Author Archives: Martine
Trip to Sacred Valley, Peru – 1st chapter
January 5th 2024
Our trip to Sacred Valley in Peru – 1st chapter
1- Chuck and I boarding in Lima
2- Chuck having his first typical local meal – basically all kinds of meat with a fat corn pancake and the best Andean cheese ever!
3 + 4 – the Maras salt mine – such an interesting place. These platform “mines” are very interesting in their ownership structure as well as the method to extract salt and the source of the salt water.
The salt water comes from pockets in the earth. Their origins is a source of many legends but we are far from the sea so it is very odd.
To extract the salt, they flood the platform twice a year for 3 months beginning in April. Each platform receives 30cm of water and the sun enables the evaporation. From time to time the family will move a salt layer that accumulates at the top to enable the rest to be evaporated. The end result is 3 layers of salt, the top white one is the best for domestic consumption (the flower of salt), the next layer is pink and is for domestic consumption as well. The next level is black-ish and is sold to companies and used for commercial purposes, one of which is ….. processed food 
.
The platforms are all owned by local families going back hundreds of years. Each family may own 5 to 30 platforms. They formed a cooperative that manages the process and takes care of sales. The families can only sell their platform to another family that lives within the surrounding area. They are now expanding the platform to the end of the valley and now those who live in those areas will own the new platform. The government protects this ownership structure and no large company can ever own the platforms.
5- we arrive in Ollantaytambo for a catholic celebration with parades, music and dances. This is a very safe city mostly populated by Inca descendants. Very fun party that will last 4 days.
6 – In that city, there are Incas and pre-Incas ruins. There is an intact pre-inca temple dedicated to water where a canal bring water from the nearby Andes mountain with a window above facing the sun.
We discuss these ancient civilizations include the very first one more than 5000 before JC named Caral (north of Lima) and we still see their signs “Chacana” carved in one of the stone, adopted by the Inca. Jose explain that the Incas method to conquer was to assimilate the other civilizations by their princes or kings marrying the princess from the conquered. These tribes also all believe in a creator of the world as well as many gods related to nature like the sun, the air, the water. The Incas incorporated the names used to refer to the creator in how they named him in their religious ceremony. So the name they used became a combination of all those names. They also always offer to exchange their knowledge for the knowledge of the conquered so that they could build on that.
While they also had big battles as there was in Europe, the difference is that they were not trying to annihilate the culture of those defeated but rather incorporate/assumilate it to build on it.
Peru also handles their native people – descendants of the Incas – much differently than Canada. They live side by side with the Europeans descendants called Metzi, while also there are mostly Inca town (like Ollantaytambo) who live and dress as Incas. This is welcomed and allowed. There are no “reserve” and no separate political structure/rulers. They are all governed by the local government who will be composed of all the communities. Discrimination does not seem prevalent here. Seems like a better way.
7- a beautiful alpaca in Pisac (not yet sheared)
8- high up in the mountains at 3500metres, the ruins of the village include pre-Inca (Wari) and Inca structure. It is again a hike up steep and higher than normal. We continue to look for our air but it is already better than yesterday. The view up there is spectacular! they believe that villages were built up high to avoid the massive flooding that would occur in the rain season in the valley.
The village up in the side of the mountain was abandoned in the time of colonization and a newer small village was built in the valley in the 15th century.
He also points out holes in the mountains which is a cemetery. Incas had buried their dead’s there in a fetal position – ready for the next life. Almost all have skull damage, indicating that there was a battle here to conquer the people. The holes are there because of grave robbers but there are many more dead’s buried there.
9- One observation as we leave the sacred valley. There are scores of dogs wandering around freely in all the rural area. More small dogs than big ones. They are obviously cared for and fed but loose. All are very calm, hang around together and I didn’t once see a reactive or aggressive dog. Very interesting.
Lofoten island and Atlantic road
Day 9 (May 22)
We arrive in the Lofoten island area today. Our first port is Hardstat and we decide to join the costal team on a hike to Kollen mountain.
It was a small group of enthusiastic hikers that boarded a small bus on a beautiful drive to the beginning of the hike trail.
It is a nicely groomed trail with mostly stones and dirt and we have a nice time chatting with German tourists. Did we know that German students must learn Latin as a 3rd language? There is a movement to transfer over the Spanish.
Dominique and I notice the last of bugs – mosquitos, flies and such. Our guide tells us that this is due to the fact that all the surrounding water if salted water (fjords and channels). Inland Norway (more central) has the same problem as we do in Muskoka with mosquitos.
Once we reach the first plateau, we have a spectacular view over the channel and Stortland, the blue city – so many houses are painted in blue!
And again one of their trademark beautiful rounded bridge. I love them!
Our guide offered a black current hot drink that was very tasty and then suggested that we continue on one more peak to open up an even more spectacular view!
The hike down is harder on my knees as usual but I join a lovely older English woman and enjoy a wonderful lively chat on the way down.
We arrive at Sortland at the same time as the boat and just in time to board it.
Off to lunch!
Around midday, we passed along the same narrow channel and near the Trollfjord.
Beautiful photos of the fjord again but in the afternoon with beautiful bright sun!
In the evening, we have a bus tour book to take in the highlights of the Lofoten island. As with every other regions in Norway, this region was mostly depending on the fishing industry for many years. While it is still important, tourism has now taken over. They have beautiful white sand beaches but the water temperature is not quite Caribbean!
We stop at the Lofoten gallery in a pretty town called Henningsvær. The gallery features a nice film featuring a few local artists. One of which is featured in rhetorical gallery. Very beautiful!
The town is mostly deserted currently but apparently in a few weeks, it will be overrun by tourist. They refer to it as the Venice of Norway because is its pretty canals.
The view towards the sea is also spectacular.
We arrive back in Stamsund to board the boat to more beautiful scenery
Day 10 (May 23)
Today we mostly sail on our way to the small town of Bronnoysund. On the way they point the 7 sisters – 7 mountain peaks surrounded by tales of princess and trolls which are part of all the folklore in Norway.
In Bronnoysund, we take a nice stroll long the water and besides a well equipped park for children. We arrive at the main church and a beautiful large cemetery.
Chuck and I find a lovely patio on the water to share a pint and local nachos.
We also sail by the mountain Torgatten which has the particularity of have a whole at the top, carved millions of years ago during the glacier years.
Another beautiful sunset!
Day 11 (May 24)
Today is our last full day on the cruise. Tomorrow we reach Bergen and the end of this voyage.
It is also our last excursion to the Atlantic Road. Very excited about that!
We disembark at Kristiansund to board the bus but we already are sorry that we aren’t spending more time here. It is beautiful!
We drive to a local Stave church in Kvernes dating back to the 17th century. It is absolutely gorgeous inside and the local guide is very knowledgeable and regal us with amazing historical facts. These structures are very weak and must be propped up to keep them standing.
In Averøa, we stop at a lovely restaurant to experience Norvegian Bacalao – a kittfish stew, made with cod the freshest stewed tomatoes. It is bursting with flavour! They have won the award for the best one several years in a row and that’s no surprise! A mix of chili pepper, garlic salt, salt and what else? I need to know this recipe! Soooo tasty!
We then finally arrive to the 8km stretch called the Atlantic road with 8 bridges and tunnels.
Our guide tells us that the largest tunnel is near Bergen and is 25km
We arrive to Molde at the same time as the boat.
Again as we drive through, we feel sorry that we won’t get to discover this town. This area would have definitely been worth spending more time in.
Last sunset!
Last day in Bergen!
Glorious sunny day again for our last day in Bergen.
What a beautiful city, we take a stroll in the pedestrian area and discover this beautiful park cantered by a fountain and surrounded by beautiful rhododendron.
We then go for dinner at a local, hidden away gem that I found on a local blog – Pergola wine bar. The owner makes sure that we are aware that they only serve antipasto plank and pizzas, but the wine list of exhaustive!
It is all we could have hoped for on our last night and more! What a great evening!
Good bye Norway!
The Arctic Circle
On day 5 (May 18th), we arrive in Tromsø, the arctic capital, having officially crossed the arctic parallel at 66°33’.
We set out on our own to walk the city and attempt the 1300 Sherpa steps up the mountain Fjellheisen.
We learned that Sherpas from Himalaya came to Norway to carve out steps in several areas to make the hikes safer.
Once off the boat we realize that the hiking trails begins on the other side of the long bridge (1.5Km) and are worried about timing so we take a cab to the beginning of the trail. Thankfully because we doubt we could have found them on our own!
We begin hiking up a very muddy trail in search of the steps. We arrive at a beautiful viewpoint and take a short break on the bench. Up we go on the steps, to discover after about 250 steps that they become more and more covered in snow and ice! The hike up becomes more traitorous but we start being concerned with the way down as the cable car is closed for maintenance. We come across locals who are hiking down with crampons and poles and decide to turn around a bit short of halfway for our safety.
Nonetheless, we were able to take in beautiful views of the town, high and long bridge and the ski jump.
Once at the bottom, we decide to walk back to the boat, crossing that bridge!
We walk by a small Sami museum and spend time admiring their intricate costumes.
We found a lovely small restaurant by the harbour to enjoy a well deserved beer, fries and reindeer sausage and purchase great beer mug with the map of Norway.
On day 6 (May 19)
We take an excursion to the North Cape, where the arctic globe is installed!
From Honningvar, it is 40 minutes straight North. This road was only opened in the 1950s.
It is never very cold and never really hot here because of the Gulf Stream. But in the winter, they have a lot of snow and strong winds.
We see many many herds of reindeers, which I was really hoping to see. There are 6000 reindeers on this island. Beautiful, peaceful animals!
They are only on this island in the summer, brought here by boat to have their young ones and to eat and regain strength after the winter in the mainland. There are no predators here which is why there are brought here in the summer. But in the winter, it is too icy for them to break through and find grass to feed so they must go on the mainland where the snow is softer. The Sami herd them back and forth
In September, they swim back 1.8km to the mainland for the winter.
We see a Sami house in where they domesticate reindeers. There are roughly 30,000 Sami in Norway which is the largest population in Scandinavia.
We go up 300metres in altitude and the views are beautiful, of course with more lake and snowy peaks
We arrive at the North Cape on the small island if Vikingen with a bit of fog but are still able to see out towards the North Pole. We are now at 71°10’.
There is a lovely exposition of 7 sculptures. Years ago a Norwegian children’s book author was the driving force behind the children monument. They invited 7 children from around the world to come and create a sculpture representing world unity. They then turned them into big sculpture exposed across from the Madonna sculpture.
It is truly impressive.
I finally find my norvégien sweater in the store at the top of the world!
Day 7 (May 20th)
On our way around and down to Kirkenes which is close to the boarder with Russia, the sea beside rougher with much larger rolling waves. I get sea sick a bit and realize that laying down is the best solution!
We also learned that several of the town in the North suffered severe bombing during WW2 and were taken over by the nazis and they were freed by the Russian.
Kirkenes is a dull town and the scenery is not as spectacular with bare hills on the horizon. The town is also completed deserted as they are closed in Monday for Pentecost day. A local tell us that most people leave to go to their cabins for the long weekend.
As soon as we leave Kirkenes, we turn around and begin the journey back south.
Day 8 (May 21st)
The first stop on our voyage south is Hammerfest.
We decide to attend the hike called Gammelveien (old road) on our road as it zigzags up to provide a view of the town and harbour.
But we quickly discovered that winter was not over here and the trail is covered in snow and ice after about 10 minutes hiking up. We still enjoyed a nice view and made our way back.
We stop by the town that was rebuilt after the bombing to admire a beautiful work of stained glass.
The view from the church yard is also beautiful!
Tomorrow we continue our journey south with two excursions!
Better have a good night sleep.
The start of our 11-day cruise up the coast of Norway
May 14th to 17th.
Waiting to board, we walked to a local pub who invited us to go to the pizzeria next door and bring it back to eat. Very cute local pub and excellent pizza.
We watch the boat leave the harbour and settle in for our first meal at our nice table by the windows.
Chuck and I are very happy with our upgraded suite with lots of room and a beautiful view at the from of the boat.
In the evening, I spot the moon with the sun setting. Lovely!
On day 2 of the cruise we dock in Ålesund. Chuck and I do not have an excursion booked so we decide to climb the 433 steps to Mount Aksla first thing coming off the boat.
It is very crowded so we line up to climb the stairs and have lots of time to glance up and see the beautiful scenery.
There we walk to a few viewpoints to look inland to the fjords and mountains and out at sea to the multiple islands surrounding it. We can spot some of the bridges that make the famous Atlantic road which we will ride when we return south on the boat.
We then walk down a trail to the city centre and meander near the main river to find a cute restaurant / bar set up in a docked boat. We watch huge a sailboat come in and dock seamlessly in a very small spot.
The plank of sardines and olive was succulent.
We spend time in the Art Nouveau museum and I am reminded of my mom as I observed many many small spoons artfully sculpted and painted. Lovely. In previous years, this would have been a place where I would have FaceTimed her to show her around….
The museum is set in an old apothecary that was operational for several generations before being converted into a museum.
We then walk around the beautiful town with all the art nouveau buildings – like every town so far, it experiences major fires and was rebuilt.
We find a lovely pizzerias, operated by an Italian who emigrated here and I am introduced to my first of many Lemoncello spritz. Move over aperol spritz! Yum !
We wrap up our visit with two goat ice cream cones from a local farm. Very yummy!
Off we sail again to our next port tomorrow.
DAY 3 – we arrive at Tromdhein. Dominique chooses a bike tour while chuck and I go on a city walk to be able to enter the beautiful cathedral.
The city like all others is built around a river – river NID here. This was a major port both during the Viking era and after.
Again lovely colourful wooden houses are built on pillory.
We hear about the history of the town and make our way to the large cathedral – Nidaros, which was started by the catholic archbishop that was here in the 15th century as they were rich because of the dime that they collected, until 1531 when the reformation changed the religion from catholic to Lutheran. Norway has been a Protestant Lutheran country ever since. It took 200 years to build this cathedral.
It is beautiful inside, even more for me because it is not adorned with all the gold you see in Catholic Churches.
Lovely and very large organ.
Gorgeous stained glasses and a sanctuary to the Sami.
We then walk pass the kissing bridge which used to open before, over the river Nid.
Tonight we begin the celebration for Dominique’s 60th tomorrow!
We witness a beautiful sunset in the evening as we continue sailing up north.
Day 4 – May 17th – Norway Day and Dominique’s 60th!
We begin the day watching a celebration for Norway Day, flags were raised, parades were done and fanfare were playing. They are proud Norwegian!!
Chuck partook in the ceremony which consisted of being splashed with sold water and ice followed by a shot of aquavit!
They then serve us a traditional cake which resembles my mom’s d’amour « torte »
I am the first to give Dominique her birthday « bisou »
We make our first stop of the day in Bodo. Everywhere we look, we see Norwegian wearing their traditional Bhuda which are beautiful dressed with the Color representing the region that they come from.
Very strange tradition her where high school graduates wear various colors of overall pants representing their speciality of schools, walking around causing havoc.
We find a nice terrace by the water to have an aperol spritz to celebrate Dominique’s BD again.
The evening is our Meet the Viking excursion.
The longhouse stands on the ground where the largest Vikings longhouse was discovered.
The meal was great and accompanied with Mead. We were entertained with old music, songs and legends and danced around the fire to end the night. It was great!
We leave the small city of Svolvaer in Lofoten to a fabulous sunset!
At midnight, the boat sails passed the entrance of the small and narrow Trollfjord, lovely once again.
And we sail along a narrow passage, Dominique and I stay up until 1AM and despite the fact that the sunset was supposed to be at 11:44PM and sunrise at 2:15AM, it is never quite dark.
Off to sleep to prepare for the next day in the arctic circle!
Flåm and the fjords
We leave Oslo on the train to Myrdal. Chuck is very excited that we are not on a road trip as usual and he doesn’t have to drive!
The scenery on the train is magnificent, we are glued to the window. It makes its way up the mountains, where we see people cross country skiing outside, it appears that there are no roads and residents use the train and skis to move about! We are a bit worried about the amount of snow!
In Myrdal, we transfer to the small historical train to Flåm.
We stopped at the spectacular Khofossen falls and disembark to see them from close. Magical music begins playing and appears a dancer dressed in red. What a nice surprised impromptu show!
Back on the train we make our way to Flåm and to our cozy hotel.
We decide to take a walk along the fjord to discover the area a bit before dinner. The mountains, fjords and waterfalls surrounding us are spectacular!
We had booked a table at the Aergyn Viking themed restaurant and celebrated our anniversary with a lovely plank sampling of a delicious 5-plank dinner paired with local beers.
The next day we are on a cruise through the fjord to Gudvagen to walk through time in a Viking village.
Again the fjords and cliffs are spectacular. It is hard to describe and the photos do not do them justice but it brings a sense of peace and contentment.
The combination of water and fjords are very powerful for me. It is cold and windy but no matter, we stay outside for the best view.
Arriving at the Viking village, we learn a lot from our guide about how they lived including that those horns on their helmet are just a myth, they could never have fought with those. Chuck’s mighty Viking helmets are a myth!!!!
She also explains the value of dyeing the wool and that the Colour purple was the most expensive and harder to achieve as the flower had to be brought in – maybe that’s why the Viking’s colour is purple!
Chuck decides to do a Vikings ritual to the god to help his mighty Minnesota Vikings next season 🤣
We then decide to take a hike along the beautiful river to get a different perspective of the Kjelfossen Falls which is top 20 in height in Europe. We fill our water bottle from this pristine cold water…yum!
We take the cruise back to our hotel and enjoy the beautiful view one more time, noticing new falls and mountain goats.
First thing in the morning, I go to the tourist information to try to get tickets to Stegastein – the lookout over the fjord Naeoroyfjrod.
We lucked out and get on the bus up, up, up! What a view!
We then go to hike up Brekkefossen (near Flåm) and get an exceptional view of the fall, the town and harbour. We learn that milkmaid took those sherpa steps up even further to deliver milk. Up to 15 km!
The hike takes us amongst rolling farms and yet another perspective of the area.
Simply gorgeous. No wonder it is a UNESCO designated site.
The next day we take the cruise back to Gruvanden, then a bus to Voss with a stop at a scenic view of the valley, then a train to Bergen and off to the next leg of our trip.
Bergen – the beautiful!
Day 7-9 of our trip.
On our bus trip to Bergen, we stop at a viewpoint to admire the valley of Stalheim.
On our first day in Bergen, we walked the area in Bryggen – the old town, which was founded by the German Hanseatic league.
I had high expectations of seeing beautiful cherry blossom. They were towards the end of the blossoming but still beautiful. But the rhododendrons and lilacs were splendid! Full glory and in abundance!
We get to the waterfront – only minutes from our hotel – and see outdoor patios one after the other by the water, as you find in every European town. Why can’t we get this done back home?
We spotted our restaurant for tomorrow – Bryggeloftet & Stuene (it was fully booked today) and continued walking around the harbour, finally settling in at a taco restaurant, apparently tacos are the second most popular food in Bergen, after pizza!
The next day, we decide that we are brave and 60 years old, going on 40 and get all geared up for the big Vidden hike.
After taking the bus to the Ulrichen gondola (Ulrichen is the highest mountain of the 7 mountains surrounding Bergen), we take it up the mountain to begin our 14km hike to Floyden, another one of the 7 mountains surrounding Bergen, where there is a funicular to go back down. How bad could it be?
Elevation gain is 833m – the trail goes around several lakes and cliffs to connect the two mountains.
The first hour is mostly hiking in barrens rocks but then the path is mostly cliffs of rocks that we must rock climb up and then down. It is very rough on my old broken down knee but we muddle through. Poles are very helpful.
It is marked by 37 cairns (mounts of small rocks) that help with directions.
The scenery is breathtaking and a big reward for the strenuous hike.
Towards the end, it it mostly a downhill gravel road which again is hard in the knee but we succeed!!
Yes there are a lot of photos and videos because we are sooo proud of ourselves!
Off to our planned dinner at Bryggeloffet. The menu is amazing and the food is truly spectacular. Chuck tries an appetizer of whale and Dominque orders bruschetta which comes with the bread in the side and a bowl of the fresh cherry tomatoes to be assembled so the bread doesn’t get mushy – brilliant! The asparagus are very fresh and the fish excellent!
The next day, we have booked a walking tour with a guide prior to getting on board the cruise ship.
Our guide Eirik is very interesting and was born and raised there.
Church of St-mary was built around 1130 and may be the oldest original church in Europe.
We learn that the houses are painted white in the front because it is the most expensive colour, so it is to show their wealth?!?
The cobblestone streets are beautiful and the view of the city and harbour, again beautiful! We come across a lot of nice graffiti. They are quite proud of them!
We really loved Bergen and are now ready for our next leg of the trip – we board the Hurtigruten cruise ship – an 11 days cruise up the coast of Norway all the way to Kirkenes in the arctic circle besides Russia.
Norway – Oslo
Back last winter 2023, when Dominique was visiting us, we chatted about turning 60 next year.
Somehow the subject came to how we both wanted to visit Norway and Scandinavia and I floated the idea of going together with my husband Chuck, Dominique having just recently lost her wonderful husband Alain.
A few weeks later, we were still messaging about it and the idea took root.
Here we are now, landing in Oslo for a 3 weeks tour of Norway – all 3 of us very excited!
On our first leg, we were spending two nights in Oslo so only had one full day and made the best of it.
We did a self guided city walking tour and walked by several beautiful buildings.
We walked the Norsk Folkemuseum, where we observed multiple reproductions of houses and buildings hundreds of years old. We learned they were all made of pine and were untreated, yet survived beautifully the years.
We visited an amazing exposition of the Polar Ship at the Fram museum. We were able to descend deep into the hull to really understand how the men on ship lived.
Arctic expeditions and exploration is a topic very dear to Chuck so this was a real treat.
We all decided to walk up the beautiful opera house. What a spectacular building!
The Nobel museum was really impactful. It focused mainly on the Peace prize recipients and we were able to read about the many amazing change makers over the years.
The display of the medal as well as the stand/picture/description of each winner was very eye opening.
There was a large display on the art of listening to each other that particularly resonated with me. Something I’m working on.
We also learned that the artist who designed the Nobel medal is the same who built the amazing sculpture on Human Relations in a local park – Gustav Vigeland.
So many amazing depiction of human interactions!
We walked up to the Royal Palace
Tomorrow we embark on our train journey across the land and to Fråm and beautiful fjords!
Viet Nam part 2 – Da Nang and Hoi An
We check into our hotel in Da Nang in the evening at the Draco Hotel situated in a really cool neighbourhood with great restaurants, pubs and a beautiful cafe across the street within a short walk to the beach. And a fabulous rooftop bar and pool!
That evening we ate burgers and grilled cheese at the restaurant across the street called Bikini Bottom with a SpongeBob theme. Very funny.
In the morning, our guide took us to Monkey moutain – Nui Chui Moutain where the 67 metres lady Buddha stands. The complex was built between 2004-2010 mainly from private donations.
He explains that most temples in Viet Nam have a happy Buddha in the front, then lead Buddha in the middle, the lady Buddha on the right and the Karma Buddha in the left. In Vietnam, they worship Lady Buddha and Happy Buddha mostly.
The massive Bonsai garden there is donated and maintained by volunteers and is worth a lot.
Our visit to the golden bridge was a bit of a surprise. We didn’t realize that the bridge was part of a sort of an attraction park. The area is being developed by the Son Group, owned by the 2nd richest man in Viet Nam. They rent the land from the government and have rebuilt what used to be a French village during the occupation, but that was destroyed. They have now rebuilt a simili Paris at the top of the mountain with the most famous buildings that can only be accessed by 5 cable cars built by Austrian. The mountain stands at 1400 metres above sea level. In the winter, it is mostly cloudy, which was unfortunate for us.
It gave us a feel of Disney world – particularly Epcot.
Interesting fact – the highway leading up to the base of the mountains are built and maintained by the conglomerate and are in perfect condition.
The golden bridge was built in 2014 and they used a women Vietnamese architect who did a fabulous job. But it was built as an attraction for tourist. It represent a strand of silk held by hands to take you to heaven. A bit disappointing.
The village is composed of reproduction of things like the Notre Dame cathedral, all the hotels bear names of regions in France and they now have added buildings representing other countries like a German beer garden, a section for China etc…he asked is I want to go inside the “Notre-Dame cathedral”….euh no. I have been in the real one 🤣.
They also have a garden called Jardin d’ Amours with multiple garden structures.
On the side they also have fantasy park which is a park with rides.
Everything is clean and all staff wave and guide you as you walk by.
He told us that there can be up to 10,000 visitors per day in the winter but double that in the summer. currently Chinese are not allowed in the country but when they reopen the borders they will be everywhere.
This was not really a very Vietnamese experience.
We move on to Marble mountain. They now had to stop extracting marble as the mountain was going to cave in. But we could visit the grotto at the top where they have built temples. Very pretty. I was happy to find several mortal and pestle and chose one as a souvenir.
The guide then takes us to the Ho Chi Minh museum and other war museums in the same compound. This guide is not as knowledgeable and can not answer some of Chuck’s questions 🤣
It is very interesting to read the signs and see the photos and artifacts from the other side than the American. Uncle Ho is definitely revered here, although I wonder what he would think of the way the country has developed squarely embracing capitalism.
That evening we make our way to the beach just before the sunset. Beautiful beach with lots of surfers and waves.
Later we enjoy a very very local lunch – we had no idea what we were ordering. We believe chuck was having BBQ chicken organs skewers. Very chewy!
The next day we transfer to Hoi An and meet our guide at our new hotel – the Delicacy Hotel. Very lovely hotels and beautifully appointed room. Once again the staff is amazing!
Our visit of Hoi An is truly excellent! This is our favourite Vietnamese area so far. Much less hectic and quaint and full of history.
Here in the old quarters, the river overflows each year during the rain season by at least a few feet so every shop needs to move all their wares up to the second floor by October.
We learn that this area was completely destroyed during the war and that it is thanks to a polish immigrant who came to help rebuilt that they maintain the flavour and traditional architecture of the area. There is a canal that separates the old quarter. In the 1800s, one side of old quarters was established by Japanese and one side by Chinese as the guide tells us these two people do not like to live together.
Nowadays most have left but there are still descendants here. Some of the houses opened to the public are built with solid dark wood and have several very old artifacts and dishes and are still owned by the original families.
One of the highlights is visiting the silk worm factory. We learn that it was the Vietnamese who invested the process with worms and not the Chinese. And that the Chinese that were selling silk in medieval times were making their ware with Vietnamese silk. It is a very short process from north to cocooning which is the silk. We see worms at various stages of their life – 7 days and 22 days. They must grow mulberry trees as that is the only thing they will eat.
We learn that there are 3 types of silk – the natural (raw) one which feels a bit like linen and will show some imperfections due to knots that they must make with the one strand. Up to the refined silk which is the glossy one that is made with several strand from multiple cocoon. The mixed silk is usually made of silk with other material like cotton.
We are taken to the showroom and I fall in love with a magnificent Silk tunic representing Hoi An. I purchase a tailor made one with the natural silk black pants – excited!
We continue our tour and visit another temple but learn again that the majority of Vietnamese in the centre are not religious. They believe in Karma and that you reap what you sow.
They value their ancestors and judge people based on how they treat the elders in the family. No one has pension here so the children are responsible for paying to support their parents. Here they do not all live together as most elders remain in the countryside where they are established but the children move to Hoi An or Da Nang to work and raise their families.
They also do not have healthcare so again they must cover all expenses. The schools are also not free – not really a government for the people here.
We also learn from Trien that there is severe discrimination by the government for any descendants of anyone who sympathize with the American or was in the south army. For example, his father was in that army so he will never be allowed or able to get a government jobs (like be a teacher). His niece received a scholarship to a university in Moscow and they had to bribe the official to pass the background check to allow her to go.
Here they also do not keep track of the day they are born, only the year. They prefer to celebrate the day that people die as a way to remember them. The government recently required them to declare birthday so a lot of people chose January 1st but other February 2nd, March 3rd and so on. He tells us that his parents have no idea of the date that their 8 children are born.
We have lunch at the Hoi An street food restaurant and I finally try Cao Lau (only available in the old quarters) and Mi Quang. I absolutely LOVE Mi quang. I will definitely figure out the spice for that sauce. It is amazing! They assemble the food right in the middle of the restaurant!
We come across this hilarious bar where I drop off Chuck to go get my tailored pants.
In the evening we meet up with our new very good friends Rick and Monica who are also touring Vietnam and have dinner at the Hai cafe. We thoroughly enjoy sharing each other’s impression of VietNam so far and the places we visited and have a wonderful evening! We pledge to find a way to visit each other again!
Next day is our last day here as we fly to Bangkok early evening. So we pick up my tailored tunic and the linen pant suits I also ordered from a different store.
We enjoy lunch at the famous morning glory restaurant. They have a list of teas to solve all ailments :). Now off to the airport….back to Thailand!
PS: I have become addicted to ginger – honey tea.
PPS: while we saw many older white men with young Thai ladies (mostly scandinavians) in Thailand, we were happy to see that this doesn’t seem to be the case in Vietnam. We do notice much more Caucasian tourists from many different countries and of all ages – you can hear so many languages spoken everywhere.
PPPS: We have discovered that getting money from an ATM in Thailand is very easy so no need to bring cash. But in Vietnam, cash exchange is king. And best to have USD to exchange ATM are not as prevalent and not all of them accept the Canadian Interac debit cards. So it is much harder to secure local cash which is how everyone wants to be paid.
Vietnam – part 1 Hanoi and surroundings
We arrive in Hanoi for the next part of our trip in Vietnam. We are greeting by our tour guide Tom who will be our guide for the next day.
After taking us to our hotel – Hotel Tirant – in the heart of the old quarter, we join a few other couples on a street food tour with Tom.
What a treat! We sample sticky rice with fried onion, mung paste and pate which was very tasty! Pork skewers, excellent spring rolls and baguette stuffed with vegetable and meat.
He then takes us passed the tourist beer pub to the local place – Bia Ba Ba – where sitting low on the little plastic stool, we sample the draught beer, brewed daily locally and with no preservatives so it is only good for the day.
Tom is full of stories and knowledge as he is born and raised himself in the old quarter. It tells us that it is $35,000USD per square feet in that area and he lives in 400 square feet house with his parents, grandmother and brother and his family of 4. They each have their corner!
In the evening, we have a drink at the spectacular rooftop of our hotel.
The next day we are off the Ninh Bihm and the caves of Tac Oc.
We first stop at the temple for the emperor Ding who had established the capital there because it is protected at the back with mountains at the front by a river. His successor will move the capital to Hanoi because it is becoming too crowded.
Next, we go to the river where local rice farmer row boats to show the caves to tourists….with their feet!
She is the first person that I meet who speaks a bit of French. The landscape is beautiful and the caves very low!
On our way back, Tom takes us to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum but to get there, we must fight Hanoi’s traffic. It is hard to describe the chaos but Tom has to actually give us lessons on how to cross the street. There are no rules or respect for lights. Everyone – especially scooters – go in every direction. You must not hesitate, never back up or run and show confidence. Make eye contact with the drive. It is CRAZY!
We get into the gouvernement compound and Tom points the Canadian embassy which is one of the few that is in the compound.
The mausoleum is spectacular and chuck and Tom exchange on facts about the war and the history of the country. The government building is across the street. Tom is a fantastic guide!
Our day with Tom is great and we really appreciated him as our guide for those two tours.
The next day we are off the Halong Bay – one of the highlights of the trip for me.
We drive a few hours to board our Sean cruise with another exceptional guide – Sunday.
It is a very beautiful and picturesque landscape with its 1969 islands.
The room is lovely and roomy with a small balcony to enjoy the view. There is only 32 passengers and a beautiful sun deck and two dining rooms.
We take the opportunity to dive into the Ha long bay and the East Sea (otherwise knows as the South China Sea) and enjoy a short kayaking tour around an island.
The food is truly exceptional as is the service. Our perfect waitress, Loeung – runs to serve us ! Always with a beautiful smile!
In the evening, Sunday treats us to a small concert of monocorde – a traditional Vietnamese instrument. It is really lovely.
Back on land, we drive back to Hanoi for our flight to Da Nang and the next step of our Vietnamese adventure….more to come!
North Thailand – Chang Mai and the elephants
Chiang Mai is in the North and consider the mountain region.
On our first night, we took a tuk tuk to discover the city and the group had dinner at a restaurant near the river.
It was Rick’s birthday and some of us got up to dance. Was so nice!!
The golf here was very picturesque and …. Full of water and sand trap….ughh !
Nonetheless, we had 3 beautiful golf round with great golf foursomes. What a fun group of golf enthusiasts!
On Sunday, we went to the night market, it was a zoo! Chris and I bought matching Ankelet and cheap sunglasses….i can’t believe I don’t have a picture of that!!
13 of us from the group visited the Hug Elephant Sanctuary. What an amazing experience! I have so many pictures it is hard to choose!
We began by “making friends” with them by feeding them banana and sugar cane. They love that but we are told that if they eat too much or only that they could develop diabetes so it is important that they also forage and eat plants.
We met 4 female elephants. There are no males in sanctuary as they can be aggressive and hard to control. Not much different from the human species 🤣
It is an amazing experience!
We then walked along a path to the mud bath and river.
Chuck got right in there but I wasn’t sure about it. I’m glad I changed my mind. Their skin is very rough and it was great! Dee for right in there and was completely covered!
We then moved to the river to bathe them but only 3 came in. The young 4years old orphan was trained to spray people. Hilarious! I loved the one that just laid down and waited for us to throw water on it
We had a lovely lunch afterwords and I bought two Black Elephants sculpture for obvious reasons 🎬
Chuck and I also spent time at the Wat Uppacoot temple where I lit a candle.
And discovered the Wat Buppharam temple on our walk. There are no shortage of temples everywhere.
We finished our day at the Chef’s Together by the river. Chris joined us and then we walked back to the hotel where I FINALLY got my strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone! Yummy!
The next night, after saying good bye to Heather and Steve on their way to Pukhet, we went back with some of our new best friend – Trent and Chris. What a good time!
Finished the night at a jazz bar called Noir with Derek and his gang. Unfortunately it was almost done when we arrived….oh well.
Good bye Chiang Mai and the fabulous golf group!
Martine's food and places 