tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62686326143261434102024-02-19T07:37:15.739-08:00The Palouse CabooseMotorcycling, travel, idle musings and observationsAlan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-17623712978252103582022-07-20T18:00:00.002-07:002022-07-20T18:00:15.691-07:00Photos<p> I’m having trouble posting photos. Many are rotated 90 degrees. Photos are uploaded to my Smugmug account here - </p><p>View my photos at: https://smithee.smugmug.com/Alaska-Cruise-2022</p><p><br /></p>Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-43568810585212185472022-07-18T16:50:00.003-07:002022-07-19T13:26:20.817-07:00Headed to Ketchikan<p> Relatively quiet seas today. We awoke to cloudy skies, about 15 miles west of Vancouver Island. Now headed into Queen Charlotte Sound. We should be in Alaskan waters around 2:00 am, and arrive Ketchikan 6:00 am. No excursions planned for the day. Probably just explore the town. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-X-_HtMKAD_kbXHptIgfyhmI8aH_VR91zfYx2a1SD-b9UUYGUs3f0jkYyeEPzLN57NIAENy4bGxgRv3xd82lCfFl1j2huXHUXJRb8o27-oySXiy3hEuYlNJLe5XFzZy8XSYhJRN-2vVF8RjkUgwG8XDITr_UYWfPswsBShnUGHkOmoiTFtNeWP5t/s320/F9533FCC-8247-4EAE-84BA-42536DE46266.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="147" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6-X-_HtMKAD_kbXHptIgfyhmI8aH_VR91zfYx2a1SD-b9UUYGUs3f0jkYyeEPzLN57NIAENy4bGxgRv3xd82lCfFl1j2huXHUXJRb8o27-oySXiy3hEuYlNJLe5XFzZy8XSYhJRN-2vVF8RjkUgwG8XDITr_UYWfPswsBShnUGHkOmoiTFtNeWP5t/s1600/F9533FCC-8247-4EAE-84BA-42536DE46266.png" width="147" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Edit -</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Arrived Ketchikan around 5:30 am. The weather is pleasant, partly sunny, temps in the low 60’s. No excursions planned for today, so we took out time, had breakfast on the ship, then got off to wander and explore. Went down to Creek Street, the old red light district that now is souvenir shops. In fact, the whole area around the cruise docks are one giant souvenir mart. Had a beer at the Arctic Bar, then headed back to the ship. I’m having trouble adding photos. They all are rotated 90 degrees left. I’ll try uploading them to Smugmug. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-535513263342484482022-07-17T21:49:00.004-07:002022-07-18T06:32:33.464-07:00Day One on Alaska Cruise<p> On our way! We boarded around 1:00 pm and the ship departed Seattle at 3:30 pm. Spent some of the afternoon exploring the ship. We are currently in the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. Going to turn north and head up to the west of Vancouver Island. Hopefully the seas won’t be too rough. A few photos from today - </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmce5dpsLN70J3sBUp35XlCsJkSbpE5wb9F4Um8cNWzY57pE5jQLNDHUsjFUaqigOwT9L-4QruCAFuNtnYdJ5rpqvzQ46TI_hQM9O9AG9KOhtV9m0My4WoejWoji9vGIhPrHUc5tDLL58l8aQfl1VrEtS5Y-hXBk7k_LJYDTjrC5rEKeTFKTKOcpk/s640/9C6C5836-4A1B-4F22-81F4-8AC8754C4288.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAmce5dpsLN70J3sBUp35XlCsJkSbpE5wb9F4Um8cNWzY57pE5jQLNDHUsjFUaqigOwT9L-4QruCAFuNtnYdJ5rpqvzQ46TI_hQM9O9AG9KOhtV9m0My4WoejWoji9vGIhPrHUc5tDLL58l8aQfl1VrEtS5Y-hXBk7k_LJYDTjrC5rEKeTFKTKOcpk/s320/9C6C5836-4A1B-4F22-81F4-8AC8754C4288.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJYprqlhCH1aKxc6CFsTcyhVDhXsrGtdCEUMJSPB7rgdUIPH5tHl-D9_UJWdDas1IxN2es70LiqT2hp-o9u57XrQRZoGynP0eFJKEXTz-Wa9lCpEv89tZujxjOmeUVs4j5aGW-utRt7lFtLC3MAhmUx_GQL4Opdd1nmggvTK4VjFWCAdvI0KwuWsQ/s640/F17595C7-732F-4951-A8F4-344A4B3C417E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJYprqlhCH1aKxc6CFsTcyhVDhXsrGtdCEUMJSPB7rgdUIPH5tHl-D9_UJWdDas1IxN2es70LiqT2hp-o9u57XrQRZoGynP0eFJKEXTz-Wa9lCpEv89tZujxjOmeUVs4j5aGW-utRt7lFtLC3MAhmUx_GQL4Opdd1nmggvTK4VjFWCAdvI0KwuWsQ/s320/F17595C7-732F-4951-A8F4-344A4B3C417E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPZrIBBiFcTpwVl_9yltoSh3tIJlZE55_kSQ3Zvzol6urpJhDrXgmYNitx6E-147g8oEFetHvGb04p9z4P90I2R7pj6o0fuNxTFsJboqMoDb2uE9C5nwLHgKdYfM2Q7LalPhyP0bob5vqujQsq2bBmfN6wEBwko-V7xK9g8b7daQPu2wPZc__1A2P/s640/0F435894-D72B-4C28-B618-31D3888C929D.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPZrIBBiFcTpwVl_9yltoSh3tIJlZE55_kSQ3Zvzol6urpJhDrXgmYNitx6E-147g8oEFetHvGb04p9z4P90I2R7pj6o0fuNxTFsJboqMoDb2uE9C5nwLHgKdYfM2Q7LalPhyP0bob5vqujQsq2bBmfN6wEBwko-V7xK9g8b7daQPu2wPZc__1A2P/s320/0F435894-D72B-4C28-B618-31D3888C929D.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqmSBGb0hCrBpFLsl3Y882hEQu3ClFxxokf_C8TLsYEapFbMzX8jIQQBw8MRSvan3AqgexxjtyJ7IuG6NtE_HMT0JkRg77MeSMVFzsi3lEdb5jBP9TJ9iB-LRN0WAxn9jPQO058GTehAAmF1pWYjEy1CI0nbaT12d4fmLo05vu27B2cyeHnlK_gl2/s640/42B5823B-3413-47C1-871A-6344655B8816.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqmSBGb0hCrBpFLsl3Y882hEQu3ClFxxokf_C8TLsYEapFbMzX8jIQQBw8MRSvan3AqgexxjtyJ7IuG6NtE_HMT0JkRg77MeSMVFzsi3lEdb5jBP9TJ9iB-LRN0WAxn9jPQO058GTehAAmF1pWYjEy1CI0nbaT12d4fmLo05vu27B2cyeHnlK_gl2/s320/42B5823B-3413-47C1-871A-6344655B8816.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-50135876936044066272022-07-17T07:04:00.000-07:002022-07-17T07:04:01.750-07:00Four hours to embarkation. Next stop, Ketchikan. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rvL_mn6lMA19ONQJPOAZKB5GqOT2q8WnO4HUuY8qwuf4L5zwD9QL9E5wpLI9h0RBqXzyCSdoKNC_7_l1nBX8cWl9-TGfr4Ta6w2nEtn4erFg6G_8EcK9148Xq-g1mHoqz-LYY-n0OORx4SZkLB7ZDugs9FMXn_nlFr31l_DzOdNg9HBMD81zH5Eb/s2048/609501F9-4AA1-4AAA-82F9-018AE02CA9FF.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rvL_mn6lMA19ONQJPOAZKB5GqOT2q8WnO4HUuY8qwuf4L5zwD9QL9E5wpLI9h0RBqXzyCSdoKNC_7_l1nBX8cWl9-TGfr4Ta6w2nEtn4erFg6G_8EcK9148Xq-g1mHoqz-LYY-n0OORx4SZkLB7ZDugs9FMXn_nlFr31l_DzOdNg9HBMD81zH5Eb/s320/609501F9-4AA1-4AAA-82F9-018AE02CA9FF.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-36194283827414167592019-02-10T19:26:00.000-08:002019-02-11T02:25:47.818-08:00Kampong Cham, On the Mekong RiverToday was a 5 hour drive from our Homestay in Chambok to <span style="background-color: yellow;">Kampong Cham </span>on the Mekong River, north of Phnom Penh. Perhaps as a reward for having done the Homestay we are staying at a quite nice hotel with a beautiful view of the Mekong River.<br />
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Yesterday’s track:<br />
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A bit about the town: <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampong_Cham_(city)">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampong_Cham_(city)</a><br />
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After a shower and some rest time, Dylan, Paul, Kenan, Herb and I met behind the hotels for a bicycle ride. It turned out to be about 20 km which, in this heat, was a task. But it was worth it. We headed to the bamboo bridge, a bridge over the Mekong made entirely of woven bamboo slats. It is at least 300 meters long. The bridge washes away each wet season and is rebuilt when the waters subside. It was a little unnerving riding a bicycle across the rattling clattering bridge.<br />
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On the other side we continued into the village. There was house after house built on stilts. The occasional cow wandered into the road. The kids were a kick. They’d see us coming and run up and yell “Hello!!!” We in turn would yell “Hello!!” back. Some would hold their hands out for a high- or low-five. <br />
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We rode past a Buddhist temple, and out into the country past corn and tobacco fields. We looped back to town on a partial dirt track, saw a herd of goats being brought in for the night. Then it was back across the bamboo bridge and back to the hotel, where we cooled down then met for dinner at the rooftop restaurant. I had shrimp and squid with vermicelli. Excellent!!!<br />
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Tomorrow, Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat temple complex.<br />
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*Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0Krong Kampong Cham, Cambodia11.9924294 105.4645408000000111.930299900000001 105.38385980000001 12.0545589 105.54522180000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-43418111273598656102019-02-09T13:00:00.000-08:002019-02-11T02:24:46.380-08:00Photos from ChambokAs promised, here are the photos from the Homestay. More at Smugmug - <a href="https://smithee.smugmug.com/Travel/SE-Asia">https://smithee.smugmug.com/Travel/SE-Asia</a><br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0Wat Chambok, ឃុំ វល្លិសរ, Cambodia11.4775117 104.56422870000006-18.736364299999998 63.255634700000059 41.6913877 145.87282270000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-52969371861902354582019-02-09T12:00:00.000-08:002019-02-11T02:23:34.259-08:00Chambok HomestayWe departed Shianoukville on a private 16-seat bus at 9:00 am Thursday, February 8, headed for a Homestay at Chambok. The ride, by private 16-seat bus, took about 5 hours. Chambok is a rural farming community of about 900 families, maybe 4,000 people spread over the entire area. Most farming centers on rice, mangos and similar crops. The area is promoting Ecotourism, with a number of Khmer stilt houses designated for Homestay. About the community: https://chambok.org<br />
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Upon arrival, we met the families we would be staying with in two houses and inspected the dogs. Pretty basic. Each room was fitted with 5 or 6 pads on the floor, covered with mosquito netting. After getting oriented, we took a stroll through the neighborhood with our guide Jae, after which we took the bus to the community center where we had an orientation talkmby a delightful young lady who works for the organization. Thereafter, she led 5 of us on a trek through the jungle to a stream and waterfall. There were huge, VW Van sized,boulders in the stream bed. Our quote told us they’d washed down last rainy season when a dam upstream failed. We got to an area where some serious scrambling over boulders was required. I opted to wait there as I didn’t want to chance a slip or twist of the ankle (I’d save that for later. More on that in a subsequent post). Reports were that the waterfall was quite impressive, with a pool where some swam at the base. <br />
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Back at the visitor center and we hung around and then were fed a meal by our hosts. After that there was a dance show put on by the local,kids. Very entertaining, and they were all so cute with big smiles. Of course, as with kids everywhere, there were a couple cut-ups in the group. After that it was back to our Homestay houses, which were next door to each other. We met, at one with the owners and the owner of the other one for questions and answers. Most people in the village attend school only up to 9th grade. Most have not traveled far from their village in their lifetimes. They asked us about our lives, whether there is farming where we come from, what it’s,like to live there.<br />
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After out get-together we all turned in. In the morning, the consensus was no one had slept very well. I’m a side sleeper and the thin pad didn’t provide much cushion for my bony hips. Paul, who,was in the bed next night greeted me in the morning with, “You’re a bloody loud bastard.” Apparently my snoring kept him awake.<br />
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We headed back to the community center for a breakfast of coffee, eggs and fried rice, after which we piled back into the bus for the 6 hour trip to Kampong Cham, on the Mekong River. Factoid – the Mekong is the longest River in Asia.<br />
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I am having trouble uploading photos to this post. I will try with a new post. Hint to self - an iPad is great, but not a substitute for a laptop.<br />
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Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0Wat Chambok, ឃុំ វល្លិសរ, Cambodia11.4775117 104.56422870000006-18.736364299999998 63.255634700000059 41.6913877 145.87282270000006tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-60651532143836288152019-02-08T15:54:00.000-08:002019-02-11T02:22:45.346-08:00ShianoukvilleWe left Phnom Penh at 8:00 am on Tuesday February 5. The trip was by public bus and took about 6-7 hours, including stops and allowing for bad traffic. Once in Shianoukville we checked into the July Anna Guesthouse, which is about 100 yards from the beach. Unfortunately, getting to the beach was a good 10 minute walk because Chinese developers have put up high-end resorts between the guesthouse and beach. In fact, Chinese money is everywhere. They are buying the town, making everything much more expensive for the locals. <br />
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Notwithstanding the high-end resorts, there was trash everywhere. It is worse than anything I have seen in Mexico. Plastic bottles, sheets of plastic, plastic bags, construction debris, paper cups, all manner of junk and crap all over the place. It is embedded in the road bed. Very discouraging to see that there does not appear to be any concern, much less consciousness on the part of the Cambodian people about the levels of trash in their countryside. Perhaps once the Chinese finish their build-out of the town out as a luxury resort destination, the appearance will change, but at the moment it is very sad to see what should be an idyllic paradise spoiled by trash everywhere.<br />
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Next day, Wednesday, February 6, we hired a boat and went to two islands in the Gulf of Thailand. It was a traditional Cambodian boat, probably 25’ long and powered by two engines that each had a long propellor shaft and a 2 bladed propellor on the end. Our driver was Lewis, no doubt an anglicized name, and Krom, a young man of about 24 who speaks excellent Eng<br />
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First stop was Koah Chanloh, where we anchored and snorkeled off the boat. The water was pleasantly warm. There were about 6 other Native boats with tourists aboard, snorkeling and generally hanging out. After leaving Koah Chanloh, we left for a 20 minute ride to Koah Ta Kiev, where we pulled up to the shore and got off in 2’ of water.<br />
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Lewis set to making a fire while some of us played a game of frisbee in the water. Lewis and Krom worked on lunch, Krom slicing vegetables and Lewis heating a large pot of peanut oil on the fire then adding boneless chicken breasts to it. It was an excellent lunch. After more lazing on the beach, the consensus was to head back to the guest house, so we pushed off for the half hour ride back to shore. <br />
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That night 5 others and I went out to dinner at the Secret Garden, a restaurant in the beach. For a change, I decided to have fish and chips, which were excellent. Then it was back to the guesthouse and to bed as we had an early start in the morning for a Homestay in Chambok.<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0Sihanoukville, Cambodia10.7581899 103.82162618.7611029 101.2398391 12.7552769 106.40341310000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-43562222295333856152019-02-06T03:15:00.002-08:002019-02-06T03:18:31.325-08:00One Minute at the Corner of Preah Ang Makhak Vann Street and Preah Sisowath QuayThe evening of February 4, I engaged in one of my favorite activities - sitting at a busy street corner - and watching the world go by. Here is a minute at the corner of Preah Ang Makhak Vann Street and Preah Sisoweth Quay in Phnom Penh. Notice something different from the Saigon video? No one is honking horns.<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-66977032499793762932019-02-06T02:38:00.003-08:002019-02-06T02:38:55.382-08:00Reminder About PhotosA reminder. I may not be able to keep up with posts, but I am trying to upload photos daily to my Smugmug account. I’m not editing them or culling out the bad ones. Just uploading. I’ll add captions later.
The link is here: https://smithee.smugmug.com/Travel/SE-Asia/
Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-34422740022347772562019-02-06T01:59:00.002-08:002019-02-06T01:59:27.652-08:00Day 2 - Phnom Penh - The Killing Fields and S-21 PrisonThis is a placeholder post where I will update with my thoughts about our visit to Choeng Ed, The Killing Fields - where 20,000 people were executed by the Khmer Rouge and buried in mass graves, and the infamous S-21 prison, where prisoners were held to extract “confessions” before they were taken to Choeng Ek to be executed. Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-91972140418577274732019-02-05T00:14:00.000-08:002019-02-05T00:20:58.735-08:00First Night in Phnom PenhWe arrived at the guesthouse in Phnom Penh sometime after 4:00 pm. Got our room assignments and went to settle in. The guesthouse was basic, but with decent sized rooms . The bed was significantly more comfortable than the rock at the Blessing Saigon Hotel where I’d spent the previous night.<br />
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We regrouped in the lobby, and our guide, Jae, led us around the area to see the sights and get familiar with the area. We walked past street food stands serving up such treats as fresh water snails, chicken feet, and battered, fried frogs (whole). Jae assisted a couple in the group to exchange money and to buy Cambodian SIM cards for their phones. I’d left About 1,500,000 VND at the room so could not exchange them for $US. Maybe tomorrow. I don’t need a SIM because T-Mobile gives me unlimited texting and unlimited data.<br />
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We looped around and strolled along the waterfront along the Tonlé Sap River, which drains Tonlé Sap Lake, reportedly the 4th largest freshwater lake in SE Asia. The sun was going down and sightseeing boats were cruising the river. It was all quite beautiful.<br />
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We went to a restaurant Jae recommended, where I had a bowl of Khmer seafood curry. Tasteful, but not nearly as spicy as Thai curry can be. After that we strolled past the Royal Palace the King, I was informed, is 66 and one of the richest men in the region. Where did I go wrong? After that a few of us went in search of a bar that would open at 6:30 am so we could watch the Super Bowl. No success. Paul, Joe and Dylan stayed downtown at one of the bars that had outside seating and I made my way back to the guesthouse and bed.<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0Phnom Penh, Cambodia11.5563738 104.9282098999999611.0586033 104.28276289999995 12.054144299999999 105.57365689999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-39042837746557178062019-02-04T08:05:00.000-08:002019-02-04T19:18:10.058-08:00Leaving SaigonOf course I woke up early. As in 3:30 am early. I tossed and turned and could not get back to sleep so by 4 something I turned on the light and read some. I took a shower. Brushed my teeth. Repacked my bags. <br />
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I had googled hours at Ben Tanh Market and knew they opemed at 6:30 am. So at 6:25 am I headed out to the market for breakfast. I found a stand that looked promising and ordered Pho Ca and an iced Vietnamese coffee. It was excellent!!! After breakfast, it was back to the hotel where we gathered at 7:45 am. Big bags were put in two pedicabs and then we,walked to the bus stop, We were relieved to find that the bus was a big diesel with air conditioning Ning and WiFi. It turned out, although it was designated a public bus, in reality it was a private bus with two tour groups as passengers.<br />
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We left at about 8:45 am for the 8 hour ride to Phnom Penh.<br />
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The bus ride was long, but relatively comfortable, at least until the last couple hours.<br />
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At the border, we stopped to process out of Vietnam and into Cambodia. Once in the no man’s land between the two countries, I bought a raspberry smoothie to cool me down.<br />
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Shortly after crossing into Cambodia, we stopped at a roadside restaurant. I was not hungry so got a beer instead. We noticed immediately a difference from Vietnam. The roadside was much dustier. The area is obviously poorer. There are little roadside stands selling goods along the way. Some have bottles of gasoline to sell to passing drivers. Houses are built on stilts often. Perhaps due to flooding of the Mekong River. There was a lot of litter along the roadside - plastic bottles, food wrappers, all sort of stuff.<br />
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There was some scooter traffic on the road, some hauling trailers loaded with goods. The bus would honk and they’d move over so we could pass. <br />
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We came to the Mekong. Someone said it is the 4th longest rover in the world. I believe it. <br />
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Next stop Phnom Penh Cambodia.<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-56430436820672416852019-02-03T18:00:00.000-08:002019-02-04T07:37:00.003-08:00Meeting the GroupI lounged in my room at Townhouse 50 until 5:00 pm, when it was time to head to the Saigon Blessing Hotel to meet the Intrepid Travel Tour Group. Erik had arranged a Grab car (Vietnamese Uber) for me. It was interesting threading Saigon traffic from inside the protection of a car. <br />
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I got checked in and at 6:00 pm headed to the restaurant to meet the group. There I met our group leader, Yoeup Chhoem, aka Jae, and the others began to filter in. The group, exclusive of Jae, consists of: me, of course, Dylan, a recent high school who is traveling Asia and NZ solo for 6 months, Luke, an early 20s Brit, Paul, a retired Brit, John, in his 50s, from Maine, Herbert, 70 something, from Germany, Andrew, an electrical engineering grad from Pittsburg, Ghengis and Kenan, two Turks somewhere in their 40s, and Kylann and Naomi, two early 20s girls from Melbourne, and Laura, 58, from LA. Ghengis, Kenan, Kylann, Naomi, Paul and Luke were just fresh off an Intrepid trip from Hanoi to Saigon.<br />
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That’s my group who I’ll be traveling and dining with for the next 12 days.<br />
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Next, leaving for Phnom Penh Cambodia.Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam10.8230989 106.62966389.8247624 105.33877030000001 11.8214354 107.9205573tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-67511796627045282019-02-03T16:03:00.000-08:002019-02-04T02:58:57.820-08:00Saigon, Day 2, February 2, 2019I got up early again, around 6:30 am and went down to the lobby and waited for the cook to show up on her scooter. Once she arrived she served up an omelette, which I supplemented with a baguette, watermelon and Vietnamese coffee. After breakfast, I headed out again on foot. By now, I’d learned the art/skill of crossing the street. You wait for a letup in the traffic (it never totally clears) then walk deliberately out into the street, wagging your hand at the scooters and cars. Somehow they manage to part way and avoided hitting me. I headed down Nguyen Thi Minh Kai, skirting the Tao Dan Cultural Park to Pasteur. <br />
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Once I got to Pasteur, I realized I was close to the Reunification Palace, and decided to stroll through. The Palace, if you can call it that, is a 1960s style building that President Diem had commissioned to replace the historic, French-built Palace of the Governor General, built in 1868. It was the site of headquarters for Japanese occupying forces during WWII. In 1962, during the early days of the Vietnam War, two disaffected ARVN Air Force piloted decided to drop load of bombs on the palace instead of the Intended Viet Cong target. It seems Diem was not appreciated by everyone in S. Vietnam. This aborted assassination att mot destroyed the entire left wing of the palace. Diem commissioned a new structure, but he was the subject of a successful this time assassination before he could see it to completion. Rumor has it in some circles that the American CIA had a hand in the deed.<br />
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At any rate, I paid my $40,000 Dong and proceeded to tour the building. It very much has a 1960s vibe to it, with more than a little ostentatious opulence. The rooms are large and designed,mainly for meetings, entertaining heads of state and general governmental hobnobbing by high officials who had a high impression of themselves. The top floor has private residences that are arranged around a courtyard. There is a bunker in the basement that house a war room, communications gear, and a bedroom for the President.<br />
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After leaving the Reunification Palace, I headed down Pasteur and went to the Vietcong Center Shopping Mall. This mall is as nice as you’d find in the United States. Very modern with lots of glass and chrome. Stores like Shisheido, Adidas, Nike, Ecco and similar. There were a fair number of well off looking Birtnamese shopping there. It was a real contrast to the poverty in other parts of the City. I bought a pair of flip flops in the Old Navy store for the equivalent of $3.00. Probably could have gotten them for half that at Ben Tanh Market.<br />
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After Vincom, I went to Ben Tanh Market and got another Mango smoothie, after which I along the way, I walked past groups of people sitting on the sidewalk working on shoes, at first, I thought they were repairing them, but on closer examination they were actually making shoes. IBack at the hotel, I paid for late departure at 5:00 pm and went to my room to pack and get ready to transfer to the hotel,where I would meet the tour group at 6:00 pm.<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-57768846959815057482019-02-02T16:33:00.001-08:002019-02-03T15:14:15.241-08:00First Day in SaigonI got a little ahead of myself with the posts. <br />
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I woke the morning of February 1, had breakfast of an omelette, baguette and watermelon, then went out to explore. Bui Thi Xuan, the street my hotel is on, runs right into Tao Dan Cultural Park. The park is a part of a string of sites that extend east for several blocks, ending with the Reunification Palace, the former home of South Vietnam’s presidents Diem, who was assassinated, and Thieu. I paid my 30,000 Vietnam Dong for a ticket and strolled through. The park was full of food vendors and exhibits of flowers and bonsai trees. I have no idea whether this is an all time thing or because it is Tet, the Vietnamese New Year. There were lots of <span style="background-color: yellow;">families strolling </span>about taking selfies with their smartphones.<br />
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I wandered through the park and on past the grounds of the Reunification Palace. Hung a right a block after Pasteur Street and went by the Norte Dame Cathedral, Central Post Office and City Hall. After that I worked my way over to he Ben Tanh Market, built in 1872 by the French, where I got an excellent Mango Smoothie for $0.87. Such a value!!! </div>
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After all that, I was late morning. Returned to he hotel for a nap before heading to the Pham Ngu Lao backpacker area. Dinn that night was Koreans the restaurant next to the hotel ok, but not great. </div>
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Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-79458440693142164222019-02-02T01:07:00.001-08:002019-02-02T01:07:53.418-08:00One Minute at the Corner of Pham Ngo Lao and De ThamI got myself an outside table and people watched for the better part of an hour while having a couple San Miguels.<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-81645670328877984862019-02-01T21:43:00.002-08:002019-02-01T21:46:44.560-08:00Photo Link And Reunification PalaceGreetings. Day two in Saigon or, as they call it now, Ho Chi Minh City. I’m taking lots of photos. Too many to post here in fact. Head on over to my Smugmug page for this trip to access them. I’m not sorting or organizing at this point. Just doing a big dump of whatever I take. <br />
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The high point today (aside from the $0.86 Mango Smoothie I picked up in the Ben Tanh Market) was touring the Reunification Palace. It is the very much 60’s style building that housed President Diem and later Thieu after Diem was assassinated. It was that building that the North Vietnamese tanks surrounded when Saigon fell in 1975. Here’s what Wicki says about it:<br />
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<a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Palace">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Palace</a><br />
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A photo: <br />
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More at photos at the Smugmug link:<br />
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<a href="https://smithee.smugmug.com/Travel/SE-Asia" target="_blank">David’s Smugmug Photos</a><br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-73151576014623123182019-02-01T03:45:00.002-08:002019-02-01T03:46:19.357-08:00Hong Kong and Last Leg To Saigon1As noted, I had a 3 hour layover in Hong Kong. We had stayed ahead of sunset until shortly before arrival, but on arriving it was dark and I could only barely make out the outlines of the mountains (if that’s what you call them) on the Kowloon Peninsula. I had a three hour layover, so checked into the American Express Centurion lounge, where I recharged the batteries with a bit of food and a Botany Gin on the rocks. Oh, and a glass of Prosecco as well. <br />
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I chatted briefly with a guy who was headed to India, which he told me was about a 6 hour flight from Hong Kong. After 13 hours, 6 hours seems like nothing<br />
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I headed down to the gate and eventually boarded my flight to SGN. <br />
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The flight was about 2 3/4 hours and was totally full. It was an Airbus A300 with 2-4-2 seating. I had the window at 64A. Visited some with my seat mate, a Vietnamese woman who was returning from somewhere, the location of which I never determined. <br />
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I dubbed this flight the Crying Baby Flight, as there were about three of them in my section.<br />
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The flight arrived on time at 12:10 am. I cleared immigration easily, having gotten my 30 day tourist visa in advance from the Embassy in Washington, DC. The checked bag took longer. They were unloading from two full flights and I stood nervously as bag after bag, box after box, came down the conveyor belt (it seems when the Vietnamese travel they like to bring back consumer goods. There were lots of boxes - Home Depot and a Porter Cable box come to mind - all taped, strapped and hermetically sealed coming down the b LT until, finally, by bag appeared. <br />
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I finally got my Osprey travel backpack and headed for the throng outside the arrival area to meet my driver, who was holding up a sign with my name on it. I arrived at Town House 50, my home for the next two days sometime after one, and got checked into my room. It’s a large room with Queen bed and, thankfully, air conditioning. Cost, you ask? $24/night. I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator in the lobby and said,”put it on my bill please.” <br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-18621141422966796852019-02-01T03:20:00.002-08:002019-02-02T00:11:58.374-08:00Flying to Hong KongMy flight to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacifoc left on time. 1:10 pm on the 30th. Total airtime was something like 13 hours, but who’s counting? I was in economy at the back of the plane, my preferred location. Equipment was a Boeing 777-300, with 3-4-3 seating. I was in the middle section, on the aisle - 64D - so I could get up and roam. The flight was not full, and the seat next to me was empty, so I was not crowded. They treat the steerage passengers pretty well on Cathay Pacific. Two hot meals and I got free wine with meals. The food was, well, airline food, but it was heads and shoulders above what you get on United.<br />
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I was surprised most of the flight was over land. We headed up to Alaska, over the Aleutian Islands and south over Russia, a corner of Mongolia and China, finally on to an on-time arrival at Hong Kong International at 6:30 PM on the 31st. There’s that pesky International Date Line at work again.<br />
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Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-68801920505469755992019-01-30T09:10:00.001-08:002019-01-30T09:10:39.230-08:00A Journey of 7,616 miles Starts with a Single StepWith apologies to Lao Tzu.<br />
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Well, I’m off for SE Asia. I left overcast Walla Walla on the 1:35 pm flight yesterday. Got over the Cascades and the weather cleared. All the mountains were out and visible - Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, and of course, Rainier. <br />
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I had a three hour layover in Seattle, so ducked into the AMEX Centurion lounge for some food and refreshments. The viewto the south was stunning.<br />
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The twilight flight to Vancouver was amazing with the clear winter skies and views of the San Juan Islands. I cLearned immigration at YVR and made it to the Westin Grand on Robson zstreet via the Canada Line light rail. Took a stroll down Robson street this morning to grab a last American (Canadian?) breakfast of eggs and bacon with some potatoes as well for a guilty carb loaded pleasure.<br />
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Robson Street is the typical upscale city street, with stores like Nike, Ferraragamo, Best Buy, Victoria’s Secret, the occasional Starbucks and the ubiquitous Tim Hortons that you see everywhere in Canada. Nearly every block had homeless sleeping in doorways, and as the city came awake on my walk back to the hotel they were gathering their things up to move who knows where. It was a real contrast to the upscale feel to the street. It seems every big city (and the smaller ones as well) have their issues with homelessness. <br />
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Now, it’s off to catch the train and head for the airport and 22 or so hours of travel to Ho Chi Minh City.<br />
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DidAlan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-51098939187890972342019-01-24T21:01:00.001-08:002019-01-24T21:01:17.140-08:00Taxi or Hotel Pickup?So, my flight to SGN arrives at 12:10 am on Feb. 1. I am reserved that night and the next at Saigon Town House 50. They have airport pickup for $17 USD, about 395,000 VND. I can get a cab from the airport for about 220,000 VND, or $9.50. <br />
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Save $7.50 and chance a taxi scam or get a sure ride at 1:00 am to my hotel and a clean bed? I’ll take the hotel ride. Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-71664393109503787602018-12-11T15:32:00.001-08:002018-12-11T15:32:01.875-08:00How Do You Spell Relief? Seat Assignment!I booked my flight to Saigon on Cathay Pacific way back last September. I got a great rate of $705 from Vancouver - Hong Kong - Saigon, then returning Bangkok - Hong Kong - Vancouver. Because I snagged an ultra budget class ticket, I wasn't able to make seat selections for the flights when I booked. I read on the Cathay Pacific website that they were rolling out a plan gradually to allow fliers to pay for seat assignments, but every time I checked my reservation, I was unable to select seats . . . . until yesterday. Yesterday I checked the reservation and Walla! there was an option available to select seats. <br />
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I made it easy for myself - I booked 64D on the flight to Hong Kong. The plane is a 777 and has a 3-4-3 seating configuration. 64D is the aisle seat on the middle section. I figure I'll only have one person in the adjacent seat wanting to access the aisle whereas if I was in the three seat configuration, I'd have two people periodically scrambling over me to access the restroom or to stretch during the 14 hour flight.<br />
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My home for the 3 hour HKG - SGN flight will be 64A, window seat. The equipment is Airbus 300, so seating is 2-4-2. It's only a 2 hr 45 min flight, so the window seat should be fine.<br />
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BKK - HKG, it's back in 64A again.<br />
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Then, for the long haul back from HKG to Vancouver, I'm back in old familiar aisle seat, 64D.<br />
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All of this cost me the princely sum of $108, but you can't put a price on comfort, especially on a 14 hour trans-Pacific flight.<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-15794095759056718072018-12-05T21:55:00.000-08:002018-12-05T21:55:00.447-08:00Travel ArrangementsDid I mention I decided to go on vacation this winter? Back in September, I booked a two week trip with Intrepid Travel, to Cambodia. Intrepid specializes in small group tours - 10-12 people max. I have never been a tour person, but a small group tour sounds interesting. They hire local guides who know their locale. The tour leaves Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) February 2 and travels to Pnom Penh, Cambodia, then Sihanoukville, on the coast, then a home stay with a local family, and then on to Siem Reap and the temples at Angkor Wat. The tour ends in Bangkok. <br />
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I am flying Cathay Pacific, arriving in Saigon at about 12:20 am on Feb. 1. I ave reservations at the Townhouse 50 Saigon for my first two nights there. <br />
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Looks pretty good for $35 per night.</div>
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On the evening of the 2nd I will join up with the tour group at a hotel about a 10 minute walk away.<br />
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Pham Ngu Lao Street in District 1:<br />
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What Hotels.com says about the neighborhood:<br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto light"; font-size: 16px;">Pham Ngu Lao Street in Ho Chi Minh City is on the western edge of District 1 and is renowned as the place where most backpacking travellers stay during their holiday. A 25-minute taxi ride from Tan Sot Nhat International Airport, it comprises numerous lanes and back alleys though the main thoroughfares include Pham Ngu Lao, De Tham, Bui Vien, and Do Quang Dao streets. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto light"; font-size: 16px;">Set along these alleyways are western-style restaurants, coffee shops, and international bars, countless tour companies and kiosks, affordable motels, hostels and guesthouses (as well as many of the so-called ‘mini-hotel’ buildings usually with six to seven floors, rarely offering an elevator), internet cafes, pharmacies, and souvenir-and-craft shops. Pham Ngu Lao Street is not limited to only low-budget travellers. Its own unique vibe draws people from everywhere due to its close proximity to prominent landmarks in Ho Chi Minh City. As there is always something going on in Pham Ngu Lao Street, many visitors prefer to enjoy local street food or people-watching while enjoying the incredibly cheap bia hoi draught beer on the roadside.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #404040; font-family: "roboto light"; font-size: 16px;">Read more at: http://www.vietnam-guide.com/ho-chi-minh-city/pham-ngu-lao.htm?cid=ch:OTH:001</span><br />
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Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268632614326143410.post-61866514018439096792018-10-17T21:05:00.001-07:002018-10-17T21:05:13.235-07:00Day 4 - Sunday - Heading HomeAfter our excursion to the Mall, I went back to the Westin for a nap. I had screwed up when I made the reservation at the Marriott and had put in a checkout date of Saturday. Doh!!! When I tried to extend one more day they wanted to charge me something like $190/night for all three nights. Not going there. So I booked Saturday night at the Westin, just across the street, for $90. That necessitated checking out a Saturday morning and storing my bag in Bob and Kay’s room. Not a problem. After returning from our tourist excursion, I retrieved my bag and checked into the Westin and proceeded to take a nap.<br />
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We had dinner that night at Ted’s Montana Grill, which served up an excellent Bison Meatloaf.<br />
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<a href="https://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/tmg041.html">https://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/tmg041.html</a><br />
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After that it was back to the hotel to turn in.<br />
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3:20 am found me getting up and getting ready to depart. I caught an Uber at 4:30 to Reagan National and cleared TSA with no problems (thank you TSA pre-Check). It was an uneventful flight to Detroit, another to SEATTLE and finally back to Pasco. I was home in Walla Walla by 3:00 pm. Ain’t sir travel a marvel of the modern world?<br />
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<br />Alan Smitheehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14137407722188317115noreply@blogger.com0