On March 19th, I departed Hanoi for a two night cruise on Halong Bay. First, a four hour van transfer from Hanoi, not scenic. I listened to 4 hours of “Down the River” by Edward Abbey. Along the way, we stopped for a break and chance to buy souvenirs. I don’t buy souvenirs these days,…

Judy and I had booked a trip to Vietnam, but when her health declined, we had to cancel. Now, I am returning to make that exploration, this time of Hanoi and northern Vietnam. Judy and I both strongly opposed the USA war in Vietnam. In 1970, young Americans were being drafted and forced to serve in…

On March 12, I took the ‘Reunification Express’ train back from Ninh Binh to Hanoi in the evening, and connected with the Fansipan Express overnight train north to Sapa.    Arrived in Hanoi to rain! This is the ‘dry’ season! Yet, in 12 days so far in northern Vietnam, I have not seen the sun…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On March 8th, I took the ‘Reunification Express’ train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, about 2 ½ hours south of Hanoi, to begin the second part of my explorations. On the train, you can chose ‘hard seat’ or ‘soft seat’ (costs 15% more). Here is what ‘soft seat’ is like. The seats are a bit…

Judy and I visited Thailand, and fell in love with the people and their delicious cuisine, our favorite in the world. We went back many times, and visited many areas from north to south, visiting hill tribe villages in the uplands, and snorkeling in the south. Then, we decided to try to get to know…