Sandra and Allen's 2010 Vacation

Our big vacation to Asia in 2010 was Allen's birthday gift to Sandra for her 50th birthday. We left Tom and Chris (aka "the boys") behind this year because someone had to feed the cats (Thanks Chris!) and Tom is now married to a wonderful lady (Tinah) who is expecting their first child in early December. Oh, it was about the money too. Anyway, this was our second tour with the Tauck tour company and I think we can both agree that it was the most exciting trip we have experienced in a long list of tours around the world. We met some wonderful people in our tour group and they all contributed to the experience in a positive way. There was even a massage competition (as in the number of massages that could be worked in-between the temple visits and other excursions); we don't know the official winner because someone lost count (not to mention names but I think it was David). Allen managed to get eleven massages if you count a foot massage in Chiang Mai airport and a back massage in the Bangkok airport. David had at least ten massages and probably more that he forgot about. Several ladies (Barbara X2, Diane, Sharon, Sandy, Catherine and even my own Sandra) were in the competition too. Money wasn't an issue, but time was. With all the exquisite food and foreign wine (don't bother with Vietnam's homegrown wines) many people would rather eat and drink rather than get a massage - I know, hard to imagine.

So lets begin with our first city of the tour - Hanoi in Vietnam. We arrived one day early so we could recover from forty hours of being in airports or actually flying in the air (the twelve-hour layover in the Hong-Kong airport was a blast) on our way from Virginia USA to Hanoi Vietnam. You cannot believe the personal will power it takes to make your way to the welcome drink on your first day of the tour if you didn't get but a few hours of sleep over the previous two days. Anyway, upon arrival we met around five thousand scooters as our driver took us from the airport to the hotel. They don't believe in staying on one side of the road unless it's the only means to get through the traffic. We closed our eyes and suddenly everything was fine. Our first hotel (Sofitel Metropole Hanoi) was just beautiful and it was right in the heart of the older district of Hanoi. We had our first big dinner at the hotel, with Sandra and Allen choosing the Spices Garden restaurant. Being one to try new things, Allen had Pigeon for dinner (watch out for the small bones). The next day we did a tour of Hanoi in the Cyclo's (bicycle taxi), and we saw Ho Chi Mihn's Mausoleum too. There there was a short visit to the Hanoi Hilton, which was a prison for American prisoners during the Vietnam War. We even saw a Water Puppet Theater performance which was exceptional. Lastly, we visited the Temple of Literature, one of Vietnam's oldest temples and it's oldest University.

We left Hanoi after a few days because there is so much more to see in Vietnam. Our next city was Hue, which is a United Nations World Heritage site and considered by many to be the most beautiful city in Vietnam. Our second hotel was the La Residence Hotel & Spa (yes, time for another massage for Allen). Some of the sites we saw were the Thien Mu Pagoda and the Perfume River. It was here that we first tried wine produced in Vietnam - and probably our last. The beer of Vietnam was fine but stay away from their wine! From this point forward we stayed with French and Italian wines. Anyway, Hue was a beautiful city.

In Hoi An, we visited Emperor Tu Due's Tomb and a farming village. There was a wonderful visit at a kindergarten center near the farming village and the children were so full of happiness it made everyone smile. Of course, it had to pour of rain while we walked around Hoi An. Sandra and Allen quickly soaked their feet and then Allen felt water run down his back after he bumped into a plastic rain shield while walking through a market place - oh what fun. We spent some money there however, on some new shoes and a few shirts. Oh, we had to buy lunch that day too. Most of the meals were covered by the tour package so we generally were fed the best foods available.

Saigon...er..Ho Chi Mihn City...was very crowded but none the less another interesting place to visit. Our hotel was the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers. We visited the Presidential Palace (aka the Reunification Hall) where the North Vietnamese tanks crashed the gates to lay claim to the city and end the Vietnam war. The map rooms down in the basement were very interesting. Soon afterward, our tour bus collided with a taxi that was trying to pass us on the left side as we made a left-hand turn. It was the only accident of the trip and resolved in about 30 minutes when our bus driver finally paid the taxi driver a small amount of money so he would continue on his way (it was the taxi driver's fault, from our viewpoint). The high light was our trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels because while Sandra has a fear of nothing, Allen is claustrophobic and thus it was a major undertaking for him to walk through the three sets of tunnels made available to us. The last tunnel was quite long and dark, so Allen flashed a few pictures just to see what was ahead (Sandra was just ahead, actually). It was kind of scary for most of us - except for Sandra! She was willing to walk through a fourth tunnel - much longer mind you - but nobody else in our tour group would do it so she took a rain check. You couldn't pay Allen enough money to walk through that fourth tunnel because it was about 350 feet. Fifty feet in total darkness is one thing but 350 feet is really pushing your capabilities. We finished our tour of Saigon with a nice boxed lunch from the hotel and tomorrow it was on to Cambodia.

Cambodia was different than Vietnam. Our hotel (Raffles Grand Hotel d' Angkor) was simply exquisite but outside the hotel you saw more signs of poverty than you saw in Vietnam. Towards the end of our visit to Cambodia was a tour of Tonle Sap - but we don't have pictures from that excursion because Allen was too busy enjoying a massage at the hotel Spa (thanks for asking). The meals at the hotel were excellent (including espresso coffee made to order) and the big event at the hotel was the Apsara Performance Dinner (traditional Khmer dance and music with a wonderful buffet). In Cambodia the big attraction was Angkor Wat and the ancient city of Angkor Thom. There was also the Elephant Terrace and the Bayon Temple where the Tomb Raider movie was partially filmed. Our room was really a beautiful suite of two rooms and the view outside was gardens - and everywhere you walked there was the scent of lemon.

Our tour was now moving to Thailand, the land of the elephant. We flew from Siem Reap to Bangkok and then over to Chiang Mai - seems like all flights go through Bangkok. Anyway, Chiang Mai was the location of the best accommodations - the Four Seasons Hotel which is nestled in a true native setting (around a lake and rice fields). We had a beautiful suite with a view of the lake and our own gazebo to sit and watch the birds and other insects. The big event for us was to see the Thai elephants at the Chiang Dao Elephant Camp (a close second was the Spa). We were able to feed the elephants, watch them bathe and then perform an exhibition of how the elephants could perform work, and there was even an elephant painting with a brush. Next we were able to ride the elephants - a real exciting experience for us. It's a bumpy ride but we felt safe, at least from the scooters that were back in the city. Many of the pictures taken during the elephant ride were a bit blurry due to the constant motion but you get the idea. We also saw the Hill Tribe Villagers - including the "long neck" Karens. The girls and women in this group generally wear the brass rings that stretch the necks a bit (actually they press down on the collar bone). The girls look beautiful but you have to figure it hurts a bit to wear the rings. They only take them off for a few reasons, one of them being child birth. Oh, we visited the Caledon Factory where beautiful pottery is made. The pottery is mostly green ceramic with a cracked glaze. Lastly, before leaving Chiang Mai, we visited the temple at Doi Suthep, up at the top of the hills surrounding Chiang Mai.

Our last stop of the tour was Bangkok. We would spend our final three days touring the city via the canal boats, the Tuk Tuks, and even tour bus. Our hotel was the Shangri-La (Krungthep Wing) and yes, another wonderful Spa awaited Allen. There was plenty to see in Bangkok too - The Grand Palace, the Reclining Buddha, and Vimanmek Palace. We passed the Royal Barge Museum on our ride through the Klongs (canals). Yes, there were more massages to be had in Bangkok too. By the sixteenth day of our tour we were actually ready to head home. It was a wonderful experience and an opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. Most were from the USA but not everyone. We have a mailing list so we can keep in touch. Feel free to share this web page with your friends and relatives. You can download any and all pictures and use them as you wish - this is our gift to the Tauck and the tour group.