I have fallen a bit behind in posts (not sure anyone even reads them, but it also functions as a travel journal for me). As an aside, concerning the whole Mexico thing, I finally did close on a condo in Progreso, which is just outside of Merida. More about that later, but I love it!
For the first time, I decided to take an extended group tour - in other words, longer than just a day trip. Although I can and have traveled on my own, going to a place that I am wholly unfamiliar with proved to be just a little intimidating to think about. So after a bit of research, I decided on a two-week tour of Vietnam and Cambodia with Gate1 Travel. I had heard good things about Gate1 from a former co-worker, and they had some of the best prices.
Meeting up with the rest of the group (approx 20-25 people) in Phnom Penh, we had a "get to know each other" session. We each introduced ourselves and answered the question "how many Gate1 tours have you done?" I was the only one to answer that it was my first. Some had done quite a few. I felt that people in general don't keep going back to something if they're unhappy with it, so it must be a decent experience. And it was. It turns out that I like this method of traveling solo without actually traveling by yourself. In fact, depending on the location, I will probably suggest it even if I do have a travel companion.
Cambodia
We then went to Angkor Wat, as well as Angkor Thom,
Elephants Terrace, Bayon Temple and Ta Prohm.
Then we took a boat ride on Tonle Sap Lake, where we saw many waterside houses like these. In drier times, they move them further inland.
Cu Chi Tunnels
Our next stop, via flight, took us to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon). In the morning, we went to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which were part of an underground tunnel network built by the Viet Cong to control a largely rural area surrounding then-Saigon. This was undoubtedly the most "Vietnam War" site to me. The Cu Chi network includes 125 miles of tunnels with many branches connecting to underground hideouts, weapons factories, hospitals, shelters and more. There were many clever traps, almost all of which were pretty deadly.
One of my favorites was a small opening in the ground, concealed by leaves, where people would hide. A couple of people in our group tried it. I didn't think I had the upper arm strength to get myself out, and being hauled out would be so humiliating!
Ho Chi Minh City
In the afternoon, we walked around Ho Chi Minh City, which has a population of almost 10 million. So it's huge, of course, and the traffic is bananas, with many lanes of traffic coming from all directions. There weren't a lot of intersections like we have here, where the traffic going one way stops so the traffic going another way can go. Tran decided to teach us how to cross the road without the benefit of traffic lights - or even a break in traffic. The trick, he said, is to simply begin walking. The real trick is that you must walk at a steady pace, and above all, you must not run and you must not stop. Just keep walking. So we're talking about walking into the pathway of cars coming at you at probably 30-40 mph. Deliberately. He said that drivers can work their way around you if you're walking in a steady way. But if you stop or run, then all bets are off.
It worked! We lived!
Personally, I felt quite empowered by this new-found skill. Many in our group just couldn't get past their anxiety about walking out into traffic. "If you wait until there's a break in traffic," said Tran, "you will never get across the road."
Mekong Delta
Hoi An
After a flight into Da Nang, we drove to Hoi An, stopping at the seaside along the way.
Hoi An itself is charming. We walked and shopped along the Thu Bon River. Nightime was especially gorgeous.
The next day we took a boat cruise along Thu Bon, and stopped to visit several local craftsmen. Finally, we stopped at the Traque Organic Village, where we learned about the many vegetables and herbs grown there, followed by a culinary lesson and lunch.
Hue
The next morning we were scheduled to drive by bus to Hue. However, it turned out that there was a cyclone (often used interchangably with hurricane and typhoon) in the area, and we were under order to shelter in place, so we were unexpectedly stuck in the hotel for a few hours. Lucky for us, Tran went out (somehow) and found us the best bahn mi sandwiches that I've ever had.
Driving through the country side, the damage from the storm was apparent.
In Hue, we went to the Thai Hoa Palace. Unfortunately, it was raining so hard that we were soon soaked. A small group decided to stop at a local coffee shop and warm up before re-joining the group. So I actually didn't see much of the palace.
The next morning we flew into Hanoi, and then went to Halong Bay. This was probably my favorite part of the trip. It's hard to describe, it feels almost other-worldly.
There are over 3,000 islands, and only 1,000 of them have names. Many have caves and grottos, and we were able to visit one of the caves.
We toured Hanoi the next day, including this iconic shot of a railroad that passes through a very crowded residential center.
The day ended with a performance of the world-famous Water Puppet Show, accompanied by a traditional Vietnamese orchestra and Cheo (a form of opera). The show depicts a series of ancient Vietnamese folktales, acted by puppets over a pool of water.
My narration and photos truly do not do this trip justice. It was one of my favorites!
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