Sunrise in Cambodia

It's 1/11/18, Bill's 70th Birthday!

Rickshaw and Relaxation

The day began with an exciting rickshaw ride and ended with a relaxing 90 minute massage on the RV AmaDara. Incidentals in between included sightseeing in the sweet town of Tan Chau, taking in silk making and rattan demonstrations, shopping, and strolling through a small river town called Evergreen Island. Simple life styles, gentle appreciative souls, giggling children and farm animals filled the day with awe. The AmaDara is on its way to Cambodia.

Vegan in Vietnam

Walking through the Sa Dec market of the Dong Thap Province in the Mekong Delta Tuesday afternoon had me contemplating the merits of a vegan lifestyle. I wish I could unsee the stomach churning scenes of live creatures for sale, from both land and sea, decorated with flying insects and baking in the heat of the afternoon sun. The produce was plentiful and beautiful, but anything with a face...not so much.

After a welcome tea break at "The Lover" house, which was featured in the film by Jean-Jacques Annaud, we were back on the tender for the final stop of the day: the unimpressive and gaudy Cao Dai Temple.

Vietnam: A Country Not a War

The Vietnamese are so friendly. There seems to be no hostility nor resentment towards Americans. Surely, the dollars we bring must help ease the pain of our past sins, but their genuine warmth and kindness is heartfelt. They have the best fruit and noodle dishes, too.

Cai Be Vietnam

The first excursion from the AmaDara was by tender to Cai Be. The short boat ride afforded an eye-opening view of life on the Mekong River. Fishermen, floating markets and general river transport was at peak activity Tuesday morning. Once ashore, the group toured the historic Kiet House, a pre-colonial home filled with antiquities and ceramics surrounded by beautiful gardens. The next stop on the tender was a family operated candy workshop. Demonstrations on making candy, rice paper, popped rice and snake wine were awe inspiring and entertaining.

Sunset on the Mekong River

Greetings from the RV AmaDara. The group of cruisers, just under 100 in total, arrived by bus to My Tho. The port was only 17km out of Saigon but took almost two hours because of traffic. Crazy traffic. Mayhem everywhere.

We were welcomed aboard by the crew with a tasty phở and cold beer. By now we have met many friendly people traveling with AmaWaterways from Europe, UK, South America, Hong Kong, Australia but mostly, the US and Canada.

AmaDara left port at sailed to Cai Be. Dinner, followed by a traditional Vietnamese folklore performance (hilarious entertainment) and we greeted our bed enthusiastically before 10pm.

Lacquer Factory

Minh Phuong lacquer factory was a good alternative to the chaotic Ben Thanh market, which was on the agenda for Monday morning. A brief tour of the factory ended in the gift shop. I had to have a souvenir of Saigon before our departure. We’re off for the start of the Mekong River cruise this afternoon.

Sunday Night Adventure in Saigon

It was a full day of touring and somewhat grueling on limited sleep but we powered on after a refreshing cocktail hour in our hotel room. TripAdvisor directed us to Heart of Darkness Brewery for craft beers and a bite for dinner.

It was a challenge navigating to the brew pub between the dark, narrow, uneven sidewalks and the death-defying motorbike activity. There are 10 million people in Saigon and 7 million motorbikes. Fact. No apparent rules of the road either.

After a short, harrowing walk, we were rewarded with a comfortable bar, good beer, comfort food and a great visit with two American girls on holiday.

The young bartender endearingly sent us on our way with a gift: a set of 26 colorful coasters.

City Tour

An inadequate first night sleep and the 12 hour time difference had us feeling a tad sluggish at Sunday breakfast. We were, however, excited to see an amazing selection of Asian, European and America delicacies at the Sofitel restaurant. We enjoyed all genres of food in a cheery and crowded room before heading to a morning briefing by the Ama Waterways cruise manager.

The morning tour included a visit to the hoppin' Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the War Remnants Museum. The museum could also be called the Museum of American Aggression. It was a one-sided collection highlighting the atrocities of the American war, with a special emphasis on the destruction of the country through the use of agent orange. It did have an impressive collection of US artillery and photographs documenting American savagery.

A somber lunch at a local restaurant followed, presenting an opportunity for discussion and conversation among the group. The traditional Vietnamese fare was quite good and so was the Saigon beer.

An afternoon excursion to Cu Chi, an underground system of tunnels just outside Ho Chi Minh City, was intriguing. The extensive network of tunnels allowed the Viet Cong to move around Saigon undetected during the war. The forest around the tunnels provided a glimpse of the hardships soldiers had to endure during active duty.

Sights on the three hour bus trip, in heavy traffic through the city, provided a fascinating window into the life the Vietnamese people.

Long Trip in the Air (not Airstream)

Wow. This weekend's marathon excursion in the sky brought back memories of my non-rev British Airways travel days. From 5:50am Friday to 12:17am Sunday we have been in transit. Luckily some winks were caught here and there and we feel reasonably refreshed as we get ready to try to sleep in the lovely Sofitel at Saigon Plaza.

Ho Chi Minh City was bustling from the throngs of greeters at the airport through the busy roadways jammed with mopeds and bright lights. It looks like this was the place to be for NYE celebrations. Plenty of decorations making for a festive introduction to Vietnam.

Vietnam and Cambodia

With most of the country in the grips of a "bomb cyclone" winter weather phenomenon, Bill and I drove to Miami for a quick overnight near the airport. The hotel was convenient for our early morning check-in. Chicago-Tokyo-Ho Chi Minh city will take nearly twenty hours of air travel. My book, Matterhorn: A Novel about the Vietnam War is getting me in the spirit of the journey. I can't stop thinking about my young Will as I read about these scared kids in the jungle. We are currently delayed in Chicago, but comfy and excited to get this adventure underway. Stay tuned!

Half Day in FiDi

Bill was in the mood for a New York bagel on our final day of fun in the Big Apple. We didn't want to get too full because of our noon lunch reservation at Osteria della Pace in the Eataly complex downtown. 

It was a nice, brisk walk around the financial district on a sunny Monday morning. Early shopping ended a successful hunt for holiday attire. Lunch was fabulous and so was exploring the massive Eataly complex. 

An Uber dropped us at EWR for our 4pm flight to RSW. We were even lucky enough to bump into Jorge, Bill's partner and friend, in the United lounge! So long NYC.

Follow me on Instagram: rogerskf! 

Sunday Funday

From George's for breakfast in FiDi to Tim Ho Wan for dim sum, there were crowds of people throughout the city. It was almost overwhelming. We shuffled our way through Rock Center to see the tree and down 5th Avenue for window shopping in route to the Christmas markets of Bryant Park. This perfect touring weather has everyone out and about!

Saturday in the Park

After strolling the Christmas markets at Columbus Circle we lallygagged around the Time Warner complex before our hike up Central Park West to the American Museum of Natural History. A great dinner reunion with Patty and Mike at Foragers Table in Chelsea made for a full day of sights, sounds, flavors and fragrances. Our feet are burning and so are our Metra cards.

NYSE

The trend is your friend. A record week for the DJIA crossing over 24,000. The New York Stock Exchange was all lit up last night on our walk home from Haru Sushi.

Fun to be in NYC for Christmas lights and another taste of cool air! We're spending a few days/nights in the financial district. Good rates on hotels!