent of other parts of Thailand with the rural sellers selling a wide range of food on the sides of the highway and the roads in good condition. Before we got to the border, we needed to complete our passport details and hand over 1000baht so we stopped at a 7/11 for a bite to eat where there was plenty of choice from local to fast food. I had some vegetables with rice. Many of the others had not got into the habit of eating the local food and chose ... read more
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