TravelStream™ news feed for member naysay on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/naysay en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:16:46 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/naysay/1/1199741580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/naysay/1/1199741580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/naysay/1/1199741580/tpod.html Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:16:46 -0400 Vietnam and Cambodia Are You Ready For An Adventure!

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Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Are you ready for an adventure! was the phrase I squawked each morning to my daughter, Lauren. The two of us traveled to Cambodia and Vietnam with a tour group but added an independentstopover to my brother's home in Taipei.

Lauren had just graduated from college and was ready for an adventure. If she could survive three weeks of close travel with her mom, she could handle most everything in life.

The biggest challenge was packing for three weeks of travel. Each of us has just one suitcase and a backpack. After checking the internet, we learn that temperatures range from Cambodia's tropical 80-90s to N. Vietnam and Taipei's 50-60's weather. This isn't the rainy season but showers were possible.

We pack sturdy rainproof hiking shoes, quick-dry hiking pants with deep pockets, quick-dry socks and quick-dry shirts. Rain jackets that could breath and keep us dry during possible downpours, a compact umbrella, and a thick hoodie sweatshirt.

Prior and during our trip, the top question asked was always, 'Why Vietnam and Cambodia?' Even the majority of our tour companions posed this question. Most of them were well traveled but these countries had not been at the top of their travel lists.

Cambodia and Vietnam were selected because they still offered unspoiled charms. Their tourism industry is just ten years old, so the impact of the tourism dollar is in its' infancy.

Initially, a motorcycle tour from south to north Vietnam had caught my attention. I loved the thought of this experience; however, motorcycle injuries/deaths top the accident list for Vietnam tourists. Athletic ability and natural grace are not strong attributes of mine and so, Friendly Planet tours were selected.

Lauren: And can you imagine mom and me riding motorcycles down the dirt roads, avoiding herds of cattle? I don't thi-ink soooooo

We connected in Los Angeles with a China Airlines flight to Taipei. Our Taipei flight waited over one-hour for our tour group as we had a late arrival. From Taipei we flew into the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh and began.

Are You Ready For An Adventure!
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Temecula, California, United States

When breezing along Southern California's I-15 corridor between Los Angeles and San Diego, the town of Temecula is one of those 'you could blink and miss' locations. We were traveling with our son, who resides just 2 hours north, but still relied upon a freshly printed sheet of directions courtesy of Google.

Temecula's avocado groves and grape vineyards had caught my attention during a previous visit to a friend's home in Fullbrook. From the internet, I print out a list of Temecul's twenty-one wineries. We narrow it down to 4 or 5 that we confidently feel can be managed in an afternoon's time. The tasting rooms are open from 9-5; however, we have slept in this Saturday morning. Not because our external alarm didn't go off but because our internal alarm didn't go off! We had stayed up late to celebrate our son's 28th birthday at the 3-thirty-3 located in Newport Beach. One can easily loose track of time when one's hour hand is alcohol! I also love people-watching. You get to witness a gossip magazine unfold in real time. I love the body language, the clothes, the facial expressions, the sweeping of the eyes when someone is on the prowl. I love it when people huddle together and their incessant talking takes on the characteristics of chattering birds. My son introduces me to the term 'cougar' which is an older woman on the hunt for a younger guy. There are lots of cougars and lots of young guys so my people watching goes wildly into overtime.

So now, it is Saturday afternoon and we are arriving in Temecula around 1:30. Tempting us to go off course are several roadside avocado stands. Their signs advertise '15 for $1.00' and, just in case this price doesn't catch your attention, the words are hand-scrawled in big letters using a bright red marker.

The winery trail leads you west of the I-15, so you miss the historic old town all together. Temecula is one of California's true Western frontier towns. Back in 1859, the state's second post office was located here - San Francisco gets the honors for having the first. If history is not your thing, the Pechanga Indian Reservation built a $260 million dollar resort and casino here in 2001. A popular option should wine tasting be low on your list of to-do activities or you have more than one afternoon.

I have been to wineries in California, Washington state and Italy; however, I don't speak the exquisite vocabulary that some wine lovers prefer. I describe my experience based on my preference. It is a fact that most red wines are dry; however, I prefer the fruitier red wines that are not dry. Some of my favorites include Napa's Beaulieu Vineyard BV coastal estates cabernet; Talus Collection Cabernet; Three Vineyards Row Eleven Pinot Noir; and Bearboat's Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley. They aren't too dry and I can typically find them priced under $25.

Whites are not my favorite just because I love the full fruity flavor that the reds can guarantee. During a visit to Napa valley, the Frog's Leap winery surprised me with some wonderful whites! Occasionally this variety is sold at the World Market store.

Keeping this in mind, I'll share some thoughts about the wineries we visited in Temecula. We includes myself, my husband Dennis, our son Chad, and his girlfriend Abra.

Our first stop is at Palumbo Winery. The atmosphere here is laid back and their two large sleeping dogs don't even acknowledge us as we walk through the doorway. The tasting fee is $10 for five wines and a souvenir glass. We settle on the $7 fee and no souvenir. Typically you get to choose your preference but they provide a set list for the five tastings. These tastings always begin with the light, crispy whites and end with the heavier reds. Dennis and I share the tasting, which means we get about two swallows each. The couple in charge are not real friendly or chatty. They answer questions with little emotion until Dennis politely points out to the woman that she has skipped over tasting #4 with us. She actually gets offended and defensive with us. This makes one of the dogs curious enough to walk over and check us out.

As mentioned earlier, we're not big fans of white wine; however, several of the Palumbo whites really are refreshing and light and wonderful. We purchase the Visgnier - when you buy 2 the third one is free. Great deal. Their reds are too dry for us. So now the woman is happy and the dog lies down again. As we depart, we all agree that this is not a return stop in the future.

Second on the list is Wilson Winery. Immediately everything is completely opposite that of Palumbo. For one, there are a lot of people here and everyone is talking and laughing and you feel like you just walked in to somebody's party. I talk with several 'wine club' members. Membership is free but you have to sign up for it. This puts into play a monthly shipment of two wines to your home. The membership also entitles you to free tastings and invitations to this winery's events. These members love their winery. There is music playing and people are sitting around tables and sipping glasses of wine and champagne. They winery is known for their Almond Champagne.

Again, Dennis and I share the tasting. We get to choose five from a list. We definately prefer Palumbo's Visgnier to Wilsons. Again, the reds are too dry for us. We learn that the summer temps can get up to 110 here and this affects the wine's taste and means that the grapes used for the Pinot Noir (my husband's favorite wine) cannot be grown here.

Our last two tastings are the champagne. I'm not a big fan of champagne and have reservations about how sweet and syrupy the Almond Champagne may taste. We start with the Grand Cuvee Champagne and WOW! Light, bubbly and just wonderful!!! I can't believe I am drinking and actually enjoying champagne! Wow! The bubbles are racing over my tongue and the fragrance is bubbling up from the wine glass and flirting with my nose! I love this champagne! My excitement catches the ear of Chad and Abra and they cheerfully echo their agreement! The next tasting poured into our empty wine glass is Wilson's signature Almond Champagne. The woman pouring these wonderful liquids is laughing with us and our reaction is no surprise to her. Another WOW! Light and bubbly and just a hint of almond. We fall in love with it and we fall in love with the price because we are cheap and this champagne sells for under $20. We latch on to four bottles of the almond champagne. We are so enjoying our tasting and the hospitality and the music and the friendly people. I want to live here and own a winery just like this!

Another club member encourages us to visit South Coast Winery just down the road. By now the time is 4:30 and we have two more wineries to go. They close at 5:00. South Coast will have to wait for another visit.

We drive up the hill to Faulkner Winery and scan the views from this hilltop winery. The blustery wind is very active up here and literally blows us through the door of the tasting room. I had printed off 2-for-1 coupons from the internet which means we don't need to share our tasting. Most are $8, so I'm thinking $4 each. This winery has different tasting tiers so these coupons provide us with top tier tastings, eight tastings priced at $8 each - normally $16. At this point, eight tastings is overkill. We start selecting our tastings from their list. The whites are too sweet and the reds are too dry. After five tastings Dennis and I are done. I'm afraid I'll forfeit all my tastings if I drink one more here. Next to us is a large group celebrating a woman's birthday. We chime out a Happy Birthday to her and gift her our remaining tokens. She is so delighted but the clock is ringing out 5 chimes and the employees behind the bar are not in a birthday mood. Their body language clearly states that they want to go home.

We learn that our next winery is actually open until 6 so we head onward to #4, Mount Palomare. We park the car and music begins to fill our ears as we approach the front gates. Inside the courtyard is a fountain and people are sitting around tables, sipping their wine. A trio is playing some welcome jazz and a wonderful smell is drifting out from nearby grills where a chef is busy grilling some wonderfully fragrant shish-ka-bobs. We are starving and the thrill of wine tasting is long gone. However, we are planning to eat dinner at another winery whose web site enticed us with live 'Saturday Night Blues Jam' featuring incredible food and great wine. This event begins at 5:30... it is 5:15, so we forfeit the food and the tastings and depart for our final winery. This ends up being a mistake (food wise).

Stop #5 is Miramont winery. The last two wineries had provided outdoor courtyards, so I had assumed there would be a wonderful courtyard sharing the sound of jazz with the evening's sunset. The steep walk up from Miramont's overflow lot brings us to a narrow tasting room. Inside we eye about 10 tables, and all are spoken for. We arrive just as the quartet begins their first set of blues. Everyone watches us because the entry door is right next to the stage. It's a no-brainer to continue walking straight back to the wine tasting counter. Also, we are starving and do have priorities here. There are no menus and no sign of a kitchen with some Italian chef busy throwing his pasta up in the air. There is, however, next to the tasting bar, these 2 or 3 warming bins. Next to these bins is a sheet of white paper with four circles drawn on it. They are offering for sale - four varieties of, well, it looks like 'hot pockets' to me. Four different flavors of hot pockets. Meat skillfully hidden inside a folded over sheet of cooked, dry pastry. My group turns to have a look at me and they all have the most questioning of expressions on their faces. And, I know that, If there had been a shish-ka-bob poker in the vicinity, I would have been the target for its' point.

The nice thing about family is that an expression can be so wonderfully understood. No words are needed nor are they worth the effort when one is starving and the only thing available to eat are semi-warm hot pockets. I must confess, it would have been helpful had there been some familiar aroma or some fragrant steam rising upward from the warmers.

I turned back to the blues band and eyed the room for options. On the right sits a young couple with their own table. I zero in and locate one-then two - then three-then four stray chairs throughout the room. I send Chad off to collect the treasured chairs and then I approach this wonderful young couple and we all become their new best friends. This action actually saves my skin for the rest of the night. This couple is celebrating their first anniversary and they are so much fun. They are club members and they know their wine and we are all on the same page with taste. They introduce us to the 2004 Estate Syrah which is wonderful. We purchase one bottle of Syrah with a Rolling Stones logo etched on the side and a second bottle that had a tribute to Madonna etched on it. The owner of this winery does his own etchings and creates these wonderful designs. Our 'new best friend couple' shows us a bottle the winery had provided to them as club members with 'happy anniversary' etched on its' side! What a neat touch! They go up to the tasting counter and bring us back a glass of the 2005 Opulente, a red that is wonderful and soft like velvet in my mouth. This is probably my new favorite red wine! They return with a glass of the 2006 Riesling which is white and isn't bad but not after hot pockets and red wine. We are like old friends together and this is so much fun....

....unfortunately, we are not the new best friend of Billy Watson and his jammin blues band. From his mike, Billy jokes with the noisy crowd about how distracted everyone is. Apparently, he has forgotten that he's in wine country and that by 6pm most of us are now toast. He makes it known that he doesn't like people sitting with their backs to him. With a cheshire-like cat grin, he strolls over to our table, grabs the chair of the person whose back is facing him - 'our new best girlfriend' - and spins her chair around to face the band. A short while later, he rolls down on the floor next to Abra and jerks his legs up in the air while playing the harmonica. He goes on and on with his harmonica solo right there on the floor. At various times he comments to the group about our table or mimics our talking by using his hand and saying blah-blah-blah. We aren't loud - just not paying attention to him - we are so enjoying our wine tasting and have been busy purchasing bottles from the counter. I must confess, our table sat right next to the band which gets you into trouble even when you are paying attention.

There were one or two older gals that danced on the small floor area just in front of the band. Their dancing was synchronized almost like line dancing but not line dancing. We wondered why the singer wasn't agitated as these gals were almost in competition with him for people's attention. Their deliberate steps and spins and down swoops. Our new best friends inform us that these women were part of the band's groupies and occupied two of the ten tables right next to us. The groupies knew the rules. They all had their chairs facing the band and they listened intently. At the back of the room, about a dozen people had no option but to stand for the entire two hours.

Billy, the lead singer complains about the lack of dancing. His groupie gals come over to our table. One grabs Abra's hand and the other grabs our 'new best girlfriend's hand and they lead them out to the floor and commences to dance. Throughout that last hour, they filter themselves through the crowded tables and pull out women to the dance floor. It works when the band plays fun songs but just when a nice sized group is pulled out there, he switches to a strange tune that begs everyone to sit down and just shut up about it.

After a 28th birthday bash and an afternoon of binge drinking on wine, our bodies begin a self-imposed 8pm shutdown. We are loosing Chad and at six foot five, this is not a good person to loose! We wish our new friends a wonderful second year of marriage and thank them for their wonderful company and great wine recommendations.

Our hotel is a 10-minute drive and is located near a McDonalds which sounds so wonderful after our great evening of 'Saturday Night Blues Jam' featuring incredible food and great wine! We are so hungry and so groggy and we will probably never drink wine again - at least not until tomorrow.

Would we come back to Temecula's wine country? I think so. Next time we will return to Wilson, and then visit South Coast Winery and Longshadow Ranch which several people highly recommended at breakfast the next day. Longshadow also has a Saturday night bonfire with live music and a barbecue! What fun! I am always ready for another adventure!
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Halong Bay, Vietnam

On this overcast and drizzly morning, our tour bus pulls out of Hanoi and heads north for the 2-hour drive to Halong Bay, the best known natural wonder of Vietnam. The drive through this fast-changing agricultural and industrial region is a study of Vietnam life.

Out in the fields, rice crops are being planted. Cone shaped hats protect their faces from the sun and rubber boots protect their feet from the cold water of the rice field. Our tour bus makes a brief stop and the women accommodate our cameras by standing up and smiling. They plant 2-3 crops per year and the average pay is $2 per day. Oxen cost $1,000 each so this farmer is doing well.


We drive through small towns whose buildings and streets are blackened from the nearby coal mines. The income from coal is poor so most of the mines are owned by outside interests.

We make a quick stop at a large warehouse selling hand-made Vietnamese items. They were created by survivors of Agent Orange from the Vietnam War. Some of the financing for this facility and the housing facility behind actually comes from American Vietnam vets. Pretty inspiring and beautiful handcrafts.


A second stop is at a pottery factory. The dirt sidewalks wind around buildings filled with various stages of pottery. In one open building, women are squatting down and quickly painting segments of scenery on pots.



Another building lies buried in a hillside and has smoke billowing from it. A closer look finds a man throwing logs into contained fires that heat the dirt and create a kiln. Green ware sits everywhere along these heated berms.




We pull into the harbor of Halong Bay and walk down a long dock to the small shuttle boats that will ferry us out to our ship, the Emeraude.





The Emeraude is a replica of the classic steamships from colonial era French Indochina.

Our cabin is one of 38 and is located on the first of three levels. I snap my reflection outside our stateroom window!

The 80-seat restaurant is located on the second deck and is a warm retreat for meals or just sipping on wine and watching the spectacular scenery outside.


Halong mean "descending dragon" bay and we're told that in ancient times, when the Vietnamese were fighting against enemies from the North, the gods sent a family of dragons to their aid. The dragons descended to earth in the location of Halong Bay. Upon hitting the sea, they spit out jewels and jade that became the current islands and provided a refuge.





A UNESCO World Heritage site, the bay features a dense concentration of limestone karsts and stone islands that number around 2,000. Most rise sharply out of the bay and are uninhabited.






Several of the islands are hollow, with enormous caves.

We board a shuttle boat for an excursion to Surprise Cave which is located in a snug but busy cove.

One of the area's largest and most impressive limestone caverns, the entrance requires a short hike up several flights of stone steps high above the bay. The picture above-left shows the cave's entrance as viewed from the boat.


This busy cove is like a step back in time. Stone steps lead upward then downward to the first of three chambers of stalactites, stalagmites, and graffitti written 40-70 years ago. During the Vietnam war, N. Korea used these caves as a field hospital.














Around 1600 people live on Halong bay scattered around 4 fishing villages.

We are welcomed by a small committee of leaky rowboats sporting children selling bananas or shells.




One or two boats come prepared with a small inventory of groceries. The vendors expertly gage how closely they can rock up next to the Emeraude and are unconcerned by the churning muddy water spreading out around them.

All the villages will be gone in the near future because of conservation efforts.








The sky has been overcast and as evening approaches, instead of a sunset, the fog rises and a damp chill surrounds us.

We wrap ourselves in layers of blankets and just smile when fellow tour-mates chide us about our thin Arizona skin.

We sit on the decks' chaise lounges and watch as the peaks surrounding us disappear within the fog and the night air. The deck is quiet as our fellow passengers have retreated to the warmth of the restaurant or the cabins and just a handful have braved the quiet nightfall.

At 9:00pm, the cruise offers a viewing of the movie, Indochine. The movie was filmed in 1992 and used Halong Bay as a backdrop. We pass on the movie and retreat to our cabin for a full-body massage we had scheduled earlier in the day. Within an hour, the Tiger Balm oil that was aggressively massaged into our backs and legs has created a warming sensation and taken the evening's chill away.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia



Our next stop is the 12th century Ta Prohm Temple. This temple quickly becomes a favorite

A trail through the jungle leads us to where the temple waits. The air is muggy and filled with the sounds of birds whooping and squawking in protest of our being there.



Ta Prohm has not been restored and is shrouded in gnarled banyan trees and fallen temple stones.

Most people recognize this temple from the 2001 movie, 'Lara Croft, Tomb Raider'

From Lauren: This temple was my personal favorite! By the end of the day I felt so serene and peaceful; the temple was in the middle of nowhere, just enclosed in jungle and vines! There was an amazing sense of tranquility. It was beautiful!










A cyclo-rickshaw takes us on a 20-minute ride to town for just $2!

From Lauren: Mom and I got an amazing two-hour full body massages for around $20. The girls who gave them to us were tiny; but so strong! We almost felt beat up after leaving the massage parlor, but in the end it made our bodies feel great! We received a couple reflexology massages on our feet throughout the rest of the trip, which mom wasn't so sure about. They use such strong pressure on your feet that it can sometimes feel painful! But in the end we decided that it was helping our sore muscles and blood flow!


Word Of Caution: Although we felt safe within our tour group, this is a remote temple. We spoke with a couple who had toured the temple alone. They had been approached by a friendly young man who began telling them interesting facts about Ta Prohm. He then offered to walk them to a nearby temple that was shrouded but less well known to tourists. Initially they walked with him as he was friendly and knowledgeable, but they became leery as they approached an area near a stone wall. They decided immediately that this was not a safe idea so they turned back. The young man was adamant that they join him but the couple refused. The couple could hear several motorcycles arriving behind that stone wall and strongly felt they had just evaded a possible robbery. When they noticed another couple walking away with that same young man, they quickly ran over and warned them.
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Siem Reap, Cambodia


The best preserved and most popular temple here is Angkor Wat. The largest religious monument in the world!

Built 1113 to 1150 AD, this is the supreme masterpiece of Khmer architecture.





The temple is protected by a moat, 570-feet wide and 4-miles long. The walkway used to cross this moat is brimming with distracted tourists... notice the lack of railings? That's a good 15-foot drop to the water my friend!



Entry gate to temple complex.

Angkor Temple's active Buddhist community.







Bas-relief carvings throughout












Steps to upper towers were recently closed to the public after a tourist raced up and down the steps and (surprise!) fell and injured himself.

photo at right shows angle of steps to upper towers! The angle forced the climber down on their hands and knees
to show respect to the Gods.

From Lauren: I figured it was an American tourist, but then we found out it was a Canadian tourist....those darn Canadians....!!



Angkor Wat in the sunset

an inner courtyard at right






Everyone is selling! This boy softly chants '5 for one-dollar'

These kids are not in school - however, some would use the bargaining chip of 'I need the money for school'... or 'I don't have change - I give you one more - okay?'

From Lauren: we got suckered into this one when buying silk scarves from a girl at a temple! She was quite believable...oh well mom I still think we got a great deal! :)


Vendors looking for weak members of our herd!
'buy please' - 'buy please'
'buy from me please'
'buy 5 for one-dollar'

From Lauren: I ended up buying ten of these hand woven bracelets and then got mobbed by about five little girls! I ended up sprinting to the bus with them close on my heels!
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Hanoi, Vietnam



Our visit to Hue is all too brief as we fly out to Hanoi this morning.

The overcast sky continues to follow us.





Hanoi, was the name given to the city by King Minh Mang in 1831. Ha means river and Noi means within - Hanoi means within the river. Over 3-million people live here in the
capital, a large bustling city filled with people, opportunities and noise.

Both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh boast young populations who are leaving the countryside at alarming rates.



You share the sidewalk with women squatting next to their steaming pots of noodles or dumplings.

They advertise their tiny business by placing 2 or 3 tiny plastic chairs out for hungry customers.

The motorcycles crowd these businesses by scooting up on the sidewalk to park. There are rows and rows of motorcycles.



They almost create a wall-like environment for the women and their pots. It's motorcycles - steaming pot - motorcycles - steaming pot - sleeping dog - motorcycles.


The activity and lack of sidewalk space forces us to walk along the street gutters and keep our stride with the active pace of everyone around us.

Once again, our steps are interrupted by the beep-beep-beep of the motorcycles as they politely let us know they are passing by - all 10,000 of them! We are literally encircled by noise and motorcycles.


You cross the street by slowly moving forward so that the traffic can veer around you as nobody stops. It's easy to walk slowly as you're staring down dozens of motorcycles that are just inches from you and only fear keeps you from bolting.

People are so friendly. Any time we stop and glaze over, someone takes the time to ask us if they can help direct us or hail a cyclo.

Almost everyone seems to speak English and the preferred currency is the US dollar. The Vietnamese people share a real joy at having a good life now since most everyone remembers the tough, lean years prior to the arrival of tourism.

With more than 1,000 years of history, Hanoi is considered to be the cultural center of Vietnam. Most of the historical buildings in the country were destroyed by the wars but there is little evidence of that damage today.


The Old Quarter is the oldest continuously developed area in Vietnam and has a history that spans 2,000 years. The ancient streets are laid out like a triangle and each street has a specific theme for their wares whether it be store after store of shoes, Chinese New Year items, baby items, brass-ware, etc. Merchandise literally spills out into the sidewalks. The majority of the street names here start with the word 'Hang' which means merchandise or shop.

From Lauren: Mom's greatest souvenir of the trip was purchased here; after we saw every nook and cranny of the Old Quarter that is (you know my mom). She managed to find the one item in Vietnam that wasn't for sale everywhere; a beautiful sculpture carved out of a tree root that grew around the temples. Although it was heavy, it was worth the trekking around!


In the Old Quarter's furniture district, I found a wood-carved piece of a dragon blowing down into the sea; the sea is churning and the fish are being tossed above in the waves. The natural state of the wood is weaved in and out of this unique piece. The price is $140 but we haggle down to $95. This piece is about 18 inches tall and weighs about 20-pounds. It barely fits in my backpack and the pack's zipper must be tied closed to accommodate the dragon's protesting head.... Yes, this becomes my carry-on and (once I lug it home) a wonderful topic of conversation when sharing memories of our trip.



Originally built in 1049, the One-Pillar Pagoda is a wooden structure that sits on stilts over a lake. The original was damaged during the war so the current pagoda is a miniature reproduction of the original, and represents a lotus emerging from the water.



The Presidential Palace was built between around 1906 to house the French Governor-General of Indochina. The palace hosts government meetings and is not open to the public.






When Vietnam achieved independence in 1954, President Ho Chi Minh refused to live in the Presidential Palace for symbolic reasons. He built a traditional Vietnamese stilt house and lived there until his death in 69.


Ho Chi Minh wished to be cremated with his ashes buried in urns on the hilltops of Vietnam. However, his embalmed body is on display in a granite mausoleum modeled after Lenin's Tomb in Moscow.

All cameras, purses and bags are surrendered prior to entering this tomb. Our tour group was lined up 2x2 and with arms down at our sides. As displayed in upper left photo.


The Hoa Loa Prison (fiery furnace in Vietnamese), was built in 1904 by the French colonists in Vietnam for political prisoners. American POW's were imprisoned here during the Vietnam War and nicknamed it the 'Hanoi Hilton.'



One of the young pilots shot down was John McCain (US Senator). Display cases show McCain's uniform and parachute as well as their mugshot book of the POW's. A special room proudly displays photographs showing how well the U.S. prisoners were treated and that they lived a 'regular joe' life here....(visiting U.S. vets had different memories)

We were shown the lake where McCain's plane crashed into - right smack in the center of Hanoi. Hanoi provided 18 lakes to choose from!






The war propaganda and photos are a strange touch but part of the communist history, and our guide comments that most Vietnamese are tired of it.

The US never formally charged Vietnam with the war crimes committed here against American POW's.






The tour ends with the guillotine that the French used on their Vietnamese prisoners, that included women. The pictorial comes complete with eery photos of victims.







Chuong Vang (Golden Bell) Theater provides a water-puppet Theater. Puppeteers are hidden behind a curtain and their water puppets are brought to life with the use of underwater bamboo rods and a traditional orchestra providing background music and sound affects. For an extra $1 you could take photos with your camera. I'm telling ya, dollar bills are big in Vietnam. Everything's a dollar!



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Phoenix, Arizona, United States

After a 12-hour flight from Taipei we arrive home.

The big topic of conversation here is the Super bowl next weekend. The New York Giants will be up against the New England Patriots and Phoenix is hosting the Super bowl! The television news warns us locals that record numbers of tourists will be arriving in the Phoenix area and advises us to be patient or stay home. That shouldn't be a problem! Go Giants!

From Lauren: The trip was a huge success! I wouldn't have changed anything about it, except for maybe making a couple extra stops that my mom and I wanted to go to and weren't able to make. I feel so grateful that I got to see such a beautiful country before the tourism industry westernized it.

And I did survive the three weeks with my mom....it wasn't hard at all! :) besides, who wouldn't survive with the mantra, "WHO'S READY FOR AN ADVENT-TUUUREEE!!" on a daily basis?
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Taipei, Taiwan

Located in the Northern half of Taiwan, Taipei is the largest city and has been the capital since 1894. There's a lot of pride here so the city is clean, the landscaping beautiful and the downtown buildings modern.

Taipei has been at the center of rapid economic development and holds one of the world's largest foreign exchange reserves.

The Taipei 101 opened in 2004 and will be the tallest building in the world until the Burg Dubai opens. The base of the 101 sports a high-end designer shopping mall and an incredible food court where most restaurants display life-like reproductions of the dishes offered for sale. These displays have become an art in themselves.

Taipei's Metro Rapid Transit System (MRT) stops at most areas of interest and is easily accessible. There are well-marked signs in English throughout the stations. They have above and below ground lines. The above ground lines are particularly good, and cheap, for sightseeing. An automated system tells you each station's name when approached. The city has the highest wireless penetration in the world, with the Internet being accessible through a city wide Wi-Fi network

My brother, Jeff, has lived here for several decades. With my four visits to his home in 22 years, I've witnessed the slow spread of English and the Western culture here. Young adults enthusiastically speak to you in English but cab drivers can be iffy so your destination had best be written down in Chinese. There is a greater selection of western groceries and restaurant chains such as 7-11, Starbucks, TGI Fridays, and McDonald's are thriving.

Jeff lives in central Taipei and the convenience of eating lies just outside his doorsteps. The back streets are known as alleyways and most have one or two tiny cafes offering their delicious specialties. English menus are sparse in these places so look for an English speaking patron or waiter. The bakeries are a most stop as they sell fresh baked bread items in the mornings and at 4pm and these delicious items are showcased in their store windows.

The Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall was a monument erected in 1987 in memory of the former president. The blue and white structure, the colors of the Taiwanese flag, has 89 steps, one for each year he lived. Mementos from his life are displayed on the ground floor.


The monument is surrounded by a park and a large square incorporating the National Concert Hall and National Theater. In 2007, this was the center of controversy when the central government renamed it the National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall. The solemn main hall with his large statue has been transformed into a room of propaganda and the changing of the guard is gone.



At Neihu's Miramar Shopping Complex, a novelty draw is the world's second biggest Ferris wheel located on the rooftop.

For a small fee, this 20-minute ride provides panoramic views of Taipei and the surrounding mountains. The attraction opened in 2005 and can hold 288 passengers, six people for each of its 48 cars.

The National Palace Museum is famous for housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China, specifically artifacts from the Forbidden City. Some 200,000 priceless objects were spirited away on boats and brought to Taiwan in 1949. The temporary storage of these items lasted 32 years as no plans were made to establish a museum in Taiwan. After mainland China's Cultural Revolution of the 60s, most of the artifacts left behind in China were destroyed. In 1965, a temporary museum was created in Taipei and, after extensive renovations, a state-of-the-art museum was reopened in 2006. The addition of English signs and visual animations has made this museum extremely visitor friendly. The Museum is ranked among the top three or four museums of the world including the Louver and British Museum.


The Chinese New Year is approaching which means the DiHua Jie market is open!

This narrow street welcomes thousands of shoppers in the weeks leading up to New Year. Large quantities of traditional holiday foods are offered for sale with the help of megaphones - booth after booth after booth of megaphones!





They delight in yelling out English phrases when they see us - 'Hey! American!!! I guess our blond hair is a giveaway!








The Chin-shui Tsu Shih Temple is located nearby and I encourage you to visit. This is a beautiful Taoist Temple built in 1769 and my favorite temple with its' tranquil gardens, walkways and soothing music. Best time to visit is during the evening hours.


The Wanhua night market area includes Huahsi Street, the famed Snake Alley. Decades ago, this was a site for the senses as the main draw was watching the men drink a concoction of snake venom, blood and rice wine.

Several stands would showcase the snakes complete with hanging hooks should a purchase of this drink take place.



When animal rights activists moved in, the area was cleaned up. Snake Alley was roofed in, lights installed, a paved walkway added, and snake vendors removed. Unfortunately, the main draw for tourists were the snakes.

Today the snakes can again be purchased but only for the sake of food consumption. No photos are allowed and specific dining areas are provided.


The Taipei Flower Market is a color feast for the eyes and a rewarding stop. Orchids are a major export and orchid vendors occupy a large section. Lyn purchased three large bunches of flowers for just $10.



Yehliu Geopark is located in a fishing village on the north coast of Taiwan. The area's sandstone coastline is a major draw with its' large curious shapes that are continually being carved out by the sea.



Visitors can wander about the watery rock ledges and peer around gigantic mushroom shapes. Wooden walkways have been added and bright orange lines warn tourists to stay clear of the churning sea that is vicariously close.

This is my fourth visit and the site still intrigues and astonishes me. Twenty years ago, there were several formations called 'Queen's Heads' but on this visit, all but one have toppled over because of erosion. In time, more will be created by nature.


On our return drive to Taipei, we make a detour to Keelung, the second largest port in Taiwan. Tourists and locals flock to Jhongjheng Park, where food and amusement-park activities line the walkway along the river. A landmark of Jhongjheng Park is a statue of the Goddess of Mercy. This is the biggest Goddess statue in Southeast Asia. The park provides three levels for tourists to explore. The first level has an historic canon fort. The second level has a Buddhist library, Chung Lieh Temple and Chu Pu Tan Temple. And the third level has the Kuan Hai Pavilion.

From Lauren: Taipei was an interesting ending to the whole vacation because it was the opposite of Vietnam, and especially Cambodia! It reminded me more of an Asian New York City, and Aunt Lyn laughed because she said that Taipei is literally called, "Little New York." Surprisingly though, the strangest variety of food we encountered on the whole trip was in Taipei! It was probably the only place where I shyed away from trying certain things. But ya know what? Squid on a stick just isn't for me :)
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Siem Reap, Cambodia


The wake up call comes very early and, surprisingly, we don't feel jet-lag. A Cambodian sunrise greets us as we board our early morning flight to Siem Reap (See-em Ree-yep).

From Lauren: We left Phnom Penh at 4:30 in the morning on that tiny jet. From the plane window the sunrise looked like a scoop of orange sherbet ice cream on fire. The stewardess served us a breakfast snack box of tuna stuffed croissants with chili sauce, which was surprisingly delicious!

Upon our arrival to Siem Reap, we stared down the streets at the thousands of motorcyclists and drivers (a license isn't needed to drive, so you can imagine the age range and skill of the traffic - lol..



For the next two days we journey through some of the temple ruins of Angkor, the #1 tourist attraction in Cambodia.

From the 9th-15th century, Angkor was the largest preindustrial city in the world.






Angkor eventually disappeared into the jungle until rediscovered in 1860 by a French naturalist.


A UNESCO World Heritage Sight, the temple ruins of Angkor number over 1,000!



The entry to Angkor is flanked by the stone gods of good on the left and gods of evil on the right.

This ensures the balance of power among the gods.






Once inside; however, the balance for power is up for grabs as vendors literally pounce on you with repetitive chants of 'buy please' - 'mademoiselle-mademoiselle' - '5 for dollar'

They're arms overflowing with silk scarves, postcards, books, DVD's, and bracelets made from bamboo.




They even sell bananas for tourists to feed the monkeys that run out of the jungle!

From Lauren: By the end of the trip, mom had gotten pretty good at shooing away the merchants!! Later on in Saigon, a little girl wouldn't stop following us, and after ten minutes of constant chattering mom effectively shooed her off...ha ha she has always had more guts than me!















Banyan Temple

This 3-tiered temple was built around 1190 AD and with 54 towers, a massive complex.







The temple is adorned with 4,000 feet of bas-relief carvings.










They call this the hide-and-seek temple as there are so many up-down-in-out places to explore.








Banyan has 54 towers at the top level.

Each side of each tower has an intricately carved giant face gracefully smiling downward.

In all - 216 gigantic faces watching every turn you make!






Lots of tourists on this hot 90 degree day; however, Mother and daughter ended the day in a 'divine state' - compliments of Banyan Temple!
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia


After 16 hours of flying and three different flights, we arrived late afternoon to Phnom Penh (Penom Pen).

From Lauren's journal: After meeting our tour group at the airport, it became quickly clear to my mother and I not only were we the youngest, but the older couples were astonished that a mother-daughter team would be so enthused to travel to such a place. Mental high-five to mom.

A quick city tour commenced as this is our only day in the capital. First stop is the Royal Palace where the Kings of Cambodia have lived since it was built in 1866. There are several lush courtyards, and walkways crisscross throughout the compound.



The Silver Pagoda houses several national treasures including gold and jeweled Buddha statues, and a near-life-size, Maitreya Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds!

The floor has over 5,000 silver tiles but only a few glimmer through as most are covered by large throw rugs that are trampled upon by tourists.


The palace flagpole hails a blue flag to announces that King Sihamoni is home. This compound is separated from other buildings by a wall.

We travel on to The National Museum which was built in 1920 and proudly displays over 5,000 pieces of Angkorian artifacts.

Cambodia's tourism industry is just ten years old. They're actively trying to reclaim their ancient relics and treasures; the majority are sitting in foreign museums and private collections.

The inner-garden courtyard of this box-shaped building creates an open-air museum as each room spills out a tempting glance of their relics.


The evening comes quickly and we're walking the sidewalk of the busy River Front and enjoying a sunset that creates a dazzling backdrop behind the palace grounds and the Independence Monument.

The curvy walkway is brimming with people watchers and the peacefulness of the Tonle Sap River is interrupted by the constant beeping of horns. There is competition for your attention as the noisy, open store fronts and pubs spill their light into the busy street.


Vendors push their rickety, wooden carts next to the sidewalk and the wonderful smell of food begins to fill the air.

Several are selling fresh corn-on-the-cob, others have fresh produce and fruits for sale. In photo at right - notice the family of 4 riding a motorcycle!

From Lauren: A major language in Cambodia is French, which I didn't realize! It was pretty cool to hear conversations or read signs in French and be able to understand it!


We resist the temptation to snack and head up three flights of stairs to join our fellow travelers from Friendly Planet, for the evening's 'Welcome Dinner' at the FCC Restaurant. They serve from a set menu and that beats airline food!
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