Map in hand and off for a walkabout.

Vietnam electrical standards.

Not much room to ‘walk’ on the sidewalk.

Video: Clothing for sale.

Market has 3 floors.

Bach Ma Temple

Patriotic Monument.

Ly Thai To Park.

St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Late 10th Century Neo-Gothic style.

Came across a wedding reception.

Vietnamese Women’s Museum.

Lots of restaurants on the sidewalk. Rich wasn’t thrilled with the little stools!

Temple of Literature.

You can find just about anything for sale on the sidewalk.

Video: Definitely have to walk on the street. Sidewalk is full!

On the boat.

Lunch on the boat.

Kayaking.

Hiking up to the caves.

In the Caves.

Sun is setting.

We learn to make spring rolls.

Dinner was several courses, all beautifully presented.

Our guide has some challenges for us.

Video: How to get the note out without bottles falling over?

Hike up the mountain.

Last view before heading down back to the boat, then bus to Hanoi.

Met our Intrepid Cycling group at the hotel, then walking to dinner with the group. Restaurants fill the sidewalks and it is difficult to manoeuvre.

Video: Passing time before we hike up the mountain.

I was hesitant—but it was delicious! The place was crowded, and notice the seating.

We then picked up our bikes. Our guide, Danh, informed us that we were going to go for a ride around Hanoi. Yikes, we thought walking was tricky! He informed us of #1 Rule: ‘Don’t look over your shoulder—just go!’

B-52 wreckage in Hutu Tiep Lake shot down shortly before the war ended. A brutal reminder of the human cost of the Vietnam War. Same kind of plane John McCain was in when shot down.

A memorial to John McCain.

Went to the restaurant Obama visited and had the same dish, Bun Cha and a beer. Sat on the same blue plastic chairs.

Just up the street from our hotel we came across a soy flour factory.

Notice the microwaves?

Videos: Soybean factory.

This is our bus. There is also a truck following for the bikes. Danh informed us of the mileage marker where we would have breaks. They generously provided delicious snacks and drinks.

Lunch. We really enjoyed the can of iced coffee that was available.

Enjoyable undulating ride.

Rode along rice paddies.

After 72 Kms arrived at the Homestay where we will spend the night.

Sign outside the women’s bathroom where some of us went for a beer before dinner.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Homestay.

Video: Preparing for the rice to be planted. Water buffalo play a major role.

Video: Spinning.

Danh and our host.

Breakfast.

Getting ready to leave.

Rich had a run-in with a cactus and Danh is doctoring him up.

Great day of riding. 75 Kms.

Video

Pineapple fields.

Yummy!

Lunch.

Back to Ninh Binh. After showering in day room of hotel we go out for cappuccino. After dinner catch overnight train to Hue.

Two bunk beds in each room. It’s cold in here!

Steve bought a bottle of cheap—really awful local wine!

Video: Making funeral flower arrangement.

Videos in pineapple field.

Checked in to Gold 1 Hotel.

Walking tour of Citadel.

Imperial City, Hue.

Ban uot, rice noodle sheets filled with pork, shallots & mushrooms—delicious!

Thanh Toan Museum.

Thanh Toan Bridge. One of the rare tiled-roof bridges left in Vietnam.

Tasting ginger chips.

Slicing the ginger.

Seafood restaurant for lunch.

Rich at the top of 10 Km climb up Hai Van pass.

Checked into Like Hoi An Resort and Spa Hotel.

Cool furniture.

Yummy dinner.

Hoi An is where you can get any item of clothing, bag or shoes made overnight. Just show them a photo and they measure you. Nearby is a bar called ‘Husband Day Care Center’.

Video: Slicing ginger.

Video: Our server teaches us a toast.

Video: Nancy decides what to do with the rest of her bottle of wine to save for later!

Fishing.

Japanese covered bridge dating back to 18th century. \240Built by the Japanese then living in Hoi An as a way to reach the Chinese quarter across the water.

Vietnam plays in the AFC U23 Championship final today against Uzbekistan. Celebrations everywhere in anticipation of the game later today.

We enjoy a walk around Hoi An. I am getting a skirt and pants made.

Watching the game.

Danh is making us Fish & Chips for dinner at his friend’s place.

The fish & chips are fantastic!

Video: On our ride we stopped to see lanterns being made.

Video: Even though Vietnam lost in an extra-time defeat everyone is celebrating their team’s first-ever appearance in the finals.

Loved riding along the coast today.

Lunch.

After 85 Kms checked in to the Seagull Hotel, Qui Nhon.

It’s Brady’s 50th birthday and Danh has a cake made.

Video: Mountain biker, Bruce, tests his skills.

Video: Down is easier!

Lunch. Notice how Danh just takes over in the restaurant? Everyone knows him as ‘The Happy Buddha’.

Top of a big climb. Lovely views.

Ah, Danh has cold beer waiting for us!

Will shortly arrive in Nha Trang and check into BIDV Hotel. 102 Kms.

Video: Making bricks.

Video: Feeding her flock.

Our walking tour guide.

Fish cakes.

We are going to get a ride in a coracle.

Appetizer on the boat.

Rich & I go out for dinner. \240No, the stools are not comfortable!

Video: Making fish cakes.

Video

Video

Video: Preparing our lunch on the boat—delicious!

Stopped to observe these women at work.

It’s hot today, around 30C.

Arrive at Dalat and stop at the ‘Crazy House’. 77 Kms today.

Again Danh takes over and makes us a banana treat.

Checked in to the Sammy Hotel in Dalat. Highest elevation and cooler temperature.

Dinner.

Video

Video

Video

Stopped at one of the many greenhouses.

Rice wine.

‘Processed’ coffee beans from the weasels..Yup, that would be weasel poop!

Some of our friends are happy to taste the weasel coffee.

Curry seeds.

Danh applies ‘curry seed lipstick’ to Robin.

Whenever we stop for a break the drivers fill our bottles with fresh cold water.

Squid.

It’s Anne’s birthday and Dahn gets her a beautiful cake.

Video: the weasel.

Video: coffee

Ride is done.

With our mechanic, Li. Such a wonderful experience. Total of 669 Kms of cycling.

Lunch stop.

Post Office in Ho Chi Minh City.

Inside the Post Office.

Cathedral.

Visited a farmhouse.

Here they made rice paper.

Visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. They extend underground for more tha 250 Kms in the vicinity of Ho Chi Minh City alone and are part of a much larger network of tunnels in the country from which the Viet Cong launched a formidable offensive, safe from U.S. bombing.

Various hidden traps.

Francis is about to enter the Meeting Bunker. The tunnels were used by Viet \240Cong soldiers as hiding spots, as well as communication & supply routes, storage for food & weapons, hospitals & living quarters.

Video: Making Rice Paper.

Video: Feeding the pig.

Video: Entering a tunnel.

Video: A trap.

A new toy for Rich in our hotel room. We said farewell to our Intrepid cycling group this morning, but while we left for our day trip to the tunnels, our cycling guide, Danh, booked us in to a new hotel and had our luggage transferred over. We are now on our own.

For receiving coded intelligence messages.

The President’s bedroom.

Kitchen.

War Remnants Museum.

Many of us remember this image. During the Vietnam War 3 million Vietnamese were killed (among them 2 million civilians), 2 million people injured, 300,000 people missing.

From 1961 to 1971, the U.S. Army sprayed about 80 million litres of toxic chemicals, 61% of which was Agent Orange—over nearly 1/4 of total area of South Vietnam, some areas sprayed more than 10 times.

Arrived at our hotel in Phnom Penh.

Spray-everywhere shower.

Similar electrical as Vietnam.

Dinner.

Video: Crosswalks mean nothing!

Video: traffic

Signage can be difficult—but we can read this!

Royal Palace.

Silver Pagoda.

Bathroom sign.

Walk along the Mekong River.

Our Tuk Tuk driver. It was called the ‘jungle Tuk Tuk’.

A very somber visit to the Killing Fields.

Our Tuk Tuk driver waited for us then drove us to the Genocide Museum. A tough day.

Dinner.

Video: Musicians

Video: view from the Tuk Tuk.

Video: from the Tuk Tuk.

Our Tuk Tuk driver convinces us to hire him to take us to the sites we want to visit over the next few days. He has a 15 year-old son and pays US$150/month for his son to attend a school where he can learn English.

Our room at Residence Wat Damnak.

Going over a bridge in repair on our walkabout.

Thinking this isn’t the best route.

Spray-everywhere shower.

Video: View from the Tuk Tuk.

Video: Musicians.

Bayon Temple has 216 smiling faces of a \240Buddhist figure. You see these faces from all angles. Amazing!

Missed breakfast this morning so we were served a complimentary lunch by the pool.

Met our friends Sue & Steve from our cycle tour for dinner. Tomorrow they are taking the bus to Phnom Penh.

Very vibrant night life.

We didn’t try this.

Videos: Monkeys

Video

Video

Video

Video: Disabled Musicians

Sticky rice for sale.

Our driver buys us sticky rice.

Today we visit a floating village.

Boys on their way to school.

Permanent houses are built on stilts so that they are above high water level.

Drying shrimp.

Drying fish.

Videos:

Photobombed by our guesthouse manager.

Our guesthouse is down this narrow road.

A final walkabout before heading to the airport for a flight to Vientiane, Laos.

Workers installing lights.

Arrived at our hotel in Vientiane, Laos. We found a ‘safe’ in the closet!

A 640ml beer costs US $1.20

Wat Chan

Monument in Vientiane.

Presidential Palace.

Wat Si Saket

Salad for lunch—a pleasant change.

Victory Gate of Vientiane, resembles the Arc de Triomphe.

Patuxay Park.

Pha That Luang

Enjoyed an Iced Coffee.

Walkabout in Luang Prabang after checking in to Sokxai Residence.

Climbed 328 steps up Mount Phou Si and got a magnificent view.

Selling little birds in baskets.

Making treats on the sidewalk.

Visited the UXO Lao Visitor Centre where we learned of the hell the country went through and how, to this day over 300 innocent people are killed each year from cluster bombs that failed to explode.

Between 1964 and 1973 the U.S. dropped over two million tons of explosive ordnance. Laos is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world.

Needed to get our toenails cut in anticipation of an upcoming trek so we both got a pedicure. No Color—Can$5.

A Valentines Day walk along the Mekong River.

Van to Luang Namtha (7 hrs—no air conditioning)

Checked in to the Amandra Villa, Luang Namtha. Spray-everywhere shower.

Spotted a huge butterfly.

Taking a break. Our guide ate some live ants!

Our overnight accommodation in this hill tribe village.

Our toilet is in here.

Yup, the toilet.

Kitchen.

If you want to bathe, here is the river.

Dinner. No utensils or plates.

Video: This gal is carrying up water for the toilet.

Laundry in the village.

Morning coffee.

A feast of frogs. We did not partake!

Lunch.

We get a ride across the river to the village.

Our accommodation for the second night. Managed to find beer for sale.

Dinner.

We all sleep in this room.

Video: one of our guides was given a couple chicks to take home. The other guide went down to the river early in the morning and caught a bunch of frogs to take home.

Video: Crossing the river.

Video: Our guides with their chicks and frogs.

Breakfast.

Rice grinding machine.

The frogs have layed eggs.

There is a road into this village (built by the Chinese). Our bikes have arrived.

It’s a rough road.

Lunch.

Video: All kinds of animals near our hut.

It was 8 hours to get to Chiang Rai, including one van, three buses, and three Tuk Tuks.

Our favourite hotel, Baan Jaru, Chiang Rai.

Clock tower.

Wat Phra Chom Thong

Hilltribe Museum

Local park with huge flower displays.

Video: Clock Tower

Our guide cutting bamboo.

Stopping for tea.

Tea plantation.

Our guide gets us to help carry bamboo to our lunch spot.

He gathers banana leaves for the table.

Cutting onions and peppers for the omelette.

Preparing the pork.

One bamboo vessel has an omelette, one has vegetables and one has sticky rice.

The pork is on the fire.

All the meal is served on the banana leaves.

Making chopsticks for us to take home.

There are 3 Italians on our trek.

Our guide, Tom, made each of us a bamboo cup and engraved our name in Thai.

Arriving at a village where the truck meets us for the ride back to Chiang Rai.

YouTube link:

A Feast in the Jungle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgQfzRbtdb4&sns=em

Lovely lunch at Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House, Bistro & Bar

Firefighter Bike.

Blue Temple.

Video: Do you hear the rooster on our bus?

Our TV in Chiang Mai.

Museum visit.

Wat Pra Sing

Baan Thai Cookery School

Video: cooking School

Dinner

Chiang Mai Walking Street. No shortage of massages.

Video: Blind Musicians

Our hotel in Bangkok, Pak Ping The Cozy Living.

Beer on our deck.

Robin, from our cycling tour suggested that in Thailand I should try a soup called Khao Soy. Found it on the menu at Madame Musur. It was delicious!

Street Bar.

Street food.

Massages.

Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

Grand Palace.

Wat Phta Chetuphon.

Wat Pho

Video: Heavy rain for about an hour.

Video from the boat.

A further 30 minute drive to the floating market.

Sales on water and land.

We then got a ride on a long tail boat where we met our van for the drive back to Bangkok.

Visited the Jim Thompson house (no photos inside). He was famous for developing the silk industry in a Thailand.

Salad & pizza for a change tonight.

Video: Passenger train coming thru the market.

Video: watching the boats.

Video: the boats.

Video

Video: Sales on the boat

Video

One of the ferry boat stops.

Our last dinner in Bangkok. It is a Buddhist religious day so no alcohol is sold in stores or restaurants.

Video: From the boat.

Video: Collecting fares.