In the Mekong Delta

I have always looked on tour-bus travelers with a mix of amusement and contempt... but we opted for a tour of the Mekong Delta with Sinhtour, my first on a huge, lumbering bus which was handled with grace and delicacy, skillfully edging though tiny, scooter-jammed laneways. Eventually we were deposited on long tour boats, to cruise the mighty Mekong River.

Our driver powered us along the big muddy, looking for all the world like an old warrior (this was the centre of Viet Cong activity, after all!) -- with foot in one century, cell-phone in this one... but we saw amazing sights in this water-world: river boats all the with the traditional eyes on the prow, houses seemingly tottering on high mangrove poles, as the river floods every year; local people on boats buying, selling, exchanging goods; living on some, and traveling speedily around with long motors at the back of their graceful dugout "canoes". We paused at a fruit farm,and marveled at the strange and exotic forms before we sampled them, at an airy thatched hut. Peter was brave enough to walk across a single rail bamboo-pole bridge. A good, watery day.

CYCLE CULTURE

Saigon -- now HoChiMinh City -- is definitely a two-wheeled culture. From 10 lanes of motorcycles facing you as you scuttle nervously across the broad street, to a symphony of purrs, putt-putts, throaty roars which really form surround-sound here .....to an ancient abandoned bike, now mounted above its replacement. Our friend Peter arrived from New York and we spent the day wandering... to include the tiny Hindu temple with its joyous sculptures, a park with elephantine roots, the chaotic, crowded market building. A land of contrasts, already.

FIRST DAY IN SAIGON

Wandered around downtown area. Very clean and orderly, even on the less broad avenues. A bustling modern city. Found a great restaurant for lunch, small and humble. Spring rolls to die for. Pork spareribs w veggies and a tasty spiced chicken dish. Large glasses of freshly squeezed pineapple juice and watermelon juice....and very cheap....comparatively.

By the way, I'm now a multimillionaire. I changed USD$200 at a bank and received over 4,000,000 (that's right,...FOUR MILLION).......Dong (unfortunately). [18,000 Dong = 1 USD$...approx.]

Outside in pm it was very very hot so we came back to hotel, drank a liter of water, [and beer].... and collapsed.....and never left room till bedtime.

Colorful Street Cleaner

French Colonial Building

Cynthia with Drinkmobile

Saigon Main Post Office

Saigon Main Post Office interior

Heroic Statue outside Saigon Main Post Office

Saigon Electrics

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

Metal Model Motorcycles from readymade objects

Fishy Curtain

Spacious, orderly Saigon Street intersection

INDIA--Land of Contrasts

Roses & Meeting House

Breakfast Setup

Green Parrots

BILL & PAL

INDIAN ELECTRICS

COOL WATER SYSTEM

Knobby 'Bamboo'

Arrived Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Finally we're able to access the internet for the first time in two weeks. Everybody in India kept assuring us that , Oh yes, we can certainly get wifi, but in fact, there was none in the 'compound' we stayed in for 10 days, none in our Indian friend's house where we stayed last night, none free in Delhi Airort as we were told...and none even in Singapore on our stopover (except for afew kiosks thaat one couod use for max 15 minutes...\Finally we have free wifi from our hotel [Hotel Indochine]at which we just arrived. Stupidly beaurocratic hassle at airport getting visa authenticated and a bald-faced money grab. 33C in early evening. Huge city, , mixture of very modern skyscrapers and older buildings in the centre. endless drive from airport (only half hour but driver got lost a couple of times. Vast amounts of motorcycle and motor scooter traffic but orderly. There are traffic rules here, people wear helmets, and never more than 3 people on a bike at simultaneously [unlike Delhi (5, even 6 on one bike)..and all India.. which is just simply traffic chaos...driving madness]).

I'm too tired to write much tonight on my wee Asus computer with the tiny little keyboard which . We woke up at 5am in Delhi to catch our 8:10 flight, and have been traveling all day. Now for some zzzzz's.

More later. Photos to come.

Overnight in Paris

  Because I had problems last year, travelling to India, this time I made sure there were many time-cushions -- which meant long hours between flights in airports. Hence it took us from Monday morning to Tuesday night to arrive in Paris, tired but relieved. Tired because our extra-leg-room seats are, as always, next to a large family with kids who scream constantly all night long.

We took a taxi to Les Herbes Folles -- an amazing ancient farmhouse and buildings around a large courtyard, where we were welcomed by Jerome -- an elegant, friendly host who showed us to our lovely room, and the large sitting room with soft music, wi-fi, beamed ceilings, luxurious furnishings. Then he drove us (and later picked us up) to a fabulous country restaurant nearby, where his friend Morrisette was the proprietor, and we feasted on fine French cuisine and wine. What a wonderful way to begin the odyssey! Thankfully, we had also arranged to stay here when we return, and also when we leave Paris in July for Canada. Jerome also agreed to keep a suitcase with stuff bound for Italy until we come back from the East. (I think I am in love .....)

We leave tomorrow am.

Cynthia and I plan to attempt to write communiques from time to time on this, our newly created blogsite, whenever we get the time and have access to the internet. So, if you feel so inclined, you are welcome to follow it, and us, as we travel to, and through, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, France, Italy and The Czech Republic. We leave tomorrow am.

We feel that our home is in good hands with our new friend and house-sitter, John Stewart. 

More later.

Almost time to leave

Tomorrow is our last full day in Nova Scotia.