TravelStream™ news feed for member mirandrea1 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/mirandrea1 en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:33:20 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1214028600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1214028600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1214028600/tpod.html Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:33:20 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Eugene, Oregon, United States

Hi again.  It's nice to be home.  For me at least...poor Andrew is back at work.  As for me, I hope to re-join the ranks of the respectably employed in September if my firm will have me back early.  If not, it looks like we'll be eating a lot of top ramen til December.  Luna won't mind.  Speaking of which, our pleasantly plump little butterball lost 15 pounds while in the care of my dear sister Nina.  15 pounds!  So as you can see from our pictures, when we got in from overseas we took a whirlwind tour of some National Parks.  We did not originally intend to do that.  I think we were just kind of killing time til we could get back into our house and thought it would be nice to take Luna on an extended camping and rafting trip.  We started out in Idaho, at the Payette river, where it rained on us for days straight.  On top of that, the rivers everywhere in the northwest were so high we could not safely boat with only one raft.  We had to cancel our Middle Fork Salmon trip because the river was huge and the road to the put-in was still closed.  After another night huddled in our sopping tent (Luna had to sleep in the truck because she does not fit so well in the tent with the doors closed), we decided to drive southwest in search of sunshine.  Rafting would have to wait.  So we headed through Idaho toward Wyoming.  We ended up in Jackson, Wyoming, land of the rich and beautiful.  After two weeks sleeping on the ground and washing in gas stations, we were not so beautiful and we were definitely not rich.  So off we went, north to Grand Teton National Park.  Wow.  It was breathtaking.  We camped there for a while, then continued on to Yellowstone.  I have never been to any of these places (growing up my family was pretty set on the Crooked River Ranch as the annual family vacation) and I had no idea what incredible beauty I was missing.  The wildlife in Yellowstone surpassed even that which we experienced in Austraila.  In a matter of less than 8 hours we saw grizzly bears, black bears, elk, bison, moose, dear, antelope, and on and on.  Luna hated it all, of course, because national parks are decidedly not dog friendly.  We saw old faithful blow and explored the park's historic lodges.  Right outside Yellowstone is a very cool little rafting town that I can quite recall the name of right now.  We hung out there a bit and thought about rafting till we saw the stetch of the Yellowstone rive that all the companies take the customers on.  Not quite worth blowing up the boat, if you know what I mean.  So off we went to Montana.  We were still getting dumped on by the weather, despite our best efforts to outrun it.  We did some camping
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1210044540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1210044540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1210044540/tpod.html Mon, 12 May 2008 04:10:58 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Waikiki, Hawaii, United States

We recovered from vicious jet lag in Waikiki from May 1-5.  We are still recovering.  Check back soon for more on Hawaii.Okay, we're back.  We were in Waikiki for 5 days and slept for 2 of them (okay, I (andrea) slept for 3).  I would never have thought there would be such jet lag.  It's 17 hours time difference from Bangkok, but it felt like we had been up for a month.  Anyway, I know you all have tons of sympathy for us, so I will move on.  For some odd reason, we thought it would be fun to visit Waikiki again. It's been a few years since we were there and the memories of why we had vowed to never go back were fuzzy and blurred.  Kind of like when you have not been to Vegas for a while.  You quesion, ....was it really that bad?  the answer remains YES.  You ask, "but wasn't it pretty, and exciting and so cosmopolitan?  But again, we find, the answer is NO.  (And, as Jeff knows, I am an expert on what is,  and what is not, cosmopolitan.)  So, to really make this a trip to remember, we actually consciously made the decision to stay at the Big Pink Hotel, made famous in about 30 bad Elvis movies.  To be honest, Waikiki is a bit of a blur.  The place has not changed.  There is shopping to die for (had we any money) and the beaches are crowded shoulder to shoulder with teenage girls in g-strings.  No comment.   A sample of a conversation overheard on the beach ..."'Dude, I was so wasted last night.  What time should we meet to get in line for Senior Frogs tonight?"  Yes, they line up to get into Senior Frogs.  When we were not sleeping, we went on daily runs up to the top of Diamond Head, went snorkaling at Hanoma Bay, and went to a movie.  Going to the movie was my favorite part.   It's something I have defintely missed.  We saw 21, which I highly recommend.  We also had popcorn, which I also really missed.  (Okay, and I also snuck in 2 bottles of water.  $3.50 for a Dasani?  Come on.).  Getting fully into our "we're back in America" mindset, before the movie we had dinner at Ruby Tuesdays.  Does it get any better than this?  We also did manage to venture out to pay our respects at Pearl Harbor.  We were too late though, all the tickets for that day's tours had sold out.  Apparently others also tire of Chanel and coco butter.  We are now in Kauai, dreamland.  We will be home on the 14th for a week or so, then heading out for our West  coast rafting and backpacking tour.  We are so looking forward to seeing you all.   Please take care, Andrea and Andrew
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209892440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209892440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209892440/tpod.html Mon, 05 May 2008 23:23:37 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

Most trips to SE Asia start and end in Bangkok.  Ours followed this pattern.  We flew into Bangkok on February 8, left on the 10th, and then flew back to Bangkok on April 28 and left on May 1 for Hawaii.  We've been on a roll of free upgrades at hotels as of late, and Bangkok was no exception.  This time, we stayed at the Lebua at State Tower on Silom Rd and were given a suite bigger than our house.  It was really nice.  We did some sight seeing, shopping and had some great meals.  On the 1st of May, we flew to Honolulu via Taiwan.  We spent 4 days in Honolulu and are now in Kauai.  It was sad to leave Asia, but it was getting really really hot there.  Hawaii almost feels cold in comparison.  The rainy season in SE Asia was just starting too.  Alas, all good things come to an end.  Hawaii's not so bad anyways. 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209744660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209744660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209744660/tpod.html Fri, 02 May 2008 22:20:46 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Hoi An, Vietnam

Still more photos.  What else are you gonna do for 22 days.  We are safely in Hawaii.  From here, we will come back to Oregon for a few days, pick up the dog and the rafts and travel across the US for a couple of months.  Anybody want to go??
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209120480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209120480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1209120480/tpod.html Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:17 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Hoi An, Vietnam

Some more Hoi An shots.  While in Hoi An, we met some wonderful people.  One of those people was Andrew's new friend Kiet.  While wandering through old town Hoi An, we came across his photography studio.  His works were beautiful and we bought a few.  The next day Andrew went back and asked Kiet if he would give Andrew some photography lessons.  Kiet graciously agreed to do this.  Andrew did three photo sessions with Kiet, some of the shots taken on those sessions were here.  Andrew also went to a party for a one month old baby with Kiet (in Vietnam, it is traditional to throw a big party for one month old babies) and got to sit with the Hoi An photography club.  Ha made Andrew a new business card for his aspiring photography career.  Some of the works from the trip will be shown at a cafe in Eugene upon return.Currrently, we are in Bangkok on our last day out of the US.  We fly to Hawaii tomorrow and then back to Oregon in a couple of weeks.  Hope to see all of you soon.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1208778360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1208778360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1208778360/tpod.html Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:26:58 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Hoi An, Vietnam

Hi all.  We are back in Hoi An, our home away from home.  This is our third time here during this trip (so that makes 7 total) and we are feeling pretty much like locals.  I went running with the manager of our hotel last night and she said Andrew already speaks better Vietnamese than she does.  He is getting good and the Vietnamese women LOVE it.  The biggest benefit is we no longer have to pay tourist prices when shopping and eating.  We came back to Hoi An to help our friend, Ha, get her shop open (quick refresh - she is our local friend who worked for the tailor we used on our past trips.  We invested in her new business last month when we were here so she could be the big boss lady.)  So, yeah, we came back to help get things started on the business.  We were sure in for a surprise.  We had been gone about a month and come to find out that in that time, Ha had signed and closed a two year lease on a "shop", had bought all the inventory and had the tailor samples of kimono and pants, etc., made, had ordered a business sign and business cards, got all her licenses (I guess) and was set to quit her job in three days and open in 5.  Ha's husband, Long, was just finishing off the build-out of the shop (including installing doors) when we arrived.  To be honest, we were a bit nervous about what we would find upon our return to Hoi An.  Unfortunately we all have doubts about motives when people ask for help, its just natural.  We were moved to tears when we drove into town and saw their smiling faces hard at work preparing the shop.  On opening day, the time was set for 6:00 a.m. for the good luck, blessing ceremony.  (For those as uninformed as I, 6:00 a.m. is the "lucky" time.)  Ha and Long set up an offering table and alter, with fake money, incense, rice, candles and flowers.  A local shaman came in and said his blessings for luck and prosperity for the shop over the offerings that were set out, then he burned all the offerings in a make shift BBQ pit, right there on the street.  It was quite a scene to behold.  And it worked.  The business is doing amazingly well.  Ha is a hard worker and charms the heck out of all the tourists.  She used to make $70.00 USD a month at the tailor shop where we met her, working 7 days a week, 8:00 a.m to 10:00 p.m.  for the last five years.  She makes that in one day now, a lot due to the incredible mark up she can get away with. A lot of our retail, less expensive, products are made in Vietnam.  She can avoid the tax and cost of shipment taken into account in US prices.  A t-shirt we buy for $15.00 at home costs her a $1.00 here.  She sells it to an unsuspecting Westerner for $5.00 and pockets the rest.  Not bad.  The potential for a successful souvenier shop to earn money here is great.  For example, the other day a German woman came in and liked some purses that Ha bought for $2.00 each.  The woman bought 3 of them for $60.00, total.  Last night Andrew took some of the wares to a local restaurant trying to make a sale.  He struck out, but got a lot of laughs from the diners. We are so happy for Ha and her family.  Speaking of which, their little girl Nguyen is finally getting over her shyness and will actually smile and reach for our hands now.  I think it helps that we can speak to her a bit in her language.  She will be 5 this May and is getting to be almost as big as her mom.  We went to school with her the other morning and Andrew gave cookies out to all the kids.  He is so good with the kids and gets such a kick out of it.  They loved him. One of the teachers (not Nguyen's) shook him down for $25.00 "for food for the kids" the last time we were there.  She asked for money again, but we were on to her this time. Ha said the parents pay for all the food the school provides.  That money went for a new pair of shoes for Ms. Teacher.  She got nothing this time.While here last time we met a great couple from Seattle who were staying for a month to work on their export business. They also have a stall at the Country Fair where they sell the husband's handmade breifcases.  What a small world.  Hoi An is very famous for tailors and hand made items, so they buy wallets and other silks in bulk and sell wholesale in the states.  We met up with them upon our return and met their Vietnamese friends with whom they were hanging out and studying Vietnamese.  That is a lot of how we have learned the language, along with help from others.  Hoi An has an amazingly busy and robust local market, selling everything from fresh produce, live fish, plucked chickens and quail eggs to hand cream, fake Diesel jeans and running shoes.  Sometimes we head into town early to watch the action at the local market.  There is no Safeway here.  Everything is fresh, brought in each morning, and sold in the outdoor/indoor market.  Andrew went out at 5:00 a.m. one morning to watch the fish come into the market from the fishing boats. What chaos!  Everyone in Vietnam yells at the top of their lungs when having a conversation, and that level is increased even more in the market.  (side note, If anyone is planning a similar trip, I strongly recommend wearing shoes to the fish market.)  We have also rented a motor bike for the time we are here.  Another friend Andrew made gave him a great deal on it.  It is an automatic, so I can drive it (not with Andrew on the back, of course).  It gets about 100 mile per gallon.  I am getting one when we get home. We drove it out to My Son Holyland the other day, about an hour and a half ride from Hoi An.  My Son is the home to the most famous Vietnamese Cham ruins, dating from 9th to 13th century A.D.  The Champa people were the rulers of this area back in those days and always trying to conquer what is now Thailand and Cambodia.  Many of the stone murals in the Ankgor Wat temples in Cambodia tell the stories of the Cambodians fighting the Champa.  The My Son area we visited was a buriel ground for the kings and his wives (yes, wives) and home for monks and other religious men back in the day.  The towers do not compare to those of Angkor Wat, but are magnificent in their own way.  Sadly many were pretty much destroyed by our B52 bombers during the war. Why that was necessary still escapes me.  We also visited the Marble Mountains, just south of Danang, right across from the renowned China Beach.  These mountains became famous during the war because they contain many huge caves which were occupied by the Viet Cong during the war and were used for recon, as living quarters and as a hospital.  The Viet Cong had a bird's eye view of the major US operation site a few hundred yards away and the Americans were none the wiser.  (Maybe they were eventually, I am not sure).  Anyway, now the caves are a major tourist attraction, complete with touts selling flashlights allowing in-depth exploration.  (Thank you, Peggy, for leaving me your flashlight so I did not have to buy one at the caves).  The mountains are also home to several religious sites (although religion is technically illegal in communist Vietnam) and there are some nice temples and buddhas.  We got a little lost on the way home, but got an incredible view into local neighborhoods we would never have ventured into otherwise. Andrew has met a professional photographer here (we bought some of his pictures) and he has been learning photography tips from him. He also had some business cards made that say "Coit Photography" and plans a photo exhibit debut when he returns home.  He is off this morning with the photographer at the clay pot market.  As you can probably tell from my rambling, we have not been doing a whole lot here and have been enjoying ourselves immensely. We will check in again soon.  I hope you enjoy the pictures.  Love to you all, Andrea and Andrew
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1207525020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1207525020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1207525020/tpod.html Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:05:55 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Sanur, Ubud and Benoa, Indonesia

Hi all! We have landed in Indonesia. The island of Bali, to be exact.  Going to Bali was a source of contention for awhile between Andrew and I because I was a little nervous about the recent terrorist attacks on tourist locations.  However, it seemed silly not to see Indonesia, being this close. That, combined with the fact that our prior mountain destinations of China and Tibet are beyond dangerous at the moment, convinced me to go. We are also implementing a personal boycott of China based on their conduct towards tibet.  So we agreed to go to Bali and just avoid the areas that were targeted by the terrorists in the past, namely Kuta Beach.  So, yes, we saw a lot of Kuta Beach.  But we didn't stay there, just went out for drinks a dinner a few nights, including one night of Mexican food.  But I must first digress to Singapore, our brief stopping ground between Saigon and Denpasar, Indonesia.  How is it possible that a place like Singapore could exist out here?  Singapore is a bastian of sophistication and technological advancement, far beyond anything we have seen in SE Asia so far.  But on to Bali...Bali is a province of Indonesia, one of many islands that make up the country.  Bali was not hit by the tsunami in 2004 - that was mainly Sumatra. It was, however, targeted by Muslim extremists in 2002 and again in 2005, apparently in protest of the excesses caused by western tourists in this primarily (90%) Muslim country.  In 2002, two bombings at a disco in the beach town of Kuta left over 200 dead.  Most of those killed were Austailian.  38 Indonesians, 8 Americans and 2 Canadians were also victims.  There is now a moving memorial at the site of the attacks and many people have placed photos and other mememtos of lost loved ones.  What a tradegy that occurred in such a historically peaceful place.  In 2005, suicide bombers struck a market in Kuta, apparently again targeting tourists.  Security has been increased significantly in response to these attacks.  Locals from neighboring islands, primarily Java, are not allowed into Bali without extensive screening.  (the attackers in 2002 and 2005 were not from Bali, but rather from Jakarta and other areas of Muslin Indonisia.  Bali itself has remained primarily Hindu).  We paid our respects at the memorial set up for the victims of the 2002 Bali bombings.  It was particularing moving, and very disturbing given the fact it is located across the street from the actual site of the bombing.  The bombing site is currently an empty lot, but there are plans drawn for a memorial peace park to be built at some point. So, you ask - you're in Indonisia and what do you do?  Well, go rafting, of course.  Twice.  In the first two days.  we had a great time, and the pictures attached should demonstrate just how beautiful this land is.  The rainy season ended in March, so the rivers were not so hairy as we found in Austrailia, but they were fun and the water was warm.  One guide insisted on engaging in the Deschuttes-style water fight, which I just hate, but other than that we had a fantastic time.  And, truth be told, the meals served after each trip were the best we had in Bali.  They do amazing things with soy beans over there.  Our time in Indonesia was split between three areas - Sunar, Ubud, and Benoa.  In Sunar we did our rafting and played some mean beach volleyball.  I was bleeding profusely from a knee injury, but didn't even flinch - and certainly did not take a time out to wash - until Andrew gently reminded me that the others may not be so keen on having my blood on the volleyball.  We won all three games, by the way.  (Ah- ps - I have yet to hear from my team at home how we did this last session).  From Sanur we went to Ubud, a town in the middle of amazing rice field terraces, much like we saw in Sapa, Vietnam.  Ubud is an "artists" town, so needless to say, I was completely lost.  We stayed at a place that was under construction, so we got  a great deal. We had our own villa, a private massage hut for two within our villa walls, and private pool (you have to see the pictures of this one).  It was the perfect honeymoon location if anyone is looking.  We did nothing worthy (or advisable for printing) in Ubud.  We then went to the south of Bali for a few days of sand and sea and sightseeing in Benoa.  There are thousands of Hindu temples in Bali.  The government structure in Bali is reverse from what we are used to, with the primary power being held in at the local, rather than national level.  Each small community has its own leaders, which make the majority of decisions that will have any significant impact on the everyday lives of those living in the village. Each village has at least three temples, one for living and community meetings, one for special events, and one for housing the dead.  (The death ritual is confusing.  All Hindu have to be cremated in order to move out of this world, but there are only certain times when cremation is possible.  This results in temporary burial in the death temples until creation can be completed, sometimes years after death.)  There is also an amazing 200 hectare botanical garden in the north that we were able to visit.  I was reminded of Washington park in Portland and wanted so badly to take Luna for a run through the trees up there.   (sidebar - dogs are safe in Indonesia).  The people we met in Indonisia were as friendly and welcoming as all those we have come across so far in this trip.  There is an emphasis on tourism as a means of income in Bali.  Being the low season, the competition for business for tours or taxis and restaurants was stiff, making for some pushy touts on occasion.  There is nothing a smile and "maybe later" won't quicky get you out of though.  On our last day in Bali we splurged on a jet ski rental.  Guess wo is now set on getting himself a jet ski when we get home?  (and who, by the way, also probably irreversibly compacted his spine while jumping the waves).  The water sport providers (of which there were MANY)  also had this ridiculously huge air mattress thing called the "Flying Fish." You lay on it, hold on for dear life, and get pulled behind a jet boat until you fly into the air at heights of at least 10 meters for extended periods of time.   The food in Bali was mainly asian influenced, with  a focus on seafood, tofu and peanut sauce.  They also, oddly enough, had nachos at every restaurant. ??  The signature dish is Gado Gado, a plate full of blanched green beans, carrots, cabbage, bean sprouts, tofu and tempeh, and boiled eggs, all covered  in a fabulous hot and spicy peanut sauce.  Yummm!!!!!!!!!!!!  Andrew was even a convert before we left.   (As my extreme personal honesty compels, I will make the admission here - on our first night in Bali we went to Kuta and had burgers at the Hard Rock Cafe while watching a T-Lake video.) People were very surprised to hear we were American and not Australian.  I seems very few Americans head to Bali. I strongly suggest you do so if you are going on another of those Hawaiian island trips we have all gotten used to. You will have every  benefit of luxuary that you would expect in Hawaii but you also get to help a country who needs your tourism dollars and will give you a different take on the world.  And its much cheaper.  We really liked Bali. It's relatively easy to travel, the security put in place by the hotels and discos seems sincere, the island is gorgeous, and there is a lot of history to explore.  On a bit of a down note, though, tourism was a certain and growing income stream for so many prior to 2002.  After the bombings, tourism was cut in half and those involved became more agressive and territorial.  We are told that tourism was back to alsmost pre-2002 levels at the time of the 2005 bombings.  People are trying to get back to where they were, but now they have a mind set that this may only be temporary. So the push for your business is becoming almost agressive at times, which is unconfortable but can lead to some great deals with some dilligent bargaining.  We left Bali for Vietnam and are currently back in Hoi An.  Our friend's shop is becoming more of a reality every day and she hopes to open in a week. We are so excited and so proud.  More on that later.  Love to you all, Andrea and Andrew
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1207439460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1207439460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1207439460/tpod.html Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:21:17 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Nha Trang, Vietnam

Hi all (or y'all depending on your point of view),I think we left you at the Life Resort in Quy Nhon - I must say, not a bad place to be left.  They had yoga class at 9:00, Tai Chi at 3:00, beach volleyball at 4:00 ....  Okay, you get the point.  But all good things come to an end, and so we went to Nha Trang. Kidding.  - sort of.  Nha Trang is a Vegas by the sea, Vietnam style.  It is a beautiful beach town, but in some places was over the top in cheese.  Across the bay from Nha Trang, there is an entire island taken over by some hotel chain (Sofitel) who hoped to turn it into Disneyland.  It's called "VinPearl Land"  and comes complete with rides,waterpark and garbage cans in the shape of penguins.  We have avoided Nha Trang during all of our previous trips for just this reason.  That being said, the people of Nha Trang were very nice, as are all Vietnamese, the food was outstanding (in addition to great Vietnamese food, we had the best vegetarian Indian food of our lives), and there were two very impressive sites worth of visit:  a group of Cham towers (Po Nagar) and a hilltop pagoda (Long Song temple) with an enormous white buddha statute on the top.  At the Cham towers we watched an enchanting dance conducted by vietnamese women with baskets on their heads set to trance like music.  At the pagoda, we climbed through a village of temples, up many stairs and to the top where the white buddha dominates the Nha Trang skyline.  A definate Nha Trang bonus was that our hotel gave us a free triple upgrade to a wonderful room with ocean view.  Perhaps best of all, we had a great in-room internet connection (not to be taken for granted in asia, for sure) and Andrew was able to watch online the ducks' NCAA very short lived tourament run (hey, the played a great first half).  We left Nha Trang and flew to Saigon where we regrouped for two days while deciding where to go next.  While having a few cold ones at the dodgy Saigon Saigon bar in the backpacker district of called Pham Ngu Lao, we crafted a plan to go to Bali.  It is amazing how the internet has changed travel.  Within hours, we had purchased the Lonely Planet Bali, bought round trip tickets to Denpasar, Bali, booked our first four nights in a hotel (in Sanur), and arranged for two rafting trips.  After two days in Saigon, off we went on our first (and probably not last) trip to Bali, Indonesia.  Great fun! 
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1206918120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1206918120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1206918120/tpod.html Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:15:12 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Quy Nhon, Vietnam

After leaving Hoi An we traveled down the coast by car to a new town for us, Quy Nhon. Quy Nhon is a coastal fishing village that is not really on the tourist map yet, but may soon be. We stayed four nights about 15 minutes south of Quy Nhon in a beachfront hotel called Life Resort. It was quite nice and we met some interesting folk there. It was really a rest stop for us on our way South. We hung out there four days deciding where to go next. The days blended together and now seem like somewhat of a faint but pleasant memory. Our typical day was: sleep until 10, eat breakfast, swim, eat lunch, swim, have a beer, rest in the room, and then dine at the beachfront hotel restaurant. There was nothing near the hotel as far as restaurants or bars and the town was hard to get to, so we only left the hotel once. When we did leave the hotel for an afternoon, we only saw one other tourist all day. It seems that tourists don´t really go to Quy Nhon and the only ones that do stay at our hotel. That being said, the beach was lovely, the weather great, the hotel great and the food at the hotel great and reasonably priced.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1206871200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1206871200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/mirandrea1/travels_2008/1206871200/tpod.html Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:38:08 -0400 Tales from Andrew and Andrea

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Quang Ngai, Vietnam

March 16, 1968 was the day of the My Lai massacre.  On March 17, 2008, on our way to Quy Nhon (a beach town north of Nha Trang, pronounced "kinyon"), we left our hotel at around 12:30. About ½ way to Quy Nhon, we stopped at Son My, the site of the My Lai massacre. If you ask a Vietnamese taxi to take you to My Lai, they will have no idea what you are talking about. I think My Lai is a name coined by the US. All locals call the village where the massacre occurred Son My. Son My is 8km to the west of Quang Ngai, which is a mid-sized coastal town. Son My was and still is a small rice-growing village which now also has been set up as a memorial.On March 16, 1968, Charlie Company of the US Army entered Son My village and killed 500 men, women and children. They also burned the village to the ground and killed the livestock. This incident in very well documented in US History, perhaps best so in the book "Four Hours in My Lai." Not one shot was fired by the Vietnamese villagers in resistance. The only injury suffered by a US Soldier was when one soldier shot himself in the foot to avoid having to participate in the massacre. The incident was hailed as a success at first because of the high "body count," an important indicator of victory in the warped US war effort. It was not until November of 1969 that the truth came out about what really happened at Son My, and only because several of the GI´s involved broke ranks and fessed up to the atrocity that occurred. Forty Years and 1 day later the site is now a museum, a graveyard and a monument. Even having been there before, the site was no less moving or disturbing on this visit. It is also much more developed as a memorial and has a new museum which documents the horrors of March 16, 1968.  The day before we were there this year, there was a 40th anniversary memorial for the victims.  The local newspaper said 2000 people showed up, including some of US veterns involved in both participating and stopping the massacre.  The day we were there (March 17), the site was virtually empty.  It is a very sad and very somber place.  This was our second visit to the site.  The first visit was about 4 years ago and at that time we were accompanied by a former South Vietnamese Army General who had an interesting take on the incident, quite different from ours.  This time, we wandered around the site by ourselves, feeling the tremendous loss and sorrow in every inch of the memorial.
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