Fast forward to December 24th and Christmas in Hong Kong...... the remainder of my blog will not be in chronological order! I arrived back in Hong Kong (from Bali) on December 21st. The next morning I took Jon to work - which means I road the ferry with him across Victoria Habour, left him at his downtown office building and went exploring for the morning. My wanderings took me through the expensive shopping district, the busy side streets full of fresh fish and produce and eventually up the series of escalators that transports thousands of commuters up the steep hills every [View Full Entry]

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The best way to deal with the traffic is to join it! A highlight of our Vietnam trip was a day on the back of a motorbike touring the rice fields, stopping at small village markets, standing for a moment beside American bunkers left after the war and visiting the Buddhist monastery where Thich Nhat Hahn (the well known monk who along with others, was expelled from Vietnam after the war) first became a monk. Truly a place of beauty and peacefulness after the bustling cities and busy roads. Although Vietnam speaks of itself as a Buddhist country there seems to [View Full Entry]

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Leaving the motorbikes behind we drove by bus through the stunning Hai Van mountain pass and down to our new home - Hoi An, a world heritage site. What you can have custom made by the extremely skilled artists and tradespeople is limited only by your imagination. One friend had a silver Tiffany design necklace crafted - overnight. I had a silk jacket and pants made to order.... Others had leather boots, business suits, cushion covers made. Hoi An's economy is based on producing and selling goods to tourists. The narrow streets of the old city are lined with small shops, [View Full Entry]

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Where to even begin to sum up traveling down the length of Vietnam! This is a country of contrasts and hyper stimulation - wild, wild traffic, amazing and diverse landscapes, and daily life lived out on the street (many houses open on to the street where cooking and eating is jostled in amongst the countless motor bikes parked on the sidewalks.) Sorry no pictures - Jon and I still haven't figured this part of the blog out! I flew into Hanoi where I met up with my Intrepid (an Australian adventure tour company) travel companions. The first day was spent exploring [View Full Entry]

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A travel blog seemed like a good idea! Here I am a week later in Vietnam thinking back to the time in China. So, this is how Beijing and area look in retrospect..... My son Jon and I arrived in the huge, sprawling, impressive Beijing airport and were immediately struck by the heavy, soup like smog. It was with us for the four days, with a bit of a break during our time on the great wall. Our days in Beijing were spent wandering the markets, sharpening our bargaining skills - at the Pearl Market, Silk Market, Hou Hai - and [View Full Entry]

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Fourteen hours after leaving the fall chill of Vancouver I emerged into the warm evening air of Hong Kong. Best of all, my son, Jon was waiting for me. My first day and a half in Asia were spent catching up on sleep and getting oriented. This was a short stop over on the way to mainland China. I will be back for a week at Christmas and will write about this amazing metropolis then! Next stop, Beijing, China on the very early morning Dragonair flight. [View Full Entry]

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