UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 4 Comment(s) | 4 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=284939] | 2008-06-08 09:40:05
 UNDERWAY | Jim & Ann Blanchard | Travel Blog |
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard
Once again we are off to adventures in the Western Pacific. This deployment will find us in old liberty ports as well as some new ones.Our course should take us to Japan, Thailand, Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Australia, India and China if time permits.
Will depart Seattle on Apr.3rd and return when we get tired.
This forum will allow family, friends and others to keep in contact with us.
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Thankyou for reading our posts and feel free to ask questions or comment if you like. Jim & Ann
Joined on: March 24th 2008
Last Login: September 5th 2008
Blog Entries: 23
Photos: 109
Recommended by 1, Recommends 6
Last Login: September 5th 2008
Blog Entries: 23
Photos: 109
Recommended by 1, Recommends 6
Status: BLOGGER
Blogs & Travel Journals
by UNDERWAY, order by Date newest first.
Dear Readers - We have decided to pull the plug on this adventure. We have never been on a trip of this duration and find it has been hard being away from our home and our friends, local news, cooler weather, and furthermore living out of a suitcase from day to day has been trying as well. We are ending this adventure knowing we can take off at the spur of the moment for anywhere in the world and may do just that. We did not get to see Australia, nor Burma but that may be good reason to take another [View Full Entry]
Dear Readers - we have been to Thailand many times over the last twenty years, primarily in the southern part including Bangkok and the islands. We Have seen many beautiful things in the south but in all honesty nothing beats northern Thailand. The green, mountainous geography here is truely amazing. The food basket of Thailand is located here with fresh fruit and vegetables available year round. They get three rice crops a year. They grow grapes and even have a wine industry. All the vegetables you can imagine grow here. The fruits are so sweet when they are picked fresh that [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 5 Comment(s) | 12 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=280573] | 2008-05-27 04:10:04
By UNDERWAY
May 24th 2008
May 24th 2008
Luang Prabang - Chiang Rai - Mae Sai - Chiang Mai
Asia » Thailand » North » Mae Sai
Dear Readers - We flew out of Luang Prabang on Lao Airlines for Chiang Mai, Thailand at which point we hired a car and driver for transportation to Chiang Rai. The driver, Pasa Ratananont, had spent several years in California so spoke good English and turned out to be an excellent tour guide. If anyone is interested in a private sightseeing tour, call him at 081-8840771 or email at pasa_rata@hotmail.com. His car is a new Toyota sedan. Upon arrival at our hotel in Chiang Rai we immediately went to bed as we needed to recover from activities of the last two [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 11 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=279515] | 2008-05-24 06:05:35
Dear Readers - here are some photos that we have not been able to download until now. These photos start out in Hanoi to Vientiane and then into Luang Prabang where we are presently. There are many reasons why pictures have not been downloaded, some of which are old computers, computer availability, power outages (planned and unplanned), and just plain slow download times (right Paul?). Today, May 19, we took a 4 hour Mekong River tour aboard a 40 foot river boat. Pictures are attached. It rained for most of the trip but it made for a cooler ride so we [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 5 Comment(s) | 22 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=277177] | 2008-05-19 10:10:14
Dear Readers, here we are at another computer without a USB port to download pictures so words is all you get for now. We left Halong Bay, Vietnam for Hanoi four days ago and spent a great evening in Hanoi. Prior to coming on our trip, Jim had been reading travel blogs on the internet and was specifically taken to a woman and her boyfriend who were from England and traveling in Central America. After reading her blogs and watching them move about the world we had an opportunity to actually meet them. She had emailed us as we were in [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=276417] | 2008-05-15 04:49:14
Dear Readers - today we went on a tour boat to see HaLong Bay. The boat is a typical junk style but with all the standing rigging just there for show. We had the boat to ourselves which was nice. HaLong bay is a very large area and fairly shallow. There are many caves on the islands of which there are over 2000. Any where from the size of a car to many, many acres. Our boat stopped a two locations, one was a very interesting cave with many extremely steep steps to get into it. Once inside the cave which [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 6 Comment(s) | 12 Photo(s) | 1 Video(s) | [diary=274447] | 2008-05-09 13:48:30
Dear Readers - We finally have access to a PC with a USB port so we can download pictures of Nha Trang. We are now in Ha Long Bay at the Halong Plaza Hotel. Hope you enjoy our pictures. We will write more later about Ha Long Bay as this is our first day here. Am looking forward to hooking up with Claire Hall (Soul Cultivator) who is an excellent travel blog writer from England. Jim has been following her blogs for over a year. If you get the opportunity check our her travel blog - Soul Cultivator. [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 6 Comment(s) | 12 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=274015] | 2008-05-08 05:34:30
Dear Readers - We are in Nha Trang which has proven to be one of Viet Nam's best kept secrets. Our nephew Danny and sister Denee had mentioned this was a good place to come and they were right on target. Yesterday we went to an island via cable car over the water. It is reported to be the longest cable car over salt water. We went to a park called Vinpearl Land. Danny was right when he said it was underutilized. It was beautiful with a variety of activities including a water park and rather nice aquarium. Today we did [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=272736] | 2008-05-04 13:17:07
Dear Readers - Today and yesterday was a National Holiday in Viet Nam - Liberation and reunification of South and North Viet Nam. The holiday has been in existance since 1975 when the US pulled out of Saigon and the North took over the South. The flags flying are either the hammer and sickle on red or yellow star on red. Went shopping today for items that might be harder to find as we get to the interior and coastal areas. Internet connections may or may not be available as much as here in Saigon. The computers do not always have [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 2 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=271839] | 2008-05-01 14:22:14
Dear readers - here we are in Saigon. Last time Jim was here was 43 years ago. Never actually made it into Saigon City. Nearest he got was a mail run into Danang or a baseball game at Camron bay during a ships party. One of his great childhood friends (Stan Grunstad) was killed near here during the Viet Nam war. As we flew in over the city of Saigon, many thoughts went through his head about so many people dying during the war and wondering what the city looked like from the air back in the 60s. Two days ago [View Full Entry]
UNDERWAY - Jim & Ann Blanchard | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe | 10 Comment(s) | 0 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s) | [diary=270855] | 2008-04-28 14:17:49