Author: donhall930

(And cool pics at the End!)

Alrighty then, here it is for real, the info on the Mekong River Delta.

Guess what is over 3000 miles in length, is the boundary between three different countries, runs through five, including several Chinese provinces, has a drainage area of over 300,000 square miles, but only has a little over 100 of those 3000 miles at its terminus in the south of Vietnam?  

                        Since we all know that I’m writing about the Mekong River you’d be very surprised if that were, indeed, not the answer.

                        Be not surprised.

                         But it’s the last bit of given information that is the telling of the tale here. From hydroelectric and irrigation dams it’s a wonder that any water makes it to the end its course. Of the fifteen major dams on the Mekong, thirteen of them are in China and two are in Laos. So you can see where Vietnam has little control over what comes downstream towards them and that is changing big time as this is written.

                        Get this.

                        Just a short distance before the Mekong reaches the location where it crosses Vietnam’s boundary with Cambodia, a canal has been proposed and digging has begun on a waterway that will change the course of the river, cleaving off over forty percent of its flow and diverting it southward through Cambodia. It is said that one of the goals of the project is to give Phnom Phen access to a port on the Gulf of Thailand, where it will end in the small province of Kep.

                        Do you think that Vietnam is having a fit over this issue?

                        Yes.

                        It is no secret that all of these countries in Southeast Asia have enjoyed (?) various levels of (non) cooperation over the last 1000 years or so. And even today, these questionable past alliances breed a level of suspicion that can only have its roots in a history that sustains that kind of suspicion.

                        But here’s the best part….. China (surprise) is the entity that is financing the project to the tune of 1.7 billion US Dollars (which we all know means at least double of that!). Can you believe that Cambodia will be beholden to a country that in reality was the genesis of the Khmer Rouge? Does this make any sense to you?

                        It does if you can understand that Cambodia seems to hate the Vietnamese. Now Cambodia will be able to thumb their noses at the country that helped them defeat Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge back in the late 70’s. Vietnam’s ‘mistake’ was to stay in Cambodia for about ten years until Cambodia got its act together, government-wise….. but that just pissed off the Cambodians as they thought that Hanoi was making them a puppet-state. (They weren’t)

                        This also illustrates that China likes when things are stirred up and unsettled….. it makes them the one that is in, and totally has, firm control.

                        The river that we visited was not as obviously under the influence of anyone except Mi thien nhien  (Mother Nature), full of life, both over and under the water.

We went to several of the Touron Traps like the coconut candy (YES!) making place, then an authentic (just a little touristy) Chocolate from Scratch business (YES! YES!) and then a visit with a local farmer who has been here, on island, since 1975.

This visit includes a farm tour and some fresh fruit and of course….. shots of whiskey (YES! YES! YES!)! Then it was off to a riverside place for lunch and there were no disappointments here! Their presentation of traditional fare was spectacular!

                        After all was experienced (and eaten) we made our way back to the bus in the hopes of beating that mass migration that was heading back to Saigon.

                        No more surprises for you….. you’ve already seen that the Monumental Mekong Movement was replaced by the TET Time Tinkerer.

                        And the only good thing to develop around that was the fact that we were thoroughly entertained by that mess for the entire ride back to Saigon, and by extension, so were you!

                        So….

                        How ‘bout that Delta?  😊

A few days ago, we headed out of Saigon, destination, the Mekong Delta.

            “Hey man! Like that’s weird…. I haven’t heard ‘bout them since like the 80’s, but I don’t remember it so much and my head still hurts…… a lot…. too… uh yea…”

                        What?

                        “Yea man, those guys were like really, really rad…. made up names, nothing was real, but man could that lead guy riff!”

                        What?

                        “Huh? Don’t you know ‘bout them? They was like really far out in the thrash metal scene, so far that they made up all of their names and everything! It was like they didn’t want to be known for real, just the music….. ohhhh my head….. it

Ok, I give up. What in the name of Buddha are you talking about?

           “Mekong Delta man! …. I even got their Christmas Album!”

                        The things you come across when looking at Wikipedia…

The actual Mekong Delata is quite large, it’s over twice the size of the Mississippi Delta for your comparison purposes. And like most delta regions, it has its own sets of unique features and characteristic’s, most of which can be related to the folks that live there, as isolated as they are.

                        And now that you’re all excited to learn about the flora and fauna of this incredibly important region, I’m going not switch gears on you and we’re going to concentrate on the ride home from there!

                        Huh?

                        Yessirree, if you thought that the ride home on the Garden State Parkway on a Sunday night in July after a glorious weekend at the Jersey Shore was a test of your metal, well then you have never experienced a ride home to Saigon after a great time in the hinterlands of southern Vietnam after the TET holiday!  

                        No need for anything else except some photos!

Phil had thought that we would be able to beat then rush back into Saigon as we had planned on leaving the Delta area early afternoon. The proposed two-hour ride home quickly turned its back on us and introduced us to its evil big brother, the dastardly Four-Hour Crawl.

Luckily, we were in an air-conditioned coach that allowed us to view this local slice of humanity as it enveloped us on the road back to the city.

I will be exhibiting here mostly “Multi-Rides”, for your entertainment!

Don’t worry….an actual Mekong River Delta post is in the offing; I promise you’ll get one!

 Late February back in ’26

The Anticipation Level for this outing was kinda flatlined because we had done similar events twice before. Once up in Hanoi with the Twenty-Somethings and then this past week in Nha Trang with the MatureMen, both of them conducted within the plethoraizing countless swarms of ubiquitous Motorbikes. (Hopefully that paints a picture that might come close to the actual number of motorbikes😊!) But…. it included dinner…. and being in this crazy traffic with these little zipsters is always a hoot, so…. why not?

Oh boy were we ever incorrect and surprised!

This Post is all photos, so look/read on and hopefully I’ve captured our ‘Rapture of the Night’ sufficiently enough to give you a taste (remember dinner was included!) of what we experienced! Now go and put your helmets on, grab your favorite Twenty-Something (again!) and let’s go!

Just check out the few remaining photos which need no description! Except the two directly below, note the buildings to the left of the suspension tower in each photo!

Get ready for all your current newsworthy travel topics, covered in about as shallow a depth as possible, right here on:

Your Daily I.V. (Images of Vietnam)

This series is from the infamous “Weasels” day. As usual, we covered a lot of ground. From an ethnic K’Ho village visit, to the burgeoning business of flower growing, we were treated to several slices of daily life in rural Vietnam. In this village of Buon Chuoi, we were able to sit with the Deacon of the local Catholic Church. O.A.T. has been involved with this village for the past twenty or so years (they built the school here) and because of that, is allowed by the government to make regular visits to there in order to bring us just that much closer to these people. Otherwise traveling into the back roads is forbidden, or shall we say, “discouraged”. I’m not sure who would have enforced any intrusions, but we all know that infractions have a way of being reported in a communist society. However, it is obvious that a change is at hand as freedom of religion is alive and well all over Vietnam and organizations like the Church and O.A.T., that have demonstrated that they have the best interests of the populace in mind, are allowed to flourish, just don’t rock that boat…. yet.

Our destination was the home of the “mayor” of sorts, a position with no pay, but tons of respect. His wife is quite prolific when it comes to weaving as you will soon see.

Several pics here from the main road through the village. Does everything look orange to you? That’s not me playing with the color saturations, etc. that’s the color of the local soils and as you can see, it is pervasive!

This is how our day started. We visited one of the gazillions of green houses that blanket entire square acres/miles/ regions of this area. Not too long ago, the ‘discovery’ of the advantages of these giant science experiments was had. Some very smart Dutchmen came up here and said: “Hé! Deze plek is geweldig om bloemen te kweken en al onze grond staat onder water, dus waarom helpen we je niet op weg? (We laten je niet alles zien, zodat we de controle behouden.) En je kunt er toch flink wat geld mee verdienen!”

Translated: “Hey! This place is great for growing flowers, and all our land is under water so why don’t we help you get started, (but not show you everything so that we’ll still be in control) but/and you can still make tons of money!”

And so it happened. The acreage that is under wraps is so extensive that the government has had to curtail the number of greenhouses in this area because of the reflection/absorption/of both solar and water. It has actually altered the local climate to the point where it is measurable.

And finally…. to help brighten your day, some assorted colors from Vietnam!

Coffee plantation worker watches as weasel eats the ripest beans.

Reports this to manager.

Manager swears ($#!@*!!), runs to get his 9mm.

Manager misses the weasel.

Worker finds some weasel s**t and picks it up.

Calls Manger over, points out the coffee beans imbedded in the weasel s**t.

Manager swears again ($#!@*!!), runs to get hand sanitizer.

Worker shrugs his shoulders, picks up lots more weasel s**t, and starts drying them out.

Weeks later, the worker decides to clean the beans in some red wine and then processes them like he normally does.

Manager sees this going on and swears ($#!@*!!) at the worker, runs to report him to HR.

Worker secretly makes a batch of weasel s**t coffee, closes his eyes, preparing for the worst, and sips.

And sips again.

And again.

Worker gives the manager the side-eye and grins to himself.

Worker quits the plantation, opens his own place using the weasel s**t coffee, it sells for over a hundred dollars a pound.

Worker becomes a millionaire, buys the plantation, fires manager.

Manager swears (S**t!!!)

Yup! says the Worker

If you think that I am making this stuff up, you would be mistaken. In fact, with a few small changes for accuracy’s sake (like it was a rifle, not a 9mm) that is exactly how it all happened!

                        Sort of.

                        But the process is simple, basic science, that makes everyone want to gag.

                        But the end result is apparently quite good!                     

                        And no worries….. when the boiling water hits it it’s all pure!

                        Only kidding! It’s sanitary way before that stage!

Here’s the whole story. Back in the day these “weasels” (who are not really weasels but are civets. Unfortunately, Civet S**t Coffee doesn’t sound nearly as cool as Weasel S**t Coffee does. (These weasels have a good marketing team working for them!) were observed eating only the ripest, sweetest coffee beans. Their little tummies dissolved the outer casings and left the best part, the ‘meat’ of the beans, intact, but….. chemically altered by the enzymes in said tummies. The beans then take the Low Road and get “processed” by the rest of the weasel’s guts until we get to the part where the “Worker” walks around and picks up the weasel s**t and further processes it. It needs to be dried for a few weeks; then it is washed in red wine. A 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) Grand Cru is usually preferred but if that is not available then a Gallo Brothers Red Wine (bag-in-box) will do nicely.

                        Bet you can’t wait to try this s**t out!

                        The verdict is still out on whether this process yields something spectacular or whether the spectacular yields the process…. namely a marketing gimmick.

                        But…… there is some verified science behind the little guy’s preference for only the choicest, ripest, sweetest (?) coffee cherries and their ultimate treatment down inside. The underlying progression and systematic treatment of the coffee cherry by a certified chemical process that showed that the Robusta beans ingested and then pooped (there now 😊 no more need for asterisks!) contained significantly elevated levels of total fat….. of not one, but two different fatty acids that are commonly used as flavoring agents and are associated with creamy, dairy-like notes.

                        The source of this discord amongst the Juan Valdez’s of the Coffee World probably explains some of this dispute. The Specialty Coffee Association of Americas (SCAA) has generally pooh-poohed (sorry, I couldn’t resist that one!) the taste and acceptability of it. I suspect it’s because they don’t got no weasel poops themselves and have GPE (General Poop Envy) and probably need a laxative.

                        C’mon you guys!

                        Let the rest of us have some fun!

                        No one can afford this s**t full-time anyway, so what’s the big stink? (Oops!… there it is again!)

            So, we will just have to rely on our own El Exigente (pronounced Alexa Hente), standing in for Juan Valdez (pronounced Waaaan Valdez) ….. Ms. McCarthy de Paola (pronounced ‘Goldilocks’ because she’s so particular) who was afforded the opportunity to have a cup o’ s**t on the house, or weasel, if you prefer.

            The verdict was firmly placed in the Aye! column with all of the supporting evidence (twenty-seven 8×10 colored glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back explaining each one…..) for your perusal.

                        So… run, don’t walk to you local grocer and demand that they carry some Weasel S**t Coffee and let’s all watch the local Board of Health have babies!

(It will soon become evident)

Our route was a ride out into the countryside; our destination was a home-hosted luncheon given by a lady whose mom had been in a relationship with an American Serviceman. No worries, this one has as a happy ending as possible, but this story and multitudes of others like it (most not as satisfying) needs to be told and acknowledged.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“Be careful what you wish for Donny”

That phrase is being whispered in my mind with a frequency that I had not believed possible, but far from having the usual negative inference, it always brings this experience to another level.

                        It is being uttered by the Manta Maven back at O.A.T. whose sole purpose in life is to provide experiences that you didn’t know existed, had no initial particular interest in, but now wonder how you’ve lived without them enhancing a daily life……. mine.

I am (with permission!) going use some of Sherry’s blog here. When it comes to describing in detail what went on, Sherry does a masterful job! She’s been doing this for far longer than I have. Plagiarism is a no-no, so after I read Sherry’s post I realized that I had been infected and the cure was not to fight it, but to accept it and just copy it! Why re-write something that works just fine…… hence this discloser!

            Sherry’s words will appear below in italics…..

Sherry:

We flew from Da Nang to Nha Trang, a beautiful city on the coast. From the day we landed in Hanoi, we have enjoyed the preparations for TET, the lunar New Year, marking the arrival of the Year of the Horse. From the flowering peach blossoms in the north to the huge displays of chrysanthemums in the south, the New Year is a time for flowers, family and fun. Everything is cleaned: homes, streets, cemeteries, even shoes and motor scooters. Special food is prepared and people travel back to their villages. New clothes are bought for everyone. It is New Year’s Eve in Nha Trang, and our hotel faces the beach which provides us front row seats to the celebrations. There are thousands of motor scooters parked along the roadway as people walk thru the sand, waiting for the fireworks. Many shops and restaurants are closed to allow for family time. 

TET is celebrated for three full days plus additional celebrations for the whole month after. Day one is for family: parents enjoy early morning with their children then go to the home of their parents and siblings. Food and gifts and exchanged and then all go to the Buddhist temple to give thanks for the past year and pray for peace, prosperity, health and happiness for the months to come. While the country has freedom of religion and there are Catholic and even Sunni Muslim areas, Buddhism seems to be the primary faith that is practiced. We visited two temple areas today which were crowded with families, dressed in fine clothing, honoring Buddha. The second day is reserved for visiting aunts and uncles followed by another visit to the temple. The third day honors teachers and mentors who have enhanced your life again followed by a temple visit. TET is a joyous time in Vietnam, and we have been very lucky to share in their New Year. 

             Today we enjoyed another scooter tour of the area, stopping at temples, winding thru little streets, eventually heading out into the countryside. As in Hoi An, the extensive flooding and devastation from the November typhoon was still evident. The water level reached the rooftops and thousands died. When the floodwaters receded, the people worked together to clear out the mud and repair the damage.  OAT helped by sending in large equipment to clear mud and debris.

---

Don:

                Bụi đời

          Now there’s a phrase that we don’t ever hear but when you know the translation, it may send a shiver through your being.

                   “The dust of life”

                   Bụi đời

                   It is the local name given to the countless children fathered and then left behind after our involvement in Vietnam.

          Why?

          Because they were shunned and as ostracized as any ‘half-breed’ ever was. This type of situation is not new to humanity, rather it is quite common in history to dilute a conquered people with the seeds of the conquerors. The difference here is that at the time, we were not in that situation….. all we had were a bunch of really young lonely G.I.’s who didn’t know if they were going to be alive the next day.

                   That will set the stage for Sherry’s next couple of paragraphs….

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Some more from Sherry….

We have talked about the 150,000 AmerAsian children left behind when the war ended. From 1975 until 1989, these were the ghost children that no one wanted to acknowledge. They were the living evidence of relationships with the American soldiers. Some were abandoned, some were sent to grandparents in remote villages, all were discriminated against. Paperwork that proved paternity or even marriage had to be destroyed as that proof would be used by the government (North Vietnam) to punish the mother. That all changed in 1989, when the U.S. Congress passed a law allowing them to come to the U.S. Suddenly, they were valuable tickets to a new life in America. Rich people would “buy” them and secure fake paperwork to prove they belonged to the family. A mother and child (now grown) could relocate, become citizens and eventually sponsor other family members to join them. 

This still left mothers with terrible choices: take the AmerAsian child to America for a better life but leave behind the fully Vietnamese children she also had? She was not permitted to bring her entire family. Our home hostess today has two half-sisters who went to America with her mother while the three older siblings stayed in the village. 

---

Some last words from me….

                        As you have seen, we have had any number of interactions with local peoples, from the Hill Country Tribes up in the North, to little old Grandmas down here in the South. Each one has been fascinating in its own right. This particular encounter really struck a chord when we sat there and could still feel the anguish of relatives re-telling their families stories.

                        To what end you may ask…. maybe its just the opportunity to give someone a chance to tell their story, to someone who will listen, ask intelligent questions, commiserate a bit, and then give a hug to as we depart their home.

            I dare say that there have been times when any of us wished that someone paid that much attention to our own stories, warranted or not.

   Bụi đời

                        I think that I’ll whisper back to the Mantra Maven for a lot more “wishes” like this.

We are in Nha Trang for only two days before moving further southward. This is another seaside city, a bit smaller than Da Nang. It is curious to hear and then see the names of the cities that we heard on the TV every night during the time that we spent over here in the 60’s and 70’s.

I have assembled some random pics for you here, in no particular order because I’ve had both camera and Lightroom crinkles as of late. So far, I got them solved, and there was some collateral damage, but mostly just to my nerves!

I think that we are fortunate to be here during the TET holiday…. the decorations and flowers are just crazy!

For your perusal……

Lot’s more to come, but I actually have to decide what to include because if I didn’t, then you would all just click off from sheer boredom and the combined weight of photos and verbiage!

So….. I will leave you right here. 🙂

Hi, my name is Don and I have FOMO.

                        Hi Don!

It’s been six hours and thirty-five minutes since my last excursion…..

                        Oh man….. you’re sick, finished, there’s no hope for you! You may as well just give up and go to try and find another add-on excursion; there’s not another regular one ‘til tomorrow!

                        That’s how the regularly scheduled 12-Step program for those of us with FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) usually starts because no one offers any support because no one really wants to get cured!

                        When we first looked at the Itinerary for this trip we thought, “Gee, there’s an awful lot of ‘Free Time’ that seems to be scheduled in here.”  What we didn’t know is that we needed to read between the lines and where it says:

             ‘Your Tour Guide may have some suggestions for you during this time period’, we should have inserted, ‘Your Tour Guide will schedule another Local Event, prepare the transportation, and arrange for a meal during this supposed Down Time that you may have been looking forward to…. of course, your participation is COMPLETELY optional.”

                                                FOMO!!!

            And off we go on another adventure that can only be arranged (or even fathomed) by someone who has roots in their community. In our case, Phil has these roots sinewed into the very fiber and soul of his tour regions and this is exactly what we were looking for.

                        For example.

                        The other night we set out on a local ‘Tour’ that needed to be accomplished by using one of those larger, little golf carts, the ones that can hold about eight or so, depending on how ‘friendly’ the group has become! The plan was to get on the river, go upstream to town where all of these festive boats ply the waters using tons of hanging lanterns as decorations as they cruise past the equally festive shoreline. I am hoping that some photos can exemplify, (hopefully) about, at least 10% of what we saw because it’s impossible to show you this stuff for real! Then we were to be dropped off somewhat near the restaurant that would be dinner for the night. The ‘somewhat’ ensured that we would be able to amble through the local Night Market before arriving at our waterfront restaurant. Timing is everything because the mask of darkness is essential to the sights of this nightly spectacle.

                        Off we went, it’s about 75 degrees or so, very comfortable for whizzing around on the cart. The reason that we need the cart is that soon we found our way onto roads that no bus could ever negotiate…. these ‘paths’ wind in, and around, bayou-type environments that are the basis for the topography around the river. Agriculture is on everyone’s doorstep, as they all have gardens in one form or another, some for sustenance, some for business.

                        Peanuts are one of the favorite crops that are grown here. I did not know, nor had I ever given any thought to the fact that peanuts are a root-type plant…. The little guys spend their developing lives underground until they get harvested and mature into the ultimate alliance with some grapes…..peanut butter!

                        We screeched to a halt (metaphorically) in front of a rather imposing-looking home way down by the water. Imposing because it is both tall and relatively new. This area is a crazy juxtaposition of homes/shacks/hovels that are quite comfortable existing as neighbors to themselves, no judgment offered, nor taken….. at least in public. This is because the usually well-to-do have one of those state-affiliated connections that helps pave the way for some of the perks of life around here. In this case we were standing in the front of the home of Phil’s ‘Grandmother’  As it turns out, wherever we go in this thousand-plus mile long country, we meet up with one of Phil’s ‘relatives’. “This is my sister, (cousin, aunt, uncle)”, etc. has become a hallmark of an introduction, always given with a knowing smile. We now get it. The truth is that Phil has such a disarming and charming way about him that you can tell that the relationships that he has cultivated along these Vietnamese backroads of life, are genuine. The Locals feel very at ease with him, and this is obviously to our advantage as that cultivation of friendships is easily passed along to us, his troop of travelers. We gain access and insight into the daily lives, and past histories of, these genuinely forthcoming folks.

                        ‘Grandma’ is 93-years old and as cute as button. She lives in this home that her son built for her as he cannot be around as much as he would like to help take care of her. The other reason that she has this place is her husband’s affiliation with the VC (Viet Cong) that underground organization here in South Vietnam whose sole purpose was to irradicate our soldiers and those of the South Vietnamese Army, from these very soils. Remember, this is still a Communist-based government that won their civil war. ( I wonder where we’d be if, in our own case, the South had defeated the North back during our Civil War in 1860’s?)

                        “To the victors belongs the spoils” could not be a more apropos statement in this case. From respect, to pensions, and special favors, the current government seeks to keep a separation of, and exultation of, that victory. She and her family are the benefactors of that position. But that was over sixty years ago and as we all know, unless a coup or other more immediate result/action takes place, these wheels of history turn at their own pace, but turn they do. I will tell you that the feeling that I get while here is that those wheels are moving a little faster now, lubricated by the once hated term of ‘capitalism’. That Red Capitalism that I spoke about previously is very, very much alive and the population can feel its effects. These feelings are the seeds of change that get planted and cultivated just like the peanut plants that are sitting underground under our feet. Who’d have ever thought that a group of Americans would be welcomed into a country that we once fought to have defeated or at least divided.

                        Our visit concluded, we scrambled (a relative term as we all are in that seniorly-challenged age group) back into our chariot and continued on. As we got closer to a point where we would rendezvous with our boat, we chanced upon a man with the cutest little water buffalo. Well, at least he looked kinda cute, I’m sure that his mom thought so, and apparently so did Phil. Always on the lookout for another experience for us Phil, called out to the man who was ‘working’ the young cutie around a small patch of land. We were encouraged to join the man and beast for introductions. The guy and his wife thought it was a hoot as they encouraged us to climb upon the critter to have photos taken. The lady even took off her typical conical hat and placed it on the ladies for this photo op. Their smiles and obvious enjoyment of our smiles and enjoyment were all the payment that was needed to help forge a meaningful relationship between our two cultures.

                        This is where the fun part of the evening started. Abandoning our wheeled vehicle, we trudged through the bayou on a well-worn path that led us to a questionable facsimile of what could be very loosely termed a ‘dock.’ Clambering aboard we were introduced to the ‘Skipper” for our less than Three-Hour Tour. It was still light out, but the sun had set as the Plan was unfolding on the waters in front of our bow.

Apparently, it is a custom to have a shot of whiskey, or in this case we ended up with a local Vodka which had a very nice flavor to it. This was my first introduction to Vodka, and it went rather well. …. but I will not be ruining any good Coca-Colas with additions of this libation. The usual toasts were given, and then consumed, with a few more added just to make sure that the boat, and fun, were underway.

In the distance, those lights that I referred to before were getting more and more distinct as we approached them, kind of sneaking in the back door of the party. That coveted cover of darkness was soon complete, insuring our acceptance into the Fleet of Fantasy. This was not the captains first cruise as we soon found ourselves surrounded by a squadron of incoming vessels that looked like a version of the swirling Teacups’ s at Disneyland. Each ‘saucer’ had its own coxswain, and it was worth it just to see us try and get aboard a vessel with no keel, no determinable center of gravity, and an incredibly shallow freeboard. These baskets are traditionally used down here to hold the gathered fish, or fronds, or whatever of what it is that is being harvested at the time.

                        They are somewhat unique to Hoi An, the city that we’re presently in, and they had their roots set down in the French Colonial era as the locals argued that they were not boats (which were taxable under French rule) but were simply baskets. Genius! These are still made the traditional way with strips of woven bamboo, but instead of being sealed with water buffalo dung, are sealed with a resin of sorts. The guys that pilot these baskets are quite skilled at spinning them around (hastening and heightening any lingering effects of our libationious toasts) and dancing around the edges which makes them sway and dip back and forth.

                        Dramamine anyone? 😊

                        No worries! No ‘ralphing’ occurred as the rides did not last long enough to garner the effects of the descripted motions. Safely back aboard we continued up the river to the sounds of ABBA  blaring out of some loudspeakers. I believe that some more Toasts to ABBA were given, and then consumed, because some dance-like behavior broke out amongst the crew and passengers.

We were soon safely woven into that rainbow like fabric of lanterns and lights that was now surrounding us. We were an integral part of the scene that was visible from the equally festive shoreline!

Up, and then back down the river we sailed until we arrived at our destination of the public dock, a few feet away from the equally festive Night Market. A stroll through this collection of live fish, cut produce, fried locals (food!) and ubiquitous chachkies, eventually led us to our Dinner Destination.

                        There is a very real part of us that longs for a good cheeseburger and fries as the steady diet of the local cuisine is taking its toll on us. It’s not that the local food is not good, its that we are trying in vain not to eat the seven-course extravaganza that gets spread out in front of us with acute regularity.

I could say that “It’s all the same”, but it is, in fact, not!  While the spring rolls, summer rolls, pork/bacon lollipop type things, bok choy-based salads, calamari, really good rice, and various beef and chicken dishes all have a familiar resemblance to previous editions, it seems that each place we go has its own iterations of the same. This makes us always say, “This is really good!’ and then the ensuing comparisons start being bantered about as each meal has its own advocate amongst us.

Translation: It just keeps getting better and better as we go along.  

            It was just a short amble to where our patient golf cart was waiting for us, and we arrived back across the river to our hotel just in time to make that night’s meeting of FOMO’s Anonymous.

                                    Everyone happily attended.

And then promptly signed up for the next unscheduled excursion.

Having never traveled with a Group before, all of this is a new experience for us. I cannot compare what, and how, we are experiencing with Overseas Adventure Travel with any other Tour group available.

                        I also cannot imagine that it could get any better! I guess if we had hired Personal Tourer just for Paula and me, it might be a little better, but then, a lot of the fun is being with these wonderful like-minded folks that only number fifteen in total.

                        The key to any group experience is the group leader. This person is at the same time a Class Mother, Chief Negotiator, Personal Shopper, Logistics Wizard, and all -around nice person, the kind that you want to be friends with, in a sincere sort of way.

                        Harold and Sherry have been expounding on the attributes of O.A.T. ever since we met them over three years ago. They have been trying to get us to join them on numerous trips that they have been on since our first meeting back then. We looked at Tuscany and Umbria, it looked nice, but we were hesitant….. I thought that we may be able to undertake this venture ourselves and we certainly could! Airfare, an Airbnb, car rental, it is all very possible and common, and yes, less expensive. I forget how much the possible difference was, but it doesn’t matter because we never pulled the trigger on that one…..yet!

                        As far as I can see, the biggest difference is the fact that we wouldn’t get Phil or one of his O.A.T. sidekicks. We wondered about this…. Phil is GOOD, very good at what he does. But in reality, just how good is he? So, I went to our source for all things travel related, especially O.A.T……. Sherry and Harold.

                        “Ok, you guys, you got us into this thing, and we still have that O.A.T. trip in April to Poland and the Baltics, just how good is Phil? How do the other Tour Leaders stack up against him? Because as far as we are concerned, he borders on Divine, but we do understand that he is our first encounter with an O.A.T. Tour Leader, so spill the beans, what can we expect?”

                        Sherry and Harold looked at each other, then back at us, smiled a knowing smile, and said….. “Phil is good, one of the best we’ve had, but he is also what you can expect from the Leader of any of the Groups from O.A.T.”

                        That in itself is a big enough statement, but when you consider that they have been on thirty-three(!) other O.A.T. tours over the last twenty or so years, then their message takes on a different tone and starts to resemble a Gospel-like aura to go along with the Leader Divinity that I just assigned to Phil.

                        This missive has its genesis in the fact that I need to catch up a bit and roll some days together, one of them being an interim fly-day. Vietnam is really long, a little over a thousand miles in total and when the objective is to cover as much as possible, increase the meaningful times and decrease the “sit on the bus” times, then traveling by air becomes a necessity. That means that Phil needs to shepherd (there’s another apropos Biblical inference 😊) all of us through a foreign airport several times as we need to take three internal flights even before exiting this country. We don’t even have our own copies of our Boarding Passes until they get distributed to us upon arrival. And when faced once more with the Line At The Counter, which is even longer than usual because the Tet holiday (Lunar New Year) is coming up quickly and everyone is traveling home….(think Thanksgiving or Christmas) and get this…. remember all those giant taped-up cardboard boxes that we encountered in Tokyo? Well, now we get to add in giant flowering trees (peach blossoms, etc.) that seem to be somewhat essential to a significant celebration. Yup, they get to come along for the flight also! It looks like a veritable forest of little Ents (if you are a Tolkien fan!) are flying to Gondor for vacation!

                        “But what to our wondering eyes should appear but a newly opened counter, with Phil there to steer…”.

                        Hey, I’m not askin! What happens in Hanoi, stays in Hanoi!  The next thing we know we’re all seated by the gate with Phil when he says, “Wait here.” He returned shortly with an armful of snacks that looked like they were purchased by a kid with a hundred-dollar bill before going on a road trip!

                        Well, they were, and we are, so let the snacking begin!

                        Arrivals at our hotels cannot go any smoother and the mantra of “Don’t worry, Phil has this all under control, just go up to the lobby and I’ll be there shortly” cannot ring truer, (he speaks in the Third Person) especially when somehow when we arrive at the lobby Phil is already there, luggage is on its way to our rooms and instructions for the morrow are being disseminated to us.

                        “Hey! Weren’t you just down by the bus and…..” as my voice trails off and Phil just smiles and says, “Have a goodly night’s rest Mr. Don, see you at breakfast”

                        And like the good little kids that we are, trundle ourselves upstairs and try to fall asleep…….. but all those snacks!

                        Anyway…… sorry for the digression, but I just had to sing a few verses of the Psalms of Phil, for obvious reasons! Here now, for your further viewing pleasures are a bunch of Photos that will highlight these past few days and give you another glimpse of what we are experiencing. I really hope that you enjoy them.

In no particular order…..

That’s it for now, lots of photos to come later!

In case you were wondering if this type of Immersive Experience disallows some “usual” aspects of traveling, like stopping at those Tourist Traps disguised as Bathroom Breaks…… you would happily be mistaken!

            The caveat is that we only stop at the really good (expensive!) ones!

            Take our trip to Ha Long Bay for example. Ha Long Bay is situated northeast of Hanoi, just past Hai Phong (Yes, that Haiphong, the one we used to pummel because it is such an important harbor). On our way there, located in a setting that was chosen specifically for its strategic location of BPB (Bladder Point Breaking) we found a service that we were happy to support. Inside this spotless facility we observed an organization that works with some folks over here that have many, and varied, disabilities. This is an Artist’s Colony of a different color, one that helps house those that don’t have homes to begin with, then training ensues, and when the new artist is ready, they start making these incredibly beautiful and detailed silk “paintings”. Upstairs here is a very nice restaurant, obviously catering to larger groups, but anyone can drop by either upstairs or down. The artists are of varying degrees of expertise, and their works are priced accordingly, with the amount of time to complete each one listed on the back along with other pertinent info. Luckily this type of purchase is easily transported as rolling up a fabric entity is rather easy to do!

                        Our destination was arrived at about two hours later, the seaside town of Tuan Chau. This town is the epitome of something that is very observable around here and that is the varying state(s) of construction and neglect that can be found sitting side by each, enough times to warrant a why….. boom and bust occupy the same block, with economics obviously the key factors here. One would think that a project would get finished before another one started but not here! I guess that having some government intervention in these projects is not helping their situation.

When we arrived here, we greeted by an empty harbor/marina as all of the other boats (which, we as yet, did not know that they existed) had already departed for the same location that would be ours, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Halong Bay. This archipelago is located directly off of the coast here and can be reached in under an hour, even in a plodding-along type “junk” that would be our overnight home here. The etymology of the word “junk” is long, Portuguese, and has absolutely nothing to do with the seaworthiness of said vessel!

                        One of the things that O.A.T. does well is source places to stay that appeal to us Westerners. Let’s face it….. while we love getting to see and interact and meet with all sorts of people, we are not interested in finding various stages of clean facilities either to take a shower in or sleep for the night. I can speak for many of us, and I know for a fact that if we wanted to have a “questionable hostel” experience then we would, but we don’t!  So, having an organization that has decades of experience honed by thousands of opinions and comments from their clients, well…. that just helps to make the future travels that much more of what we are looking for. This was evidenced by the boat that was ours for the day/night. The size was perfect, just enough staterooms for a group our size, which made it private. The bathrooms on board were three times the size of what we’ve found on Cruises, and the talented Staff was versed in all of the duties that they needed to switch hats for, from basic seaman to chef/mechanic, to Cabin Steward and navigator.

                        I do have to admit that the varying stages of inclement weather has started to affect us. Some nice bright blue skies would be the perfect tonic, but that elixir will have to wait because it won’t happen on this voyage. We were surrounded by murky mist which looks kind of interesting as these monothetic shapes materialize out of the distance, but it does not come close to what we could have experienced if the weather had been nicer!

                        Now for what you’ve all been waiting for…. This trips edition of Tectonic Effects We Have Known… aka, Oh No! Not that again!

No worries, this one’s easy!

                                    Critters Croak.

                                    Fall to the bottom.

                                    Solidify.

                                    Make limestone.

                                    Water levels rise and fall.

                                    Erode.

                                    Humans come in the future to gawk at the results!

            Now, that wasn’t so bad now was it? 😊

I will need to resort to my pinch-hitting ally, the Internet, in order to supply you with what this place looks like normally, but you will still get the mysteriously inviting pics that represent what we experienced also.

Back in port the next day at noon and then off to head to the airport and the central Vietnam city of Hue where more adventures await! Don’t forget to check in and get your Boarding Pass as the next few days promise better weather down there!