On Solid Ground

Skagway
Today was a wonderful day!  I slept late, ate a BIG breakfast, went to the gym and probably worked off half of breakfast, then walked into Skagway.  It's a very small town that exists because of gold Mining and is, therefore, steeped in history with all things associated with gold: a red light District, a very cool old steam engine train and probably some modern prospectors.  Although there were a lot of choices for excursions, I decided to avoid the crowds that were panning for gold and riding the train to walk around town and hike across a footbridge out to Smugglers Cove.  It was great except for the box of confections I was carrying in my backpack while I hiked alone and then saw the notice on my map about bears!  Duh!  What was I thinking?  I have luckily made it back alive and did my favorite thing - listen to the Amber Trio.  They consist of two violins and a cellist and play beautifully!  Attended my first onboard performance which was a husband and wife acrobat team from Cirque du Soleil.  They were amazing!
I have met many nice people on this trip but my favorite is Desi, a very young lady from Bali.  We talked about Bali for awhile until tears came to her eyes.  She is very homesick but will be returning in November.  Hang in there Desi!  I have to admit that the ladyboy greeting people by the breakfast buffet while singing loudly comes in a very close second.  She has a great voice too!
Ketchikan
Ketchikan is a booming fishing town with roots in gold mining and the coolest red light district I've ever seen.  It's all built on a boardwalk on a stream.  Now the buildings house souvenir shops, cafes and local art instead of ladies.  While here, I went snorkeling which was quite an interesting adventure.  Our guides were great and, while it's not coral reefs and clownfish, it's very interesting to see what lives in Alaska waters.  The hardest part of the day was the 7 mil wetsuit, booties, gloves and hood hours had to put on before your mask and snorkel.  The water temperature in Ketchikan was a warm 58 degrees compared to the 44 degrees in Northern Alaska.  The other great thing about Ketchikan is the totem poles - beautiful!
Cruised the Inside Passage on our last day and it was magnificent.  So much wilderness and beauty!  It was another beautiful day so I spent a great deal of time just watching and relaxing.

Have landed in the bustling but friendly metropolis of Vancouver and have only one day to explore.  The first thing I saw when disembarking - Tim Hortons, of course.   My tip for the day:  If you haven't been to Alaska - GO!

Below are some totem poles.

Cruisin'

I feel incredibly lazy.  It's only day two and the sun and sea have gotten to me (not to mention the embarkation day massage special.  Cruise ships are full of pluses and minuses.  Free food, room service whenever you want it and a great gym along with spectacular scenery are on the plus side.  The negatives are wifi that costs. 75/minute and impossible to log off of, expensive alcohol and exorbitant prices for drinking water, although I have figured out how to get around that.  Room service brings a pitcher of water to my room every day.
This is a different kind of trip for me and I sorta like it.  I have trips planned for our stops in Icy Point Straight,  Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway - all involving wildlife and, hopefully, photo opportunities.
Today has been very pleasant and sunny, but because the water is so cold (44) and the air is warm, there are patches of dense fog and the foghorn blows every 3 or so minutes.  It is currently sunny with total white out conditions.  How can that be you ask?  Got me!  Some things I learned today about Hubbard Glacier: It's named after the first National Geographic president, it's the only glacier that is increasing in size and it's been around for over 400 years.  It was, unfortunately, not visible due to the aforementioned white-out conditions.  Ah well, as the Buddhists say, "Shit happens.". Tomorrow whale hunting in Icy Point Strait.  Wish me luck.
Whale watching:
Day one in Icy Point Strait (Hoonah Tlingit) -
Big boat, Lotta people and Lotta whales.  There was a little girl around eight who, I swear, spoke whale.  She knew where they were going to surface before anyone.  Guess who I hung out with?
Day two in Juneau (a great place by the way) -
Went on a photo excursion, small boat,  thirteen people, most with cameras that cost an easy month's wages and had lenses as big as me.  I actually learned some stuff and saw eagles, whales and harbor seals as well as Hiking to Mendenhall Glacier.  By the way, all the whales are humpback here to feed from Hawaii and Mexico.
We have just completed a cruise of Tracy Arm Fjord and Sawyer Glacier.  It was breathtaking.
Tomorrow is Skagway and I canceled my hike through a rain forest as I've hiked through two and need a 'down' day to sleep in, go to the gym and  just walk around town.  Skagway, here I come.
In Skagway - beautiful but more spotty Internet.  Alaska really is the last frontier!

North - to Alaska, of course.

So, it's ten o'clock (11 to me since there's an hour time difference) and it is not even dark yet.  In fact, it looks like an overcast evening out there - disconcerting!  Had fun, good food and wine in first class.  One could get used to this, but not unless it's complimentary.  There are TWO Cinnabons at Anchorage Airport!  Two!  Here are a couple pictures.  Don't you love the wallpaper in my hotel room?  I'll try to write more but it may be sketchy due to limited Internet access.
Today I ate reindeer sausage from a street cart - yummy and unbelievable.  Walked through aparkthat used to be an airstrip and goes through most of Anchorage.  They have yoga in the park on Wednesdays.   There is a huge office building called simply "Nana" (no idea) in the downtown area.
Things I learned on the bus: anchorage is only 100 years old.
There are more pilots per capita than anywhere.
Largest city and population in Alaska.
Saw this - Bang kok cafe Thai restaurant... Two words.
They have a Bowling alley.
There is a very long body of water between Anchorage and Whittier called Turnagain arm and a BBC place called the Turnagain armpit.  Turnagain Arm is so named because Captain Cook kept running into dead ends while searching for a route to the Orient from the Northwest and yelled, "Turn Again!"
This body of water is so full of silt from glaciers and snow runoff that it supports very little life - spawning salmon and another fish that's so oily that they are used as lamp oil (name forgotten).
The sand that is exposed at low tide is quicksand which has claimed the lives of many.  Some ingenious rescue methods have been introduced to save people.
There are many dead trees from the 1964 earthquake that the locals call Dead dog forest (the trees have no bark -har har).
There is one big ski resort that is very expensive and has some of the most difficult runs in the US.
Lastly, Whittier is called the unluckiest place due the earthquake and the Exxon Valdez oil spill, not to mention that the sun never shines there.
Now then - learning my way around the ship and I wish you all could be here, having a glass of wine, listening to a string trio, people watching, guessing the price of an original Picasso . . . and we haven't even sailed yet!

Favorites and Highlights

Me on Koh Surin

Since returning, it has been a whirlwind of trips to Florida and working, either in the garden to keep up with Spring or at the office catching up.  That is, at least, my excuse for not publishing this sooner. 
I met some great people on this trip and saw some amazing sights.  Here are some of my favorites of each.
THE PEOPLE

Carolyn from BC

People from the Reggae Queen on Koh Surin

Everyone from the Reggae Queen - What Great People!

My Friends from Seaweed Hostel

A Pissed-Off Monkey

Likai - My Motorcycle Hero

Alexandra from Germany

Kai from Ao Nang

Ha - TRYING to Explain the Vietnamese Language - Ha!

Noi and her husband from Khao Sok

The Entire Crew of the Dragon's Pearl

One of my Favorite Pictures - Halong Bay Fishing Village

Another Favorite - Phang Nga Bay

Boat Trip #1 - the Reggae Queen

Boat Trip #2 - The Dragon's Pearl

Caves

Jungles

 

 

 

 FISH

Baby Black-tipped Reef Sharks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Narita

Bangkok

Hanoi

Reflections on Vietnam - and Thailand

Somewhere I heard or read that going to Bangkok from Hanoi was returning to civilization.  Ha!  Now THAT'S saying something.  It is, however, true.  In Bangkok, even the taxi drivers want to engage you in conversation, no matter how poor their English and while it's big and there's lots os traffic, people wait their turn and wait at traffic lights for what seems like forever.  There is a civility to the chaos.  Hanoi drivers, whether they drive motorcycles, cars, bicycles or rickshaws pay no attention to lines, lights or direction but somehow miraculously flow with relatively few accidents.  Don't know how they do it.  Taxis in Thailand have some statue of Buddha with offerings - almost without fail.  My taxi to the Hanoi airport had a bottle of Hypnotic Poison by Dior on his dash!
There are many, many karaoke bars in Hanoi, so I'm guessing they like karaoke.  And the flower market goes on for blocks with women on motorcycles and bicycles loading up to sell in other places.
Speaking of motorcycles, I have seen over 100 flats of eggs, 20+ cartons of bottled water, 30 chickens on the back of motorcycles in Hanoi.  The best has to be the woman yesterday who had a new ornately carved coffee table and end tables.  I have heard amazing things from fellow travelers about areas in Vietnam I didn't visit.  Maybe a second trip is warranted?  Right now I'm happy to be back in Bangkok at Lamphu Treehouse.  Went to Khaosan Road tonight for one last time.  The walk goes past Wat Bowannwet which takes up the whole block and is beautiful and peaceful.  Khaosan Road is a different matter.  There is music and lots of people and street carts with delicious food and lights and did I say people?  I saw three insect carts tonight and stopped to see what this girl had on her tray - - - barbecued scorpions!  She said, "They real good!"  I bet!  It is my last night here and, while I will miss it, I'm happy to be on my way home.  Yay!

Hanoi Style Hotel - My Room

Squirrel Coffee!

Karsts, karsts, karsts!

The Yellow Kayak Was Mine

As I've said, Hanoi is charming in its chaos and insanity and I really like it.  But the four-hour trip between Hanoi and Halong Bay is a different story.  First, some observations:
Why is there a bread vendor every fifty feet over a bridge and nowhere else?  Wouldn't it be better to spread out more?  After the bridge, there is no one anywhere selling bread!
Just about every square foot that isn't buildings is used to grow things.  I saw amazing gardens, even on highway medial stripes with beans, squashes, greens, etc.  The other part is rice, rice, rice.
The rivers are, for the most part, mosquito infested mud holes.  I believe this is because most of the water is diverted to a very efficient aqueduct system for the rice paddies.
Any other mud puddle is filled with white ducks - most likely dinner.
The road is being widened to handle Halong Bay traffic, but in so doing many people lost their yards, their living rooms or their entire home.  The bulldozer made a straight shot.  Because of this, the towns along the way are very dusty and laundry is a yellowish orange color like the soil.  There are also many factories and some mining of the surrounding hills.  This appears to be for the brick foundries (I counted 3) and possibly for the marble as many carvings are for sale in this area.
All in all, it's not pretty, except for the rice paddies.  But then you get to Halong Bay.  I had intended to rest since I got up early, but it's impossible to stop looking.  It is more beautiful than I imagined.  The boat is also amazing with beautiful teak walls, floor and gorgeous Asian influenced decorations - probably the nicest room I've had this trip.    There are some very nice people on board from Australia, Norway, England, Canada, Lithuania and New York.  It's a great group and I am really enjoying myself.  Peter and Berend are from Amsterdam but have lived in Bangkok for seven years and own a boutique hotel in Luang Prabang.  The food is totally over the top with a seven course meal for lunch including grilled prawns.  Delicious!  We kayaked through some karsts this afternoon and it was lovely, spotting and hearing the elusive hornbills that I've been searching.  They must have known I wasn't carrying my good camera!  What an amazing, incredible place!  Wish you all could see it. Yesterday was Women's Day in Vietnam so the crew, including captain, engineer, chefs sang to us and all the women received long-stemmed red roses and the most beautiful heart shaped box with a shell necklace after our nine course dinner of seafood.  Then there was cake for the newlyweds and the couple celebrating their 25th anniversary.  It is, as always, the dinner that is awkward.  I have ended up with a couple from New York (Sue and Michael) who are traveling with their daughter, Sandy.  It's a great situation for me and hopefully they don't mind me at their table.  The newlyweds, Katy and Tim are so nice.  He's a reporter for the BBC.  There are several Australians including Belinda and Brandon who "looked after" me on the kayak yesterday.  The Aussies all like to party.  Woke up this morning to birds.  The water is like glass and now one of the staff is singing in Vietnamese.  Lovely!
I have returned from Halong Bay and, after 3 kayak trips, amazing food, dinner in a cave, great people and total luxury and relaxation, I am very happy I went.  Tonight in Hanoi with someone trying to coerce me into drinking snakes blood (really), tomorrow in Bangkok, then home.  I'm ready.

Ho Chi Minh, Women and Water Puppets

Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum 

A Typical Pho Restaurant 

These poor aching feet have walked all over Hanoi today, got lost a few times and almost run over by two motorcycles simultaneously.  Have you ever played Frogger?  If you have, you'll understand what it's like to cross the street in Hanoi.  Seriously!  I visited the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum but no one is allowed inside go see his preserved body currently.  However, it is the quietest place in the city with no traffic allowed in the vicinity, so worth hanging out for awhile.  I also visited the Women's History Museum which was really interesting and dealt with every aspect of Vietnamese, as well as the mountain tribe women and their traditions regarding marriage, childbirth, clothing and fashion, as well as their roles as farmers and even their political roles during the liberation and especially in what we refer to as the Vietnam War (see propaganda poster).  The museum was beautiful and I spent quite a long time there.  I also saw the Heroes Memorial and walked past the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Romanian Embassy, stopping to buy a ticket for the water puppet show tonight.  I would have preferred to go this afternoon, but every show through next week is sold out.  It better be worth the $2.50 I paid!  Ha!  Update: The water Puppets were awesome!  How do they do that?
Off to Halong Bay in the morning and looking forward to it.  Although I like this crazy city, it will be nice to get away from the chaos, insanity and racket that is Hanoi.  Bye for now.
Following are all from the museum.  The 3 girls took the hats off the models behind them for the photo.

Good Morning Vietnam!

View from my Hotel Room

After waking at 4:30 to catch my 7:00 flight to Hanoi, I arrived tired and a bit dazed.  After spending the day here, I'm even more dazed!  What a place!  Walking down the street in the old quarter is a challenge to say the least.  Because the streets are narrow, not too many autos attempt to drive here, but bicycle rickshaws and motorcycles make up for that.  The sidewalk is used as a motorcycle parking lot, so no walking there.  Everyone beeps their horn continuously.  So, it's noisy, dirty and fascinating.  I've never been anywhere like it.  The "restaurants" are the little hole in the wall places where you sit down on tiny plastic stools and they bring you bowls of noodles with each place serving their own version.  They have bia hoi which is beer made daily and which sells out quickly.  The "temples" I've visited are very different from the Buddhist wats of Thailand with conquerors, horses and creatures as the object of worship and offerings of boxes of cookies and cakes, canned sodas and plates of fruit and money.   And, speaking of money, the currency here is the Vietnamese Dong and $5 US is the equivalent of 100,000 Dong.  Talk about being confusing!  I met an Australian woman who had made herself a chart.  Speaking of meeting people . . .

Today while waiting at customs to be cleared into Vietnam, I met a 25 year old retired jockey from England who was going to law school after his travels.  He said he won 137 races before gaining weight and retiring.  Also met Wilm and Willa from Holland.  We talked by the lake and she said the cleverest thing regarding islanders who seem to live less frantic lives than we do, and I quote, "We have the clocks; they have the time."  I've never heard that expression before.  I also met Jade from South Africa but moving to Canada after her trip alone to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and with her fiance to Thailand - a pre-honeymoon.  We had noodles together.  My Hotel, Hanoi Style, is just that - it's decorated in traditional old style with ornately carved furniture.  It's very nice and in the architectural style that's prevalent here - tall (5-6 stories) skinny buildings with a European influence.  So, after all the discussions about whether people like or dislike Vietnam, I'm going to have to side with the "likes".  You have to experience it for yourself.

The Lake

Hotel Street

Gateway to the Old Quarter