Don’t you just love border crossings? I mean think Tijuana, Laredo, or more recently for us, Chau Doc, Viet Nam. We boarded a boat to take us to Chau Doc from Phnom Penh and fortunately for us, a sharp eyed tender told us we needed to do something about the Visas we acquired to enter Viet Nam when we were first in Bangkok. That would be at the Vietnamese Bureau of Institutional Inneptness office, where they issued our visas to enter Viet Nam on November 12 instead of October 12. I can hear Gargett now saying, “You are entering a 3rd world country and you didn’t check the dates?!”
I will insert a couple of shots John got of the great hotel we had in Phnom Penh and the Mekong.
Villa Paradiso pool
Chau Doc sunset, entering Viet Nam
Anyway, 2 hours a a few hundred dollars later, we were on our way to visit the Mekong Delta. It’s the only shuttle boat I have ever been on where the female assistant turns to me and says, “Would you like a massage, madame?” After that, I just said, “you betcha!” I am so going to miss being called, “Madame”!
Fishing after the flood
We decided not to endure the intense heat and bugs in the Mekong (we were going to do an overnight in the jungle), and headed instead today to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and are happily bunked up in the Majestic Hotel. Sweet–great amenities and right downtown. We are organizing our next 2-3 weeks during the next couple of days, but basically, we’ll be going to Dalat, where John was stationed in ’70, up in the mountains, then to Hoi An at the coast, and then fly to Hanoi, which we hear is a delightful small city.
I just have to say, I have so connected with your comments and questions! It is so comforting to know that friends are with us half a world away. We’re thinking of you in Bellingham having fun with the commodore’s ball, and hoping our Mexican ex-pats are doing OK with the weather systems we hear are moving through there. Hugs around!
Teresa Van Haalen Ventures 