Seeking

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, but there were a large group of female embroidery artists who were creating some very beautiful art you may enjoy: This is not Elvis velvet paintings. What they are achieving is dazzling. [vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1490188644317-cfb4fcf2-79a3-1″ include=”5338,5348,5349,5350,5347,5346,5345,5343,5341,5342,5336″][/vc_column][/vc_row] Soon we were out in the nearly 2,000 karst limestone…

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 Vietnam. A lottery was used to determine who had to go, based on birthdays. Before the drawing, I decided that regardless of the outcome, I would refuse to take part in this ill-conceived, unnecessary, and brutal war. As luck would have it, my birthday got…

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 or blue sky yet. Overcast and sometimes drizzle.   There are ‘tourist’ trains to Sapa that have more comfortable cabins. I reserved this one, and it was quite nice.     We departed at 9:30pm. The rail gauge seems a bit narrower in Vietnam, and…

[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 like economy airline seats. They were OK for a short trip, but might not be so much fun for all day. This part of the route is industrial for the most part, rarely scenic. Ninh Binh itself is nothing special. But not far out of…

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 busy, crowded Bangkok. This was a bit of a challenge, as at first glance, it seems like a chaotic mess. However, when we settled in, in a comfortable ‘serviced apartment’, and began to explore as if we lived there, we came to like Bangkok. I began…