Panda-Monium!!! What a lovely story!!
I love the pics very much, especially with you and the cuddly Panda Bear, I could almost feel what it felt like if that makes any sense. What a great feeling, I could just feel that lil bear awwwwe
The history is amazing, the boat trip, it is all so amazing & very educational. I learned so much from your blogs.
How can these preciouse Panda Bears be saved, they are dwindling down so quickly???
Anyway I'm off to bed, have been home a couple of days virus, nothing to worry about. ttyl
luv
jude
Ni Hao!!! Oh this is so intriguing . I am also mesmerized by it all ! And the pictures are most exquisite. Thanks for sharing them.
I am thrilled you are experiencing all sides of life here. (glad too that when the need arises you can have a nice cappuccino and cheesecake lol) A trip never to be forgotton for sure. I am tickled by it all. Thanks again, keep up the writing, you bring us to China with your gift of writing & excellent photography. (like I said Dad would be so proud and painting them)
When it rains... your week's vacation reminds me of a similar experience i had in a much less lofty locale: the DR (Puerto Plata); except the rain never did stop and I didn't make any friends - they did have a good gym
I am glad to be able to continue reading your entries, you write really well and you are visiting great places. I hope all these tourists on crutches are slowly getting better, that must be quite a shock to see this upon arrival
I searched the web for comments from the white fat duck on your bathing attire, couldn't find anything, I think he must have been preoccupied that 2nd time to ignore you like that...
I have put the vietnam photos on the web - keep in mind that unlike you I am NOT a photographer, so with this cautionary note, here it is http://www.flickr.com/photos/alaudet/sets/
My dong might have been bigger than your dong Wow, Kevin. 248 hits - nearly viral. Joan told me you had to forego Japan -too bad but the right decision I would think. As we pass through Singapore our dongs have now shrunk to about 80% of their domestic worth, never to reach the 20,000 to 1 stature again. Oh well, it's been a great trip and your contribution to the all round fun and the cultural diversity was right up there with Q's TV/I-phone stories.
Regards,
Brian
This was my awakening spot. I can and will do something for these cherished people who have fought so hard for freedom. I am a changed person from this trip, I value my everything and thank my lucky stars to be on this side of war!!!
Intermission What can I say ....."another great experience" and I'm going to buy you an Umbrella ma dear!! I'm walking into these marvellous pics and dreaming ahhh
Thanks for sharing this trip :D
ps
I don't think I would like the ferry though lol
One Night in Bangkok Amazing Kevin,
Such a beautiful place!!! Doreen has been there and raved on about it.
Of course there is some of the dark side, a little sad but true.
I am enjoying these stories immensely! The pics are beauties, dad would love them.
You know he would have painted some of them.
Enjoy Kevin, I love these blogs. Take care xo
One night in Bangkok I think there was a song... the most burning question for me is how far does your dong go in Bangkok? Is one's dog there as plentiful and in demand as in Vietnam?
[hey what do you want, I am back in manhattan, it was 74 on friday and THEY are forecasting 40 for the end of the week, i am losing IT - not my dong, but IT, that transcendental je ne sais quoi that some of us call 'avoir du chien' but never eating the chien of course. ENJOY YOUR TRAVELS KEVIN, i love your postings]
So glad to hear you are safe!!!!! Oh Kevin what would I do without your heart-rending insights. Makes one think of how selfish and petty we are and can become in our daily grind. So glad to hear you are physically safe. Wondered how the situation in Japan affected you and your travels. As always, take care, Love, Lauren
Home safe Hi Kevin,
Thank you for your friendship and companionship over the past 3 weeks.
We too suffered the Angelina syndrome. We would have loved to have taken one of those beautiful children and done something to make their future happy and secure - but what. The swiss doctors hospital? intrepid foundations? the shelter and abused women? victims of mines? the tuk tuk coorperative? one of the NGOs?
I think probably support to one of the local teachers who give their time to tech english and enpower Cambodians to build their own future in a commercial world dominated by our language.
PS - don't wash your intrepid bag with your cloths unless you are very fond of wearing blue.
Dear Angelina Jolie... Ahhh love it all Kevin,
How beautiful, but yes I too can feel the gentleness of these people, the warmth and the poverty. I salute Angelina also!
I just can't imagine their day to day lives.
When the boats come in they depend on the tourists and do anything, make things of all sorts, trinkets, food, photo opportunities to survive. I can understand the torn feelings one would have, so YES salute Angelina, she made a difference and changed the life of one forever!
I get it now too.
Thanks for sharing, makes me want to do something too......
Enjoying the trip with you Kevin. Take care now
xo
Great blog, thanks for sharing your experience. I read a book recently on the atrocities and it is hard to believe humans are capable of doing this to not only other human beings, but their fellow countrymen.
I remember visiting Auschwitz a few years back, one of the main German concentration camp and a quote on the walls from Hilary Clinton stuck with me: "Auschwitz is essential so that future generations can visit and understand how the world can never again allow a place of such hatred and persecution to exist"
We all must see these places so that these horrors can never happen again.
Requiem: The Killing Fields of Choeung Ek I feel very Reverent as well.
So much to think about, how many more "Killing Fields" so true
We don't realize do we?
I could feel your Spirit, at a loss for words.
We need to be educated on what has happened.
Dateline Saigon: 1975 I will always think of the Lotus Flower in a different way now.
Thank you for sharing, such a sad war, no winnners.
I am learning more and more that there is only one Race,
The Human Race and how we should be so respectful of one another
testimony re: kevin's dong i have had the pleasure to travel with kevin for iver a week as part of his current Vietnam adventure and can attest to the magnitude of his dong. He recently visited the ATM to replenish his dong and had custom fitted gold silk pajamas made in Hoi An to house said dong. Ok he doesn't physically have them yet but we're told they are coming. And he has a tshirt stating in the back: keep your hand in your dong. So there.
Good Morning, Vietnam! This has given me more insight to what happened years ago. So much that we really didn't know, my heart goes out to all those on both sides. So very interesting these two different worlds living side by side. I never would have imaged a "Gucci" there. What Beautiful sites at "Halong Bay" and the rural ones too. I would have loved that!
Glad you are enjoying it all, excited and waiting for the next stop :)))))
I'm 51 and enjoying a one-year sabbatical after 24 years of teaching. I'm about to embark on many adventures and want to share everything (well, almost everything) with my family and friends. ... full info
Jude
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Panda-Monium!!!
What a lovely story!! I love the pics very much, especially with you and the cuddly Panda Bear, I could almost feel what it felt like if that makes any sense. What a great feeling, I could just feel that lil bear awwwwe The history is amazing, the boat trip, it is all so amazing & very educational. I learned so much from your blogs. How can these preciouse Panda Bears be saved, they are dwindling down so quickly??? Anyway I'm off to bed, have been home a couple of days virus, nothing to worry about. ttyl luv jude