Category: Asia

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Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi, Vietnam

Whoa, Hanoi is like nothing I’ve seen, crowded, frenetic, hot, beeping horns, mopeds, heavy traffic but amazing food! It’s a very large city so we situated ourselves right in the heart of the Old Quarter so we would be surrounded by everything we wanted to see. We were also close to the beautiful Hoan Kiem lake a bit of peace and serenity in the city. We did some exploring but had to keep it in short spurts due to the heat. We’d go out for 1-2 hours, see a museum or part of the city then back to the hotel for another shower and rest or swim. We did this a few times a day in order to not burn out and get on each other’s nerves! There’s nothing worse than profusely sweating in mid 90’s temperatures and 100% humidity and to have the kids hanging on to you. So far we have been lucky with no rainy days. It has rained a lot at night and we have had a few quick sun showers but nothing that affected our plans. I thought we would be in rain jackets and umbrellas most days. I like Hanoi but it took a little getting used to! The noise and traffic was annoying at first, well it still is but I’m acclimating to it. We were terrified to cross the street in the beginning because the cars and scooters don’t stop for you or red lights! Everyone drives on both sides of the street and there are always almost head on crashes, even on the highways with the trucks and buses-I just sat in the back with my head down, if I watched I would have had an anxiety attack! In the city it is mostly scooters with a few cars and a few buses here an there. The intersections are so much fun to watch! Complete chaos with horns just beeping and everyone going in every single direction at the same time! So to cross, you just walk into the traffic and slowly navigate through…nerve wracking! (See video) You really can’t walk on the sidewalks because they are full of parked scooters and people sitting eating or drinking or cooking right there. So you must walk in the street most of the time with the crazy driving! It has some really cool things to see and great markets. The food was the most exciting part of the city!! Every shop is full of fresh meat cuts each morning and produce just sitting out for sale. By the afternoon it’s all gone and all the restaurants have prepared it for the days meals. They don’t have many refrigerators and don’t order ahead. Buy in the morning, prepare, sell and they are empty by nights end. The way they eat is pretty interesting too. Since it’s a big city, rents are really expensive so they have very narrow storefronts with seating inside in the back and/or on the sidewalk. But you don’t eat at regular tables and chairs. Since they have to fit more people in, you have a preschool sized table and mini stools to sit on-see the pictures. I felt like I was in a kindergarten lunchroom! But all of this doesn’t matter once you eat the amazing food! You need a whole book to explain the different foods, how to order, where to order, how to eat, etc! Luckily we hired a local guide to bring us to the best places and she explained everything to us. It was so exciting to learn about all this new food and the boys loved it too. But three hours in, we had to throw in the towel…we were done! I couldn’t look at anymore food! I think this night was the most exciting in Hanoi-see all the food pictures from each stop.

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Halong Bay, Vietnam

tp. Hạ Long, Vietnam

We landed in Hanoi late last night, it is the capital of Vietnam and located in the northern part of the country, close to China. Just like in Laos, it is a Socialist Republic but has good international relations with the U.S. and other countries. There are only five remaining single-party socialist states that officially practice communism-China, Cuba and North Korea are the others. We will be exploring Hanoi more after our cruise. An early morning transfer to Halong Bay brought us to one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! Besides being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also one of the New Wonders of the World. There’s not much to tell about this area so pictures tell it all. It is karst topography, limestone formations that were carved from water to make these formations that jut out of the beautiful emerald green water. There are also lots of caves and grottos around every corner. Our junk, the Paloma is so pretty, exactly what you would expect to be plying these mystical waters. All dark polished wood and very comfortable. Our cabin had a beautiful deck with lounge chairs right on the front of the boat so it was perfect to just sit with a cocktail as we sailed through the bay. We had delicious local food prepared for us each day, it was too much! We went kayaking, swam from a beach or the boat, explored a spectacular cave, visited a pearl farm and just relaxed. The boys met two girls their age so they were happy too and played lots of card games. Halong Bay means bay of the descending dragon. The legend of Halong Bay is beautiful: “Long ago, in the first founding days, the Viet people were attacked by foreign aggressors. The Jade Emperor sent the Mother Dragon and her band of Child Dragons to help the Viet people fight the invaders. While the enemy vessels were launching massive attacks against the mainland, the dragons descended in flocks from the sky. They spat out innumerable pearls which changed into jade stone islands the moment they touched the water. These islands linked together to form firm citadels that checked the enemy’s advance and smashed their vessels to pieces. After the invaders were driven out, Mother Dragon and her Child Dragons did not return to Heaven but stayed on earth, right at the place where the battle occurred. The spot where the Mother Dragon landed was Ha Long, and where the Child Dragons came down was Bai Tu Long. The place where their tails violently wagged was called Long Vi, the present-day Tra Co Peninsula with its soft sandy beach stretching many kilometers.”

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Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang, Laos

Luang Prabang is beautiful and almost magical. There are ancient temples, French colonial architecture, no buses or traffic, located at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan tributary and surrounded by jungled clad hills and mountains. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1995 so thankfully it has been spared from the overdevelopment that has tainted many other cities in Indochina. It hasn’t been too hot since we started the trip but now I know what everyone is talking about-its hot here. It’s very similar to inland Florida in August, hot and humid. We are located inland between Thailand and Vietnam but on the Mekong River so we get some nice breezes from that but nothing like an ocean breeze. So everything we do requires a break and a cool drink, we are moving in slow motion. Except for the nice hotels, nowhere has air conditioning. We are averaging 2-3 showers a day and little siestas in our cold villa! We just slowly explored the city during the days, sat in cafes and ate amazing food. I now need to find a great Laotian cookbook. The French food is also amazing since they colonized here for 60 years, you can see it in the architecture and food. What a beautiful place. Everything here seems to move in slow motion and it’s a nice change. It’s like an old French outpost that time has forgotten…except that everyone has a phone! The Night Market is amazing yet stifling at the same time. With all the tents lined up against each other, there is no open area for air movement so you just sweat as you stand there! During the cooler winter months they don’t use the tents, but we are not in luck now. Besides the many locally made items, the food is the best! There are stalls with everything imaginable and at each stall you get a plate and fill it up as high as you can for anywhere between $1.20-$1.80!! That was plenty of food for me and the boys, a man might have two plates but all the different choices and flavors were mind blowing!! One afternoon we all got traditional Lao massages. They aren’t as good as Thai massages but pretty good, especially when it costs $20 total for all of us to get an hour long full body massage! It was great having our friends we met in the slow boat here. We met up each night and had a great time at the market or dinner. The boys really enjoyed having kids their age to play with. We will miss them on the rest of our journey.

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Day Two Slow Boat

Pakbeng, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

I slept surprisingly well for the heat last night. The mosquito netting really kept us comfortable and bite free. The pouring rain while we slept was very nice to listen to. I didn’t want to leave the lodge this morning, it was so peaceful and beautiful. Ban Baw was our first stop today. It is another little village on the river bank. It’s very small, about 50 families. Here they make a traditional rice alcohol called lao-lao, it wasn’t very tasty. Local women weave beautiful scarves out of silk and silk and cotton right there in the village on looms in front of their homes. So of course I had to buy one of each. The kids were adorable there, they were very interested in our kids the same way ours were interested in them. After that my boys just spend the rest of the time trying to pet the baby pigs, chicks, goats, ducks or whatever other animals that are running around the village. Pak Ou Caves was our second stop after lunch. It is located on the Mekong and opposite the mouth of the Nam Ou River. There are two caves and thousands of Buddha statues inside. This is where they bring the damaged or worn out ones. It’s set up a lot of steps and into the cave, a lot of different areas to explore. I just opened the August issue of National Geographic and saw an article on Laos. It was a very interesting read and perfect timing for me. We arrived is beautiful Luang Prabang around 4pm after another beautiful day on the river. I read a lot and even napped today. I think the two days on the river was perfect, one would definitely not be enough and three too much. We were really lucky with the weather which was sunny and hot, but on the river with the breeze it was absolutely perfect. The boys had another fun day with their friends playing Yahtzee and all reading their Harry Potter books. Everyone is excited to explore Luang Prabang!

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Slow Boat to Laos

Huay Xai, Laos
We crossed the border from Thailand into Laos early this morning to board a slow boat down the mighty Mekong River to Luang Prabang. Over 70% of Laos is inaccessible mountain terrain so the Mekong is a major mode of transportation. It is a Communist country since 1975 after the Vietnam war but they are more tolerant than the Communism we know. They are allowed to practice religion, mostly Buddhism but Christianity is very scarce because they frown upon it. It was bombed by American forces every 8 minutes for 9 years during the Vietnam War because they border Vietnam and we were trying to suppress the spread of Communism. But the people are very friendly to Americans and just want to move forward in peace. Fifty percent of those bombs are still undetonated here in the country which causes a lot of problems so they still live with the war everyday In some areas. We took the slow boat because the trip along the Mekong is very scenic and such an experience. We are on the luxury boat because there are many that ply these waters and we don’t want to be stuck with a bunch of back packers! The boat holds 40 comfortably but there are only 17 on our journey. Luckily there are two boys from the UK almost the same age as Grant and Rowan! We couldn’t have asked for any better. They are happy and we are happy. We are spending the day reading, watching the scenery, eating….the food is amazing, they keep feeding us. Snacks to start, then a full Laotian lunch, then fruit plates, oh and there’s a bar! Nice bathrooms and outside decks, it’s perfect! I love the fact that we have nothing to do or no where to go, it’s such a great vibe. We stopped at a Lao village on the banks of the river. What an eye opening experience for the boys. They are a fortunate village because they moved from the mountains to the river bank and now they have electricity, running water and better huts. There still is no plumbing or modern conveniences but it is much better than before. Tourism is helping them sustain their village by building a school and giving them more opportunities. The boys saw that they don’t have TV……or Wii and Playstation!! Around 4pm we arrived in Pakbeng, a tiny village on the river bank half way to Luang Prabang. It isn’t really a village, just a few lodges for overnight stops. You don’t have to leave the lodge, we had cocktails on the deck overlooking the river, then a great dinner after. Since there are so few of us, we got to know each other pretty well and had a lot of fun. Everything is open air and natural. Each room is an individual hut on stilts overlooking the river. All the windows open up to the jungle and have no screens so there is mosquito netting on the beds. All the huts are situated along a beautiful raised walkway that meanders through lush landscaping with orchids and haleconia hanging off the branches. This is a place to really unplug, no phones, televisions, air conditioning, etc. There is wifi in the lobby but in the huts just time to read and sleep to the sounds of the jungle. I won’t need a sound machine, I have the real rainforest sound!

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Thai Elephants!!

Tambon Ki Lek, Thailand
Today we drove about an hour to the mountains to spend the day at an elephant conservation and rehabilitation center. I did a lot of research to find one that cared about the welfare of the elephants more than the tourist bucks. It is the highlight of our trip so far! Grant said that it was the best day ever. We started out by learning about the elephants and their history, conservation, etc. We took a ride and got to bathe with them in the river! They were so playful and fun, especially in the water! They were rolling around and squirting water at the boys then picking them up. I haven’t seen the boys laugh so much in a while. The elephants are amazing gentle giants and so smart. Now I know why they are so revered in this country. We also spent some time with one of the hill tribes that live here in Northern Thailand. The tribe we met were called the Long Neck Karen. The women wear these coiled neck rings? As they get older they get more rings, so the old ladies are really long! The boys were fascinated!

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Thailand


After a quick hour flight from Bangkok we arrived in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is nestled into the foothills of northern Thailand and is a sanctuary with a laid-back pace yet is modern and has an international flair. It’s a nice balance between yesterday and today. We have a few days here so a lot of it will be relaxing since we have been jetting around the last week from big city to big city. Cocktails by the pool with a good book while the kids play. Our resort has the prettiest tropical jungle feel to it. There are maybe 10 teak bungalows that are dark wood and have hand carved designs on them. The insides are very comfortable and plush. It is family run and they are the sweetest family, plus the food is so good, real authentic Thai. Right outside of the resort are rice paddies, the boys loved looking for fish in the shallow water-they wanted to see where the Siamese Fighting Fish come from. Today we went to the temple on top of the mountain that Chiang Mai is famous for, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. Even though it was overcast, the view down to the city was beautiful. Of course the temple was gorgeous, watching the monks chant was surreal. The boys sat silent in awe. The one thing that bothers the kids are the stray dogs that are around. They want to pet them because they think no one loves them. They are also afraid that they are going to get hit by cars as they run around! They have big hearts and keep thinking of Stanley. Our driver brought us to a local restaurant that was so pretty-it was set at one end of a huge reflecting pool surrounded by elephant figures. The food was amazing and we are like kings and had a few drinks for under $20! The Thai Silk factory was next, can’t leave Thailand without learning about how it is made and maybe buying a lot of things!!! It was a really cool tour, they showed us all the stages from moth to eggs, larvae, caterpillars, cocoons, etc. The best part is that all those stages we saw were alive and we saw them wriggling!! Then they showed us how they take the silk off the cocoons then finally the ladies hand weaving on the looms. Of course we spent about an hour shopping after that! Eating here is really stressful. I live to eat and I made up cards for every language explaining my food allergy. I even put it in pictures in case the people cooking couldn’t read. Then I laminated each of them. I have cards in Chinese traditional, Chinese simplified, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, French, Khmer and Malay. It has really helped me but it still isn’t easy. I put each bite of food in my mouth and wait about 5 to 10 minutes before I’ll swallow it. If I’m okay then, then I know I can eat it. I just wish I could eat everything…it all looks so good. It’s worse on when flying, I’m afraid if something happens then it would be worse! I have my Epi-pen but still want to know I am close to a hospital. But it’s all worth it to experience the beauty here. The Thai people are very friendly and Grant is like a movie star, everyone wants to touch his hair and look at his eyes and the ladies keep hugging Rowan because he’s so sweet.

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Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is pretty cool with some great things to see. It is very hot and humid and crowded. There is a lot going on and lots of traffic so we took the Skytrain mostly everywhere and tuk-tuks for short distances. the boys love taking the tuk-tuks, they thought they were awesome. While they were cool, all the fumes are spewing all around so it’s not too easy to breathe! We headed down to the Chao Phraya river to start our day and took a boat up to the temples. The first place was the grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The Grand Palace was the residence for the King of Siam and is now used for official events and Royal ceremonies. The complex is huge, were barely got through a few buildings in a few hours! The other main attraction in the complex is the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. The temple is spectacular! As with all temples you have to take off your shoes and cover up. People wear crazy patterned pants that you can buy right outside all the temples and for women they have skirts. Or they will give you drab wraps to put around yourself to walk around. Plus you have to cover your shoulders and take off any hats. I was so hot in my very light cardigan! Our next stop was Wat Pho which has the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The Temple has the largest collection of Buddhas is in all of Thailand. The complex is also home to traditional Thai massage, the school that trains all the masseuses in Thailand. A one hour Thai massage is about $10, and it IS respectable!! No funny business. We all got massages and the boys even got Fish Spa pedicures! They loved having the fish nibble their feet-they couldn’t stop laughing. Jeff and I had no interest at all. The night market was a fun adventure. Rows and rows of different stalls selling everything and nice stuff too not junk. We could have spent two days there but our stomachs were growling and the food offerings smelled amazing! We all just ordered different things and all shared-look at the pictures for the descriptions of each item. Wow was it good! Then we got an amazing storm-everyone battened down the hatches and the wind was bending the palm trees back and forth and rain pouring down. The boys were so happy to see heavy rain that they kept going out and standing in it. They also can’t get used to the fact that there isn’t a drought here. They keep reminding us the not run the water too long! But they like how I’m not rushing them in the shower 🙂 While we had a nice time in Bangkok, I probably wouldn’t come back here just for Bangkok, maybe as a layover. It is a little dirty and run down but has many charms, great food, beautiful temples and from what I hear, a raucous night life! It was great to visit once and the people were very friendly and loved the kids but two days was enough. We are looking forward to going to Northern Thailand next.

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Travel to Bangkok


Sadly we have to leave Hong Kong today, we really enjoyed it. Thankfully we had plenty of time to do some more shopping this morning since our flight wasn’t until 3:50pm. Shopping is amazing here, you can’t walk through anywhere without going through a mall and all high end retailers. There seems to be one on every other corner, a dream come true! The majority of our day was traveling to Bangkok. A 2.5 hour flight turns into an 8 hour day with travel to the airport a few hours before for check in, security, immigration, etc. Then baggage claim, transportation…… We made it to Bangkok late so we just had a drink and an amazing dinner right at the hotel, ready to sleep in our Heavenly Bed!

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Hong Kong


We spent the day in Central, where the business district is. It was a gorgeous sunny day, so we took the Star Ferry across Victoria Harbor and walked all over. Yesterday it was overcast with a little bit of sun so the temperature wasn’t too bad, just humid. Today with the sun beating down it was very hot, and humid! I think I was expecting a lot worse, because everyone said how horrendous it was this time of year but it felt similar to Manhattan in the summer, no different. In fact, Hong Kong reminds me of an Asian New York City. Smells, sights, street construction, traffic, full of people, food, all just in a different language. Oh, one major difference, the subways are air-conditioned!! It doesn’t feel like you are walking down into a steam room like NYC and the smells are city-like but different. It is more crowded than NYC and harder to get through the streets and subways. The boys got very annoyed by it! Not sure if I could handle that all the time but it does have a great vibe and I love it. After all the shopping and sightseeing we stopped at Man Mo Temple and the boys we intrigued by it. They really respected the temple and were very interested in watching the people coming in and out to say prayers and give offerings. I think Grant had an even better appreciation since he studied China’s geography, dynasties and religions this year in school. We met up with a friend of Jeff’s last night at Victoria Peak. It is the highest point on Hong Kong island and has spectacular views of the whole area. It was gorgeous to see at night!