There's a New Sheriff in Town

Elizabeth picked this hotel in Taipei and it is (1) fabulous, and (2) a great value at about $130 a night. Clean, new and stylin'. I love this place! I have a challenger.

This is the Swiio Hotel Daan. Fantastic location, and if you take a look at the toilet, you'll see it's a Kohler product, but has all the glamour of the Toto deluxe models.  It's actually much nice looking (basically, it has the classic Kohler hatbox base).  The room is also very large (not pictured here - just take our word for it).  Oh, and this must be a new thing.  Everything in the minibar is free.  Granted they have just one beer, but they have sparkling waters, chips, noodles, nuts, other soft drinks and juices in addition to a nice nespresso-style coffee and fresh tea leaves.  We're so easy to please!

There Are a LOT of Hardworking People in this World

Each morning on our cruise of Halong Bay, women in boats would start paddling around the tourist cruise boats about 6am, and as soon as they caught your eye, they would beckon quietly "Madame, Madame" then pull up alongside the boat, hoping you would buy anything from a bag of potato chips to a decorative necklace. If you zoom in on this picture, you will see that that this vendor had a young baby in tow. He was transfixed with a smartphone as she went about her work.

Halong Bay Excursion

OK, we confess the boat we are on is crazy nice. Huge room with dining area, enormous bathroom with nice balcony outside the bathroom, affording great views from the tub. Then in front of the room off the bedroom, a big deck with lounge chairs attached to our room. Really nice - something you'd be thrilled with even if you weren't on a boat. But the fact that you are on this great boat makes it all the more incredible. We had a great time - 3 days 2 nights which was just right. Plenty of time to get out for kayaking or visiting the caves. It took about 3 hrs to drive there from Hanoi so we're happy it was worth it!

Not every room has a great view ...

And it does sometimes rain. Though truthfully, we didn't see rain for several months and we have lucked out big time on rooms! This room is only for a night as we transfer from Halong Bay to Hanoi then Taipei.

And I didn't care a bit as I had something funky for breakfast and spent most of the day alternately laying in bed sleeping and throwing up. Then back to sleep. Then moaning. Then back to sleep.

A day of Cipro later, I am ready to go again! Looking forward to Taiwan.

Paradise Peak Ship, Halong Bay

Champagne Johnny strikes again. We are cruising Halong Bay on a large ship that has just 8 rooms. Everyone has a butler, they have a small spa and gym, and dining both inside and outside. We're having lunch here. Our room and bathroom are huge, larger than our last hotel room and we have a private sun deck with lounge chairs.

Halong Bay is dotted with about 2000 limestone karsts which we explored by kayak today. Many also have caves that you can kayak through, and the scenes of the rocks, caves and vegetation from close up on the water - just breathtaking.

Why Do We Keep Taking These Ridiculous Pics?

Unknown but we can't seem to resist.

Take a Close Look

We stopped at a huge tourist place on the way to Halong Bay, ostensibly for a bathroom break. But they had all manner of local crafts. Everything from artwork and sculpture to clothing and food. The place was immense and it was obvious that most if not all of the 3.5 million people who take the road from Hanoi to Halong Bay every year stop here. Buses and tourist vans galore. There's nothing particularly special about this artwork at first glance - all of which was being created in front of us by many, many artists. But what is kind of amazing is that these are not paintings or photographs. They're actually embroidery. We saw probably 20 women stitching works like this. These were large pieces and not cheap. The black and white of the woman and child was just under 38 million Vietnamese Dong, around $1700 US (frame not included).

Our Driver Gets a Shakedown

On the 3 hour ride to Halong Bay, we got waved off the road for no apparent reason. Not speeding as we were in heavy traffic at the time. Our driver collected his documents in a folder, inserted some money, and handed it over. Easy transaction and apparently not uncommon. Everyone knew exactly what they were supposed to do.

Vietnam Women's Museum, Hanoi

Nice exhibits about everything from marriage and childbirth traditions to clothing, and an entire floor dedicated to the role of women in the wars with the French and Americans. They had some kick-ass soldiers, military leaders and spies.

Chug. Surely Alcohol Will Kill Some of the Germs

Or whatever else lurks in these delicious bowls. Tonight we had Bun Bo Hue at a place called Bun Bo Nam Bo in Hanoi. Delicious meal for about 6$ for both of us, including a beer. This is really the best in street food. Thankfully we didn't see the kitchen operations until we were done eating.

Low Tech Fun

Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday, they turn a bunch of streets in the Old Quarter and around the lake into walking streets, and they are HOPPING. Nice mixture of local and tourist and everyone is out enjoying the restaurants and bars. On Sunday afternoon they had tons of games for kids - tug of war, bamboo stilts, jenga, jumping over moving bamboo, and you could just jump into the games any time. Didn't see single kid with their face in their phone and they were having a great time.

La Siesta Old Quarter Hanoi

Charming hotel with a great location and excellent service. We told them we were celebrating an anniversary and they decorated our room with rose petals and the artfully folded towels :) and some chocolate! We also had balloons, which are an extremely popular thing around here. They are sold everywhere on the streets.

I Am Woman

At the Vietnam Women's Museum. Surprisingly good.

The Land of Little Stools

Hanoi street scene is, not surprisingly, reminiscent of Paris the way everyone sits facing the street. Not quite as fancy here and the cafe chairs are replaced by these tiny, plastic stools and tables. They are everywhere and work great, unless of course you are over 6 feet tall. But really nobody is. Except me of course.

There is Business Class, and Then There's Business Class

TIckets on Vietnam Airlines were really cheap, and for only about 25$ you could upgrade to business class. So we did. The lounge was like a bus terminal in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The meal on board was inventive. As an example, one of the delicacies below was a triangle of Wonder bread (no crust) with a piece of lettuce, a triangle of some kind of pasteurized cheese food product, topped with 1/2 a cashew and 1/2 a grape tomato.

We must get the recipe. But there was beer.

His Search for a Great Mojito Continues in Hanoi

Breakfast on China Beach, Da Nang

Last day here, heading to Hanoi tonight. Not to keep going on and on about his resort, but they do some things as they should be done! Not only is breakfast included, you can have it any time and anywhere. The huge beautiful morning buffet, fine - order something from the menu, fine. At the restaurant by the pool, great. Room service, no problem. They will even set up breakfast on the beach if you ask. Breakfast at 2pm or 9pm, perfect. Pretty nice.

The beach here is exactly as empty as it looks. Although there are other properties around and more being built, the beach up and down this coast has just a handful of people on it. Haven't figured that one out yet, as the sand is great, no debris or rocks or even seaweed in the water, no junk along the shoreline - barely even any shells. Oh, and the water is warm and blue. A fine beach.

China Beach was the R&R place for American soldiers during the war.

Hoi An Vietnam

Just 30 minutes south of Da Nang is Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the only significant cities not bombed during the American War (as it is known here). Nice old buildings and a big bonus - the old town area is only accessible to pedestrians and bikes. So for once in Vietnam you can actually walk the streets without having your eyes scanning 360 degrees to figure out who will mow you down. Hoi An is also home the the country's best Banh Mi. We went in search.

Another Ridiculous Place To Bragabond About. Fusion Maia.

We know it is obnoxious, but duty calls. This place is great.

We have a huge suite with a private pool and garden overflowing with bougainvillea, bamboo, lots of other tropical foliage. And the pool is warm! There is also a large warm salt water resort pool with a negative edge overlooking the ocean. Da Nang is booming. Golf courses and mega resorts are being built everywhere. Construction cranes are everywhere. Get here soon before it is Disneyland! It's halfway there already.

"Back My Foot. Hold You Heel!"

"No worry! No worry!"

When nobody else shows up for yoga, the instructor pretty much just has his way with you. I had so much fun we extended our stay at the Fusion Maia. And there is nothing better than yoga under the palm trees, seeing white sand beach, blue water, and hearing the waves come in. I am pretty sure my normal reluctance to exercise would disappear if I had this every day. I am on a 5 day streak of 2-3 hours/day.

They have 5 hours of free yoga classes outside on the beach or in their lovely garden each morning and evening. A few times, I have been the only person, so you get private class! They offer everything from just deep breathing to Tai Chi to something that resembles circus training. Not sure what they call that!

My instructor this morning also does sports massage here, so as an added bonus, between my exercises, he would just give me a massage wherever he thought I needed it. In the course of my hour exercise I got hand/arm, foot, leg, back, neck massages.

It was awesome. He worked me like a mule with planks, push ups, burpees, sit ups and lots more. But at every change in exercise, nearly 5 minutes of massage. So truth be told, I probably only worked hard for about 30 minutes. But the massage wasn't easy either. I sometimes prayed for my next rotating plank.

The Approachable Guy

I cannot figure it out, but anywhere we go, people approach John for help. This is not just in the US but honestly anywhere we have traveled. Mostly, they are looking for directions, and John is often able to help as he researches each place so well.

He is also often approached by students who want to practice their English and will always partake in the same interchanges to help them learn English -- "where are you from", "do you like music", "what is your name" and so on.

Kids and dogs also love him. I know why! Even if he looks like an awkward giant. :)

Breakfast on the Beach and LOTS of Spa Visits

Fusion Maia in Da Nang. Gorgeous spot on China Beach with great breakfasts, then best of all, they are all about the health and wellness. Spa pool and waterfall below, separate from the other pool on the beach. You can do about 5 hours of yoga each day, plus have 2 hours of spa treatments (plus the great breakfast) all included in the room charge.  The rooms are not cheap but if you truly take advantage of all the other things they include, they are almost a bargain. I love the pick up yoga class anywhere I am, so to jump in for a few hours every day is great. Today we had Thai stretching massage, a coconut envelope wrap (consult John on that one!) and I had a 'slimming massage' which consisted of them locating every bit of fat and cellulite on your body then beating it. I may be black and blue tomorrow. After that they had basically a tickle fest on my stomach. I have never laughed so hard.

Wondering?

Yep, I give haircuts on the road.

Vietnam Memories

Sitting here on this beautiful beach in Da Nang, Vietnam, drinking mojitos and listening to the DJ, we are surfing the web and we come across an old war photo of the first U.S. combat troops - 9th U.S. Marine Expeditionary Force - coming ashore on this exact beach March 8, 1965, almost 52 years ago to the day. Surreal. Ten years later 58,000 Americans and maybe 2,000,000 Vietnamese would be dead and this would become the defining event of our generation. Now Vietnam seems almost too American. Burger King, Starbucks, Ford dealers and luxury hotels. How do you process that?

Good Morning Vietnam

View from our hotel at sunrise where you see the mix of new modern buildings, old buildings, and the ever present destruction of huge areas to make way for more new. There are still quite a few of the original French Colonial buildings like the Post Office and City Hall, but overall the city feels modern and chaotic.

Heading to Da Nang for the next 4 days.

Street Food

Frog grilled and served with and without skin (with was better). Clams in a delicious broth.

Street Food HCMC

First stop, spicy beef soup with noodles - not pho. Next, our BBQ joint.

Best Food Tour Yet!

We did a street food tour in Ho Chi Minh City with a company called XO tours and it was fabulous. They employ 100 percent female drivers, and the tour company was started by an American-born Vietnamese guy. I don't think it could have been better if you had Anthony Bourdain's fixer working it. Lasted about 6 hours. Went to three restaurants, ate a dozen dishes, drank beers, the works. This was so much fun, and all done on motorbikes. We must have been on the road for over three hours, and got to ride through most of the city's 12 numbered districts. The two young girls were our drivers but we had 2 other guys doing all kinds of stuff as well (going ahead to set things up, jumping out into traffic so we could take a left turn on busy roads, washing our lettuce in Dasani water so we didn't get sick from local water, lots more!)

The experience of riding on these bikes across the city was amazing and something we could never have done one our own. Started with a spicy beef noodle soup. Next stop a street BBQ joint. Grill at your table goat, shrimp, beef and frog (which did in fact taste just like chicken), then some special crispy pancakes wrapped in aromatic leaves. A chopstick competition which ended in a tie but which I pulled out in the tiebreaker (E was stunned in defeat) then on to the last restaurant where we had crab, shrimp, clams, octopus, scallops, quail and two desserts. Also tried the duck egg with embryo inside. An experience!

Anyway this experience is too long to post but I'll send a few pics in separate posts since I can only do two pics with each post. These people were great!!

Dining in the Dark

Here's an experience. This restaurant is called Noir - as in black. Except for the greeter you are initially met and served a drink by people who are deaf and mute. But the amazing part is that you are then taken into a room that is completely dark. Led in by your waiter who is blind with your hands on his shoulders. Did I say dark. My friends this room is absolutely pitch black. You cannot see your hand a inch in front of your face. And it never gets better. Your eyes never adjust. Very disconcerting at first. Almost claustrophobic. You have no idea how big the room is and you never get to see it. Then you're served dinner by your blind waiter and you eat without being able to see anything. Your sense of sight is just completely gone. After dinner hands back on the waiter and you are led out where they sort of debrief you and show you what you had to eat. This is the number one restaurant in HCMC on TripAdvisor. It's not all gimmick, the food is great. Here's a pic of our meal as well.